Mr Jones has supported Guide Dogs’ call for the installation of a vital safety feature on quiet hybrid and electric vehicles to keep pedestrians safe, by attending a reception at the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday 26 June. The Nuneaton MP was amongst the large number of Members of Parliament who backed the charity's call to install artificial noise generators on quiet vehicles.
Research shows that some quiet vehicles cannot be heard until one second before impact and, in certain conditions, are more likely to be involved in a collision with a pedestrian than conventional vehicles. Guide Dogs held the reception, where Transport Minister Norman Baker spoke, to highlight the charity’s concerns about the safety implications of vehicles that cannot be heard.
Nuneaton MP Marcus Jones said, “We must ensure that we don’t confine people who are blind or have visual impairments to their own homes and must do everything that we can to allow blind people safe mobility. To do that we must ensure that people can hear electric and hybrid vehicles.”
James White, Guide Dogs' Campaigns Manager, said: "As the number of quiet vehicles increases on our roads, we need to ensure they are safe. Blind and partially sighted people rely on the sound of an engine to cross a road safely. If you can’t see or hear a car then how do you know it is there?”
"We welcome Mr Jones’s support for our campaign. Quiet vehicles must be safe for all pedestrians and we urge the Department for Transport to take steps to ensure this happens”