Are pedestrians more likely to be hit by an electric or hybrid car than a gas-powered car?

A: Probably. Because electric and hybrid vehicles do not have the same combustion engine sound that a gas-powered car does, they are often much quieter. In areas where the speed limit is 35 mph or slower, a government study has found that pedestrians are 50% more likely to be hit by a hybrid car than by a non-hybrid vehicle.

Pedestrian auto accidents are not joke. Congress is responding to thist study. In 2011, they charged the Department of Transportation with coming up with a requirement for equipping the quieter cars with a sound that would warn pedestrians that the vehicle was coming.