According to a new analysis of National Highway Transportation Safety Administration data on more than 200,000 traffic-related deaths, lack of noise may not be what makes hybrids more dangerous for pedestrians. As NPR reports, the new inquiry reveals that many fatalities in which hybrids were involved took place at speeds of 35 miles per hour or faster—when hybrids are just as noisy as other cars.
The author of the new study, Amy Freeland from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says it’s not clear why hybrids are involved in more pedestrian deaths, but speculates that the high numbers of accidents involving the partial electric cars and pedestrians may be due to the fact that hybrid owners are more likely to live in cities, where there are more people on foot.