Neil Parish MP supports Guide Dogs' call to keep pedestrians safe from silent menace

Mr Parish 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 Tiverton and Honiton 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.

Neil Parish, who is also chairman of the Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare, said: “As technology improves so must the safety features that accompany them. We must ensure that blind and visually impaired people, along with their guide dogs, are not put in a position where they feel unable to cross a road like everyone else.”

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 Parish’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”