Hybrids Safer For Drivers but Not For Pedestrians

You frequently hear critics of tough fuel economy rules argue that small fuel-sippers aren't as safer as bigger cars.  But a study from the Highway Loss Data Institute finds that's not true of hybrids.

The study found that occupants of hybrids are 25 percent less likely to be injured in a crash than those riding in a similar-sized vehicle that is not a hybrid.

Pedestrians, on the other hand, are at 20 percent greater risk of being mowed down by the quiet-running hybrids.

In the case of those riding in a hybrid, it's thought that the weight of the battery and associated components adds a measure of safety since, all other things being equal, a heavier vehicle is likely to do better in a crash than a lighter one.

And as for those unlucky pedestrians, well, it's fairly obvious that if you don't hear a quiet electric car creeping up behind you, or approaching from a blind corner, you're more likely to fail to get out of its way.

The study was conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). 

IIHS is already working on the problem.  Congress has commissioned it to come up with a requirement that hybrids and electric cars make enough noise to alert others to their presence.

Toyota is trying out a noisemaker on its 2012 Camry and Prius hybrids. They emit a noise similar to the sound of an electric engine.

Honda, meanwhile, says the gas engine is always running on its hybrids.