>> I’ll believe this is a problem when someone presents an actual STATISTIC <<
Well, I almost got hit by one that was moving at a higher-than-prudent rate of speed in a semi-darkened parking garage. That’s the only statistic I need. Case closed AFAIC.
(And I’ll bet you’d have the same reaction as me, if you’d had a similar kind of narrow escape.)
I’m always almost getting hit by something. Doesn’t have to be something silent.
How would we ever avoid potholes when we are walking, if we don’t put noisemakers in them?
And I’m still not sure how you avoid getting hit by a car just because you can kind of hear it. If you were walking in the middle of the street, and a car is coming at you too fast, you could well get hit. Doesn’t have to be a silent car.
And if you are NOT walking in the middle of the parking lot aisle, but the car is cutting across and driving too fast, it will still hit you whether you hear it or not.
The so-called issue here is people who step out into the street and get hit because a silent car was coming and they didn’t hear it.
But that means stepping out in front of a moving car, something you shouldn’t ever really do, whether it is going a safe speed or too fast, making noise or not.
I will say this. I always back carefully out of spaces in parking lots, because people are idiots and will walk right behind a car that is running and has brake lights and backup lights on, and assume the driver will see them and stop.