Electric Cars in More Cyclist, Pedestrian Accidents: Vias

Electric cars are disproportionately involved in accidents with cyclists and pedestrians, according to new data from Belgian road safety institute Vias. In 2025, 42 percent of accidents involving electric cars also involved a vulnerable road user, compared to 27 percent for all car types combined. The institute attributes this trend primarily to the quiet motor sound of electric vehicles, which makes them harder for pedestrians and cyclists to detect.

The findings come as electric and hybrid vehicles have surged in popularity across Belgium, growing from 3 percent to 20 percent of the vehicle fleet over the past five years. As VRT NWS reported, this rapid technological shift has introduced new safety challenges that are not yet fully addressed.

The Silent Danger

At low speeds, electric vehicles produce almost no engine noise, depriving pedestrians and cyclists of the auditory cues they rely on to detect approaching traffic. The European Union has mandated that all electric vehicles be equipped with an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS), which generates artificial sound at speeds below approximately 20 km/h and when reversing. However, Vias’ research reveals that these systems are not always effective.

Vias conducted sound measurements of different vehicles on a closed circuit and listening tests with 70 participants, half of whom were blind or visually impaired. The results showed significant variation in how well different vehicle types could be detected at various speeds.

At 10 km/h, 32 percent of electric cars were not detected by listeners, compared to 27 percent of combustion engine vehicles and 38 percent of hybrids. At 20 km/h, the picture shifted: only 7 percent of electric cars went undetected, while 18 percent of hybrids and 11 percent of combustion vehicles were missed. At 30 km/h, detection rates improved across the board, with 5 percent of electric cars, 7 percent of hybrids, and 3 percent of combustion vehicles going unnoticed.

“The hybrid car was generally less detectable, especially in noisy environments,” said Stef Willems, spokesperson for Vias. “Those sounds are also not always the same. In some cases those cars are then detected too late or even not at all. That is potentially dangerous.”

A Particular Burden on the Visually Impaired

Blind and visually impaired people face the greatest challenges from quiet electric vehicles, as they rely heavily on hearing to navigate traffic safely. Khadija Tamditi, policy officer at the Brailleliga, noted that the research findings come as no surprise to her organization. “Blind and visually impaired people use their hearing to orient themselves, cross the street safely and anticipate potential dangers,” she said. “Not hearing a car approach is therefore a real obstacle to their freedom of movement and reinforces the feeling of insecurity.”

The listening tests confirmed that blind and visually impaired participants had slightly more difficulty than the control group detecting cars when background noise was low. However, in high-noise environments, they actually identified cars slightly better than others, likely because they are better trained at distinguishing different sound sources.

Calls for Standardization and Louder Minimums

Vias is recommending several changes to improve the safety of quiet vehicles. The institute proposes standardizing the type of sound used across all manufacturers, raising the minimum sound threshold at low speeds, and focusing on frequencies that are more effective for improving detectability.

“We propose making that type of sound more uniform for all cars,” Willems explained. “Now manufacturers choose that themselves. At low speeds up to 10 kilometers per hour, we also propose raising that mandatory sound level. This way blind or visually impaired people can better notice those sounds.”

Belgian Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke has expressed openness to these recommendations. “The transition to cleaner mobility is necessary, but it must also proceed safely,” he said. “The silence of electric vehicles is progress in terms of noise pollution. But if that silence creates an additional risk in certain situations for pedestrians, cyclists or visually impaired people, then we must be able to adjust the rules in a smart way.”

A Growing Concern

The issue is becoming increasingly pressing as electric vehicle adoption accelerates. According to VRT NWS reporting from July 2026, more than one in ten new cars bought by Belgian private individuals are now fully electric, and electric vehicles represent 36.1 percent of all new registrations in the first half of 2026. As the electric vehicle fleet continues to expand, the safety implications of quiet vehicles will only grow.

Previous research on this topic has been mixed. A Knack analysis from 2021 noted that earlier studies suggesting electric vehicles were more dangerous for pedestrians were later criticized for not accounting for the share of electric vehicles in specific traffic situations. However, the new Vias study uses a controlled experimental methodology that directly measures detectability, providing more robust evidence.

What’s Next

Vias suggests that Belgium could take a leading role by raising this matter at the European level. The institute’s recommendations—standardization of AVAS sounds, higher minimum sound levels, and more effective frequencies—would require changes to EU regulation 540/2014, which currently gives manufacturers significant freedom in choosing the type of sound their vehicles emit.

As De Morgen reported, the findings highlight a tension between two desirable goals: reducing noise pollution and ensuring road safety for all users. The challenge for regulators will be finding the right balance.

For now, the message from Vias is clear: as electric vehicles become the norm, ensuring they remain audible to vulnerable road users must be a priority. The quiet revolution on our roads should not come at the cost of pedestrian and cyclist safety.