Drivers failing to yield for emergency vehicles due to modern car features
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- Many modern cars are designed to minimize outside noises but this is creating issues for emergency responders who need drivers to hear their sirens and yield. NBC News’ Tom Costello has more details on new steps departments are taking to get drivers attention.
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#Cars #Drivers #Driving
Checking the rear view/side mirrors regularly kinda helps with that. I think the modern car feature creating issues is that modern drivers don't care.
You are are are correct !
@are are are
Doesnt matter modern car is more "silent".
No damper will block out any ambulance siren.
The REAL reason is to just excuse drivers who have radio on. Most radios are loud. If you have your radio off of course you wouldnt be happy.
But you might save someone's life. Also having radio on, you can still hear sirens. Even 200 yards away. Its just very quiet if you have radio very loud.
If its where you cant hear yourself talking to your passenger or your passenger has to yell then your radio is TOO loud.
I was a drivers Ed instructor for 4 years. You are taught to keep your eyes moving forward, back, and both side mirrors every 3 seconds.
I drive for Dominos and get out of the way of emergency vehicles daily. Drive a new 2021 car too with my bluetooth blasting music and I can still clearly hear sirens from far away. It really is just that drivers do not care and even try to speed up to stay in front of them sometimes.
ங
I can't remember the company, but years ago there was a commercial that talked about how a car kept out outside noise and even showed how it kept out the sound of a fire truck as it passed by as though it was a selling point. I couldn't believe they thought this was okay.
"Our research shows that Millenials and Zoomers don't like sirens because they make them feel unsafe, and distract them from social media."
@@RM_VFX Touche'. So true.
I believe it was Toyota if I'm not mistaken, probably well intentioned for parents with young children but not very well thought out in the bigger picture.
I could fall asleep in that car 😴
I could be wrong but I seem to recall a Cadillac commercial that featured that.
Always when I hear or suspect emergency vehicles, I crack my windows open to get an idea where they may be coming from and act accordingly. Pull over and hazards on to warn other folks. We can do better folks :/
Exactly!!
I tried that before and a bee got sucked in my car and stung me in the eye. Never again. 🤕
@@dentatusdentatus1592 jesus christ…
Same
I wonder what self driving cars do when a fire truck approaches from behind.
It’s not just having more modern cars. People don’t use their mirrors to view traffic behind or beside them. You not only should watch where you’re going, but people should keep a keen eye behind them for emergency vehicles. When I took drivers ed we were taught to be aware of not just what’s ahead, but behind us, as well. Many people today are even too lazy to use their turn signals on.
Visibility has also gotten MUCH WORSE in newer cars with much smaller windows and much greater blockage from the 50 airbags.
@@johnp139 I don’t know about that. Car windows have pretty much been the same forever, since the 50’s or 60’s at least.
@@derekeastman7771Have you been inside any vehicle made in the last 10-15 years? The pillars have gotten SIGNIFICANTLY wider compared to cars made even just back in the 90's in order to comply with rollover standards and accomodate extra airbags. This in turn creates giant blindspots.
This is a MAGA type BS excuse. Look at how Germany deals with emergency vehicles. And they drive nicer German cars with more insulation and drive at higher speeds. 🤦♂🤦♂
@@toolbaggers What does MAGA have to do with this? 🤦♀️
In my car I’ve never been able to hear sirens until the vehicle using them is on top of me. The good news is I have these crazy things called “mirrors”. Much like the near mythical “turn signal”, some drivers could apparently stand to use them more often.
My peripheral vision can perceive flashing lights of emergency vehicles but not fast moving objects. As for hearing, if I hear a siren and can't determine direction because of sound propogation in the area, I would shift awareness to drive cautiously until I can visually or audibly confirm the vehicles.
An easy fix for not being able to hear emergency vehicles is to just slightly open the drivers window
@@Minutepsycho Or turn down your music
And even if you don't *hear* the emergency vehicle, if you are paying attention, you will see the flashing lights.
Not if it's daylight, your car is in front 6 other vehicles and possibly taller than yours.
And if the driver can’t see flashing lights, they probably shouldn’t be driving
@@versatilex97 so those 6 other drivers can’t see or hear anything? Lol y’all make up any weak excuse
@@versatilex97 side mirrors
@@versatilex97 What about the side mirrors which are not effected by taller vehicles? I mostly ride motorcycles with a modular helmet and earplugs for hearing protection. I constantly check my surrounding, not specifically for emergency vehicles, but for distracted drivers that are mostly texting or talking on their cellphones, and by doing so, I can observe any approaching vehicle, emergency or not, regardless of which direction it is coming from.
In the early 1960s I worked as summer help for the Kern County Fire Department in California. All of the sirens were mechanical with a rotating internal vane. They had an extremely rich sound full of harmonics. Many different portions of an ear would be stimulated by sound. The battalion chief's cars were electronic. They were a pure sine wave with no harmonics. We talked back then how no one could hear the chief's cars but the trucks were easy to hear. Sadly, almost all sirens are now electronic. What is sadder is that it would be trivial for the electronic sound generator to put out a harmonic rich sound. It penetrates better and allows the siren to be located better. Yet, sixty years later and they still only use sine waves. What a way to save perhaps ten cents worth of electronics.
Anything to save a buck these days.
Some of the trucks owned by the County FD around here have both an electrically driven mechanical siren and the typical electronic "siren" as well as air horns.
I find this totally fascinating and want to petition my local government to implement something like this on all fire and emergency medical vehicles 😮
Can you find a link on youtube to the Mechanical Harmonic one your talking about? Would be interested to hear
@@raeorion That would be great. I am now in my late 70s and am unable to get involved. I had never thought of doing something about it. Some fire trucks in my area in Texas use all three of electronic sirens, the old mechanical ones, and klaxon horns at intersections. There is no problem hearing them. I understand that some birds can use a brief steady pitched sine wave as a warning call because it bounces and is hard to tell where its coming from. This good for them. It is a problem for the driver of an emergency vehicle using the modern siren. I worked as an electronics design engineer before I retired many years ago. Implementing a harmonic rich electronic siren would be trivial to design and implement.
Always wondered why car manufacturers haven’t put in a device that listens to emergency sirens and then shows the driver an alert on the dashboard and/or LCD screen of an emergency vehicle nearby?
Hopefully vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems will take care of that soon.
because more screens isnt the answer
You talking like its simple
I had the same idea. Something that listens for sirens and the gps lady goes something like "make way for first responders" or something like that
@@elena6516 Some dashboards are already fully an LCD screen, adding an alert to pop and and warn you isn’t that complicated, nor an additional screen.
Wow, an emergency vehicle moving faster than it’s own siren: that is over 767 mph. Can you imagine you local fire truck breaking the sound barrier?
I used to drive alot. Somewhere between 150k and 350k miles a year. I had probably hundreds of emergency vehicles pass me in that time. In each and every case, I was well aware of them long before they were even close to me, many of the times in cities. Not due to the sound, my vehicles were always newer. I was simply always aware of the road, and what is behind you is more important than you think.
*a lot,not alot.
@@chuckfinley4757 alot
@@chuckfinley4757 what about aloot
No way you do 350k miles a year. At 70 mph, you would have to be driving all day, every day, and get 5 hours of sleep. You wouldn't stop; you wouldn't even do anything in your house. So, I don't think such numbers are plausible
In addition to not being able to hear outside noises, drivers are distracted by large video displays built into dashboards and smart phones. Drivers aren't paying attention to what's going on around them.
I'd argue that having a navigation system beats me being distracted trying to figure out where I am by looking at signs and businesses
@@iKingRPG The navigation systems are great, but the problem is when drivers are looking at the navigation display, instead of looking at the road when they are driving. If I'm lost, I'll pull over, park and look at the display or an analog map. I drive in an area where traffic is very heavy (LA Co and Orange Co). People drive like they're in a Fast & Furious movie. It's dangerous for me to take my eyes off the road for just a second or two to look at a display.
Thats incorrect drivers are not distracted by large displays in their cars. Drivers are just poor in general having situational awareness and not because of large displays, its because they look at their cell phones.
@@441meatloaf I agree that many drivers have poor situational awareness. Both dashboard displays and cell phones are causes. With cell phones, there are two distractions: looking at the display and talking on the phone. You could argue that cell phones are a greater distraction.
If all car are smart, an emergency vehicle can send a warning with time to all people in the route so they can move, people always criticize new technology, but technology has always made life better, not worse
The tv crew & responders are real nice. What I see is that folk don’t wanna move! It’s a shame because those 10 seconds could be a chance of life & death, & it could be one of their loved ones. I thank all responders & give them all the respect. It’s a tough job which takes a great heart💝. Blessings to you all.
Bruh if a person won’t let you get over there isn’t much u can do
@@the_ltz_guymaster7912 Honk the horn😆😆😆😆. But you gotta watch it these days - folk might shoot - that worked back in da day😉
@@the_ltz_guymaster7912 ? bruh they can get a ticket easily if it's a cop. are u dumb
I was watched ambulance with lights and sirens on pull up behind me on a busy two lane road. The two cars directly in front of me moved, guy in the right lane moved into the left guy in the left lane moved into the right. Ambulance was forced to take the boulevard.
A lot of people just don’t have a clue what to do when emergency vehicles approach
@@Daywalker_27 Be Kind🌸🖤🫂✝️ ( this all for these that still don’t get it ) this type of response makes even more dangerous for bikers to move.. stopping without warning means they’re two accidents not just one…
the roads are dangerous now also put your phones down don’t answer that touch screen call if can i can wait so can you!!!
I could be a loved one of yours BE RESPECTFUL & RESPONSIBLE ❤
It’s almost summer we will be everywhere drive as if it’s a loved one you care about! ❤
9 times out of 10 I see the emergency vehicle 1/2 mile back before ever hearing the siren because I’m a normal person and check my mirrors every couple seconds.
Other problem is that in some states people don’t use their turn signals at all, rolling stops are done more than ever. Traffic is the most annoying thing for me in todays America. No one follows the rules.
What is more annoying is Americans wanting the rest of the American taxpayers to support corrupt ukraine.
Yup, and flow and efficiency of traffic gets ruined when people don't know how to follow the rules of the road.
Agreed. Some of that may be due to the fact that police rarely enforce the rules anymore. At least not in Southern California.
You have extreme hubris but not proof.
People who treat roundabouts like a four way stop where nobody knows who has the right of way. People who don't understand driving around semitrucks or trailers in general. Roundabouts + semis, and the morons that try to hug up to them on the inside curve.
This is why I ALWAYS have the habit of checking my mirrors both side and rearview not just relying on the sound of the siren
So glad they did this story. I literally thought I was insane or dumb because there's been times I've heard the siren 🚨 but couldn't identify if it was coming from Infront of me or behind. I thought I was the only one with this issue 🤣🤦
It's called situational awareness while out driving. Not only pay attention to what's up ahead but every so often scan all your rear view mirrors to get a bead on what's happening behind you and what might be coming up fast on you. I was taught this in driver's ed class and have practiced it ever since getting behind the wheel of a vehicle. A comprehensively safe driver is one who is aware of what's happening all around them, and doesn't drive with blinders on and only focuses on what's ahead only. Not only can it make you aware of approaching responding emergency vehicles, but potentially save your life so you can react accordingly to others' mishaps on the road. Could mean the difference between getting home without a scratch on your car, to being stuck on the side of the road with an inoperable torn up vehicle and waiting on the rollback....
yes, a big part of defensive driving which I practice. The way others drive so carelessly and a lot without knowledge of road rules has me always checking more often in traffic situations. I also can thank driver's ed in high school for instilling this in me lol.
Bruh seriously I'm surprised constantly by how good my Drivers education course was compared to some others I've heard about because there are things I thought everyone was taught like scanning your surroundings and checking mirrors, not changing lanes in an intersection, and yielding to the right when you reach a 4way at the same time... Just so many things and that's scary lol
@@rs-mt6kl yes, exactly!! Usually when approaching a 4-way I try to slow my approach to stop last as I know most folks have no idea the person to your right has the right-of-way (or the person going straight and not turning across your lane if facing each other)..and I have no idea how that stuck with me since high school 30 years ago lol.
I thought I had a issue because i check my rear ire mirror so much it’s crazy 😂😂😂
@@hazacarrobinson6673 bruuuuhhh same I yell at myself in my head sometimes "binch focus on the road in front of you too ffs stop watchin what they doin back there you're not heading that way!" 😅
Also, drivers don’t use their mirrors. Some drivers have their radio or speakers on so loud, they can’t hear. Gone are the days of keeping the left lane for passing only. It’s a selfish world. These workers have so much stress but the issues you presented make every second count.
if they dont use mirrors im surprised they havent crashed already
I quite often hear people with their music up so loud its completely audible outside their car when they are in the lane next to me! This is with my own windows up!
@@thepotatoofheaven most people who don't use their mirrors (or any other safety skills) HAVE wrecked more than once.
Yes, left lane losers are the main cause of all highway accidents and slow downs. I firmly believe it. Nobody should ever be going under the speed limit in a left lane. It makes it hard for emergency vehicles to get past, especially in a snowstorm
@@TianarTruegard Funny, this was *more so* in the 80s and 90s, yet this wasn't an "issue"... Siddown 🙄
I was taught to check my mirrors every 8 seconds in drivers Ed. I’m hard of hearing but I have always seen the flashing lights soon enough to get out of the way well in advance.
This seems to be a common thing I'm seeing in the "aware" comments is drivers Ed. I think it makes a huge difference and should be a mandatory requirement for getting a license above a basic written and road test which does not cover many common situations.
What's crazy is you can have lights and sirens going full blast, and it's flashing the regular headlights that gets them to notice you and pull over.
Your car is transportation, not a media center. You can listen to your music at a volume where you can also hear emergency vehicles.
This is a pet peeve of mine. I've done ride alongs with police, and when they are traveling at a high rate of speed, they need the road cleared far in advanced. Yet jerks wait until the last second to move over which slows down the emergency responders.
I wouldn't necessarily call all of them jerks just yet. You may want to ride along in a car to actually notice the other side of the spectrum. I suspect people just can't hear them or if of they can hear them they can't see where it's coming from or Which direction the emergency vehicle is driving to and at what speed that's why people act at the last minute when all of a sudden the vehicle is right behind them. I'm just guessing tho. I could be wrong.
You truly can't hear until it's right on you.
well, they shouldn't be traveling at a 'high rate of speed' which means high acceleration. they should be cruising at a fairly steady speed
@@Sohailali1 nope, you're right. I'm guilty of this too and family members as well with car models 2016 and up. Even a 2014 Acura has suppressed outside noise.
@@Sohailali1 then turn down the music and pay better attention to the road.
My friend who was teaching me to drive to always look at your rearview like you have a stalker. After 27yrs of driving like this and cheap on the Ac, I can hear & see them a mile away at any direction.
Just figuring this out now? Years ago when I saw advertisements for the sound dampening features of the newer cars I thought to myself that's going to be a real problem when it comes to hearing sirens. And here we are!
Why would that even be a good feature to begin with? A lot of car problems make noise, too. I'd rather hear what's going on around me than feel like I'm trapped in a bubble
Feels weird shifting the blame when it’s been around since I started driving in the 90s.
Just check your mirrors. Problem solved mate.
@@username8644 Who's going to be checking their mirrors every couple of seconds for the rare chance an emergency vehicle might be behind them? I usually keep my eyes on what is ahead of me unless I'm changing lanes or what have you
@@ScooterCat64 Then learn how to drive.
OHHH YEAH. I work in EMS and this happens all the time. People outright don’t care or panic and break in the middle of two lanes, slam on their brakes in front of you. It’s EXHAUSTING having to look out for reckless drivers when you’re going code…
I applaud your excellent driving skills. . .and thank you and your crew mates for the life saving work that you do.
The thing is that this happens to all of us driving on the road. If you drive a lot then you realize how bad it really is. I used to drive 500 miles every weekend, most drivers on the road have absolutely zero awareness. They don't even know you are driving next to them most of the time.
Starting out, I mostly do transfers and rarely get to drive code. But I can still use the airhorn to put the fear of god in someone trying to cut me off
It’s sad that you have to deal with it on a regular basis
To those who do move over: thank you for helping us keep you and us and your community safe!
Not being able to hear us coming is like 10% of the problem. I drive the firetruck I'm assigned to 90% of the time. People are texting or just straight up not paying attention. They're in a rush and blow lights on purpose or just don't care that we are behind them (as is evident by the middle finger). The ones that do move come from different states and countries (as is evident by license plate) with different road rules and each end up doing something completely different. It's a combination of entitlement, low IQ, hodge podged road rules and distracted driving. PSAs and a nationwide move over for emergency vehicles rule that isn't different in every state would help a lot.
I find it laughable they blame they can't hear it. Music is too loud, that is why they can't hear it.
@@JediOfTheRepublic A lot of the time they actually can't! Not untill it's so close you'll take their time a bit moving over..even if just a few extra seconds, but that's just you, every car who doesn't check behind them will also pullover late upon hearing the sirens late thus delaying the ambulance (or whatever else) minutes. Not hearing it is part of the problem but most of it is bad drivers.
And no it isn't the music..newer cars designs just are better at blocking out noise, can't even hear the wind outside (I've noticed our car, that's a little newer than our truck, you cannot hear things like wind or going on bridges..the Truck you can at least hear the sounds of being on bridge and our old car we used to have you could hear the wind without music and a lot more).
For future reference, what do we do if all lanes are occupied at a red light and you're behind us? I've gone through it before. Or traffic jam on freeway? Sometimes getting over is impossible near the city where shoulders are non-existent. I think this gray area sort of paralyzes drivers.
Probably the most helpful thing to do in that situation would be to move as far to one side as you possibly can and hope the other traffic follows, for example on a 4 lane road (2 lanes each way) left lane as far left, right lane as far right. This usually opens up an area large enough along the center lines for us to fit through if everyone follows. But whatever you do be safe! Thank you for asking!
People should be aware of their surroundings at all times when they're driving, it doesn't matter what kind of car they're in.
It really is more about checking your surroundings i look at my mirrors like every 5 seconds or so and i play loud music all the time I’m always aware of a emergency vehicle. It’s just lack of checking your surroundings or people who don’t wanna move
Enjoy tinnitus
This. Some people pay attention and other don’t. The ones that do get good at it and can manage many things at once.
i honestly hope someday people actually get ticketed for not bothering to move out of the way of emergency vehicles, this issue has gotten too common in recent times
I've definitely seen ppl on the internet say they have, hopefully happens more though, and I hope driving instructors drill into kids how important it is
Well, I can understand in a city, traffic congestion is a real problem, making it hard sometimes, just too many people in such a small area.
@@XFizzlepop-Berrytwist please look at the size of the car(s) and the size of the people and the occupancy rate of the cars. If one person alone sits in an USV or truck, the problem is not to many people in a small area. Back to emergency vehicles: It is much easier for a fire truck to pass between two rows of small city cars then USV, Trucks or wide Audis.Even if a truck fully goes to the curb, the space for the emergency response vehicle is much narrower, then if a city car yields partially.
When I lived in Miami it was common to see police running ahead of ambulance and fire, pulling people over for not stopping.
People don't even use blinkers while changing lane multiple times. They go left and right like an autistic. They make me hate driving.
I’m so glad someone brought this to our attention. Thank you.
This comment feels satirical.
I'm an EMT and I see this every single day. Maybe on back roads not being able to hear is an issue, but that is by no means the only issue. People just don't care. I can be outside of the hospital, laying on my airhorn, everyone else having moved over, but there will always be one or two people who are more worried about getting through the light than getting out of my way.
Not being to hear is not due to the car but the driver. Most likely, their music is way too loud.
Hearing the siren isn’t always the problem
sometimes it’s trying to figure out where it’s coming from
Sure but if you get over to the right when you hear it, that's going to solve the issue 99% of the time.
@@sfmc98 not always possible especially in congested areas like Southern California or safe
@@mhughes1160 That's literally what California law is.
@@sfmc98 Obey the Law ? No matter how many accidents you create ?
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
@@sfmc98 I was driving down the road and heard sirens 🚨 no one knew where it was coming from so 99% of the cars moved to the right effectively blocking the fire truck who was driving on the right side of the road ? 🤣😂🤣😂
Whenever I'm driving, I'm looking out my mirrors every few seconds. People do NOT pay attention anymore while driving. It's not just distracted driving either. People just generally drive horrible nowadays.
Its not people can't hear you, its the fact people these days care more about their phones while driving than to pay any attention
BOOM!
I have found it a bit harder to hear emergency vehicals in my car and I am not a distracted driver.
They should cite the people who don’t care, and when it’s their medical emergency time, delay their help response from the ER or ambulance, as long as they did to others. This would make people act better🤷🏻♂️ Now I see why some third countries are so harsh in punishment or pettiness for what we deem
@Raven should take their license away and make them take a driving course. Give them one chance if they still dont pay attention just take their driving privileges away for life.
@@epicunicat20 Yours is a more moral and reasonable punishment idea. I admire that . Let’s add mine as the final straw
You may not hear the sirens, but wouldn’t the flashing lights be a major giveaway?
It's weird how this is apparently only an issue in America, considering we move over pretty well here in Europe and it's not as big of an issue..
I was walking near my place one day and I saw a car with a police car right behind it with the lights and siren going. "Good lord, pull over and get out of the way" I thought, but as the two of them went past I realized that the police car was actually chasing the car!
I was a transit bus driver so I'm used to checking my side mirrors every few seconds and looking both ways left and right when my stoplight just turned green. I think all drivers should do that, My road car was a BMW 3 series which had really good sound insulation and checking surroundings was a must when driving that car.
Honestly this happened to me the other day. I had a green light. No one in front of me. I crossed my intesection and an ambulance almost t-boned me. I had seconds to think as I DID Not hear the sirens until they were about to hit. I hesitated for half a second but knew the only option was to hit that accelerator to get out of their way quick. That was scary but honest to god I did not hear them and it was daylight so I really didn’t see the lights until the end
Did you look left and right before entering the intersection?
You're supposed to look left and right before going on green anyway because of idiots who like to run red lights.
@@jacobshirley3457 you’re supposed to. if you have a green light your supposed to make sure the roadway is clear before accelerating.
This happened to me once before when I started taking off from a 4 way stop sign, and the fire truck that I accidentally got in front of was covered by a tall brick wall to my right for an enclosed apartment complex. I wasn't able to hear them until they used their air horn in addition to the siren. So I just determined then and there to gun it to get to the other end of intersection instead of trying to stop and possibly becoming obstacle in their way. Felt pretty guilty for almost blocking them, but it all happened so abruptly I just had to do what felt logical.
@@smokecharge4196 Keep in mind that not every intersection occurs in an open field. It's likely they couldn't see down the intersecting road until they were already crossing it.
Reminds me of old car ads that promote how well their cars block out the outside world that was the late 90's
Driver always should be checking the rear mirror
thats why you should ALWAYS check you mirrors to see if anyone is behind you.
I noticed this was an issue because I tend to walk most places if I can. At some point emergency vehicles started turning their sirens off briefly when they pass me becaues of how loud they are now. I can hear them blocks away.
0:48 "and a fast moving ambulance or fire engine may be moving faster than it's siren" I was today years old when I learned emergency vehicles could travel 343 m/s or over 750mph
Blaming cars for people not paying attention is insane.
Make the sirens louder.
I get super annoyed and just pray someone didn’t lose their life.
Praying doesn't do jack. Advocate for more public transport and less car infrastructure. Then, you will have made a difference.
@@Fighter11115 Praying doesn’t do jack for you. Brings me peace unlike yourself. Another expert telling someone else what they need to do. You sound stupid attacking people and telling them what they should do. What are you doing? 😂 expert 👌
@@Fighter11115 thank you for saying this....
@@Fighter11115 praying does do a lot. “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
James 2:26 NIV
Here's an idea, open your eyes. I check my mirrors often even with the technology, but a majority of people I know rely too heavily on their car to tell them what's happening instead of themselves paying attention.
I remember trying to get out of the way but the car would NOT let me merge and insisted in pushing me back. The emergency vehicle was practically yelling at us until they let me merge
Turn signal would've let you get over
I've never heard of a car that full on won't let you steer. I have a car that tries to keep you in your lane but you can still push the wheel hard to override it if needed.
@@mattwolf7698 yep exactly, and if you give a turn signal it disables it during the lane change. Cars don't just force you in a lane
@@NoVaRedacted I think they are talking about another car on the road refusing to let them merge in their lane. Hence they had to yell at us to let me merge.
Maybe they should have strong flashlights that they can direct to a car, so the driver notices
It's not the cars. The problem is the people.
I’ve been in multiple incidents where someone didn’t move for an emergency vehicle. Even driving on the side lane when you aren’t supposed me unless emergency vehicle. If I was driving, I always moved out of the way if I needed to.
As a Former Commercial Vehicle driver, I would always keep a lookout for these heroes and help anyway I could to slow down or get other drivers attention. As others have stated: periodically checking your mirrors is a big help.
It's not a big help it's a necessity. Just like saying breathing is a big help to stay alive.
@@toolbaggers Right, but many drivers never bother to check them.
One of the problems is modern electronic sirens. They aren't as loud as their mechanical forebears (think, before the 1970s/80s), tend to spend more of their "wail" at a higher pitch, and in comparison they're highly directional. Meaning, if the 'speakers' where the sound is emitting aren't facing directly toward another driver, it's hard to hear. Ever been driving up a street near an intersection and a police cruiser comes screaming in from the left- or right-hand street and you don't hear the siren until the last seconds? In sum, generally speaking, the electronic sounds don't carry through the air as well. Old-school mechanical sirens were _more_ omni-directional and had a robust, body-reverberating quality that demanded people take notice. There's a reason why so many fire departments still opt to have a mechanical "Q Siren" mounted on the front of their engines even though they're already fitted with the standard electronic ones.
this was a change made because of city noise ordinances in most places, they also apply to emergency vehicles. this led to the swap to the less harsh electric sirens
But deaf drivers have been shown to be better than average drivers and they deal with not hearing emergency sirens at all. They pay attention and notice lights, other peoples change in behavior, they do fine. It’s about laying attention and not waiting to be pandered to
@@arkcantoscreampsnpc7274 Interesting. Yeah, the city noise ordinance thing doesn't surprise me. I always wondered if that played a role in sirens' change from mechanical to electronic. Thanks for the info.
@@M_SC You must not have noticed my OP began with "*_One_* of the problems..." I never suggested there weren't other issues in play too, like a lack of proper attention being paid by drivers. And where does "being pandered to" come into the equation? Are the flashing emergency lights on first responder vehicles a type of "pandering" too? Idk but it sounds like you're dragging some personal baggage into this conversation or something weird like that. A friendly tip: especially if setting out to submit a contradictory or contentious reply (even mildly so), best practice is to make sure one has clearly and fully read the comment being replied to.
If you can’t see a giant flashing vehicle then you shouldn’t be driving. It’s not modern vehicles. It’s people not checking surroundings.
Just want to say few weeks ago I was walking in town on the side walk next to a busy street after crossing a intersection. A police pickup truck with sirens comes down the street heading toward that same intersection. The sound of his siren sounded really distinct as if he was a few streets back while he was actually right there passing me. He could not get through the intersection with out honking his horn a few times because, I am guessing the passing cars could not even hear his siren if I could barely hear it and I was outside walking and his truck was only about 5 or 6 feet from me as it passed by. I think it might be a combination of not just the public vehicles but the newer designs of some of the emergency vehicles too. His flashing lights were not that noticeable as well, it was not something you would notice right away that is for sure. These vehicles "need to be seen and heard" when they activate those sirens and lights. What made me notice him was his horn honking as he was going in and out between the traffic before I noticed his lights and siren!
@Maria CANCER I am not a doctor nor do my videos have anything to do with cancer or medical relations. I think you may of looked at the wrong channel. Sorry about your situation..
Probably a malfunction or the lights/siren were left on "courtesy" when they should have been put on full emergency power.
This is very sad and true. The rumblers help. I always try to check the rear view mirrors every few seconds to be aware of what's happening behind me.
If people aren't constantly scanning the road while driving and being aware of other vehicles around them, then they shouldn't be behind the wheel!
arguably that can be more dangerous if done too extreme.
Rumbler Sirens are useful in these type of situations where the car has noise-damping features.
First, I'm glad your demonstrating what the problem is. Second, thank you for putting this information out there.
It's good to see real informative news nowadays.
I work on fire trucks and I even get cut off when test driving them people just have no respect for heavy vehicles let alone emergency vehicles
Keep in mind that most fire departments are volunteer. They have to get from home, work, wherever to the station or scene as quickly and safely as possible. Most have blue lights, some have sirens as well. They get ignored even more. If it takes 5 minutes to get to the station then another 5 minutes to the scene, that’s 10minutes after the call came in, maybe 1-5minutes after the incident. Time is a huge factor. Look at your mirrors. You should be doing this regularly as you drive, not just when turning.
who cares, thats what americans would say.
Situational Awareness (checking mirrors, making sure your music isn’t too loud, who’s next to you, any exit points, etc) is so so so important when driving and can save not only yours, but others around you lives
Why are they still putting horns on cars if they're also designing them to not be heard within the vehicle? 😑 Modern car designers don't think.
This is serious! Great reporting, these types of pieces can actually lead to important changes
In my country, ambulances abuse the sirens and horns just to get the right of way in every highway/road. Most of the time, you can't even tell if it's an emergency or they're just trying to clear you off their path. Smh.
Sorry to hear that. May I ask which country? Here in the US, running lights/sirens when you're not on a call is an easy way to get fired/sued.
@@TomCro73 I'm from the Philippines. Wish it was easier to sue people here, lol.
We sometimes have that here in the UK, it sometimes seems like they just put the "blues and twos" on to get through traffic lights and the switch them off again afterwards!
I sometimes see this happen in Spain, but only with cops. I know cops sometimes do these "half emergency" displacements. But it's clearly bs when they are grinning and laughing.
@@maxshep2829 Oh I'm sure it happens - but sometimes a unit gets disregarded while approaching an intersection. In that situation, better to keep emergency equipment activated until you've passed the intersection to avoid confusion/increased danger (e.g. civilians advance thru a red light, but you just killed your siren so now they're exposed to cross traffic without any warning).
One of the problems today - no drivers Ed classes. I had a whole semester of drivers Ed way back in 1962-63! It helped up,to learn how to drive, the rules, etc. before we even got our learners permit. Plus it also have our parents a bit of savings on car insurance. Seems like nowadays people just read the handbook, take the test and are set free on roads where they can all types of mayhem! At least learn about using signals! They have been in cars for many years❤️!!!!
I'm 50, and here in NE Pennsylvania the people I see that don't use signals, don't stop for people in crosswalks with the right-of-way etc. are all at least 40. I don't know about other places, but the people I see who are considerate and paying attention are almost always the younger generations.
@@MrChopsticktech Surprises me as I was just in south central PA (York/Lancaster) and just about everyone, especially maybe under 40) weren’t using signals. Where I live us older, smarter drivers were trained to use our signals, but I will as,it that people have just gotten lazy. I use my signal even when in my neighborhood and I taught our son (now 43) to ALWAYS use his signal.
I took drivers ed from my HS in 2018.
@@sandybruce9092 The reason it seams people don't use their turn signal is because they need to replace their blinker fluid. Without regularly changing your blinker fluid, the electrical signal will not be sent from the turn indicator to the bulb.
@@nathanmohn4272 Are you joking? A serious question as I’ve been driving since 1963 and have never heard of blinker fluid. A bulb on the csr - yes, but blinker fluid???? I’ve driven old cars and my husband has a 1975 Corvette that has never had a problem with a turn signal. I’m truly having a hard time believing in blinker fluid. And no, I’m not anywhere near a ,echanuc but I’m a.so nit the dumbest nut in the basket. Please pardon me for being skeptical.
The second I hear a faint siren, I put my front windows down and listen closely at where its coming from and prepare to make way
People in Colorado would rather die than to let you into a passing lane.... this comes as no surprised that people just aren't paying attention.
With modern cars, it's totally feasible to have that sound pumped into a vehicle, even if other sounds are muted. Heck, even Alexa can listen to fire alarms in your home and alert you on your phone when you're away. Car manufacturers should make that happen.
Dude. Just check your mirrors and it won't be a problem. You don't need sound pumped into the car, wtf are you on.
As a former fire fighter, I can tell you the biggest reason people don’t used to emergency vehicles is because they don’t want to
I look in my rear view constantly, even if I'm not turning, changing lanes, etc. I just like to know what's around me
The radio and air conditioning are modern features???
Does not one bother to check their mirrors? Blue lights over red lights would help too. There is a reason we don't use red lights on emergency vehicles in the UK.
Why did I need to scroll down so far to find a comment mentioning blue lights? Using only blue instead of white/red/yellow and what not would increase visibility significantly. Also non eclectic sirens would be great, but I can understand that changing the siren type for a whole nation is close to impossible.
Incompetent Teslas.
This is a growing world wide problem that I have been thinking about and I think that one solution would be to fit Emergency vehicles with with in-car entertainment systems over-rides in a focused beam on the front quarter of the vehicle. We have a road tunnel system in Melbourne, Australia that can over-ride the AM/FM radio repeaters in the tunnel. This combines with overhead message boards instructing drivers to turn on their car radio. Speakers in the tunnels also repeat the message, but obviously it's better to hear it over the radio. This might be one solution.
Not a great solution.
While you can reasonably ask drivers to switch to the radio for one, specific, fairly short distance in a tunnel, trying to tell drivers that from now on they are forbidden from listening to their own music on is not going to fly. You'd have to change the car manufacturing standards to require every radio be able to be remotely turned on (if off), and then be able to override whatever was being listened to at the time (CD player, AUX cable plugged into an iPod, phone connected via Bluetooth, etc.). Then you'd have to wait for 10-20 years as all cars built to the current standards would slowly wear out and be replaced.
And even if you did all that, you know that those override devices wouldn't be super narrow. For example, if an ambulance travelling 80 km/h wanted to give drivers 30s of warning to get out of the way, their device would have to be able to reach almost 700m. That would almost certainly mean that it would be affecting radios 50-100m off to the side, to say nothing of reflected waves. You would forever be having your music interrupted by a cop going after a speeder on the highway overpass or an ambulance responding within a suburb as you drive down the parkway. This would just incentivize drivers to listen to their own devices with headphones on, instead of the car radio, making the lack of hearing problem even worse.
If only there was something you could and are supposed to glance at, that would let you be aware of what's around you and would make it easier to notice vehicles flashing a couple of dozen strobe lights flashing away.
You could use something like the mirrors you have in your house, but we'd have to figure out a way to make them smaller.
Or you could just pay attention.
@@richardrice8076 woosh
I have a 2010 car but it has a lot of noise dampening. I don’t hear any police or ambulance unless they are literally behind my car. I wish it wasn’t so noise canceling. I often keep one of the windows open just in case.
It's almost as if human society opperates inefficiently when everyone is required to have their own personal car
we have the same issue in the UK. We changed the emergency sirens from 'wo wo' type ones to the European type on the premise that they were better. They were not! My friends in the emergency services say their driving standards have instigated new rules to try and cope with this - BUT it has slowed down response times too.
Mannn!!! do you know how many times I have not heard the sirens sound due to exactly just that being in a modern vehicle. By the time I got next to the ambulance or the fire truck I felt so bad for not pulling over sooner, because I honestly did not hear it!!!! Same thing and like the example shared where he was in the car. Same thing with me. I didn’t actually here till I got super close. I felt so horrible.!!!
Try to check your mirrors more often. I think when we've been driving for so many years, we get a little complacent about our situational awareness. But now that we know that this is an issue, we can do our best to improve for the future! :)
Wow, excuses.. you should be well aware of your surroundings on the road regardless of hearing sirens or not. You're going to end up killing someone.
@@MamaSnuggles how is it an excuse when I am literally explaining the truth in my experience on what I went through? Where is the excuse in that?!?!🤣Actually, nevermind don’t even bother replying. I am not going to entertain your nonsense. The good news is, I was wrong, because I simply didn’t hear the sirens until I got super close and when you are far at a distance, you can’t even really see the lights if it’s daytime you could probably see the lights at night, but not during the day if you’re super far away. Furthermore, it’s clearly not an excuse when there have been studies conducted to prove that we cannot hear the sounds in a modern vehicle, which is exactly what I have, a modern vehicle! I CAN’T EVEN MAKE THIS SH!T UP! LMAO. Don’t even bother replying wasting your time with me🙄 “YOUR MOM”🙄
@@babybaklavagus AGREED! Even during the daytime, I notice if we are super far away from them not only can we not hear them, but we cannot see the lights during the daytime. We can surely see the lights at night if we are super far away not during the day it is truly a struggle.
@@MamaSnuggles LMBO. I guess the guy in the video made an excuse? He clearly couldn’t hear and he was in a moving modern vehicle.😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
A solution for this is to have ALL cars have a feature where it detects an oncoming emergency vehicle. I know some cars have this but not all of them do
That would just add costs to already expensive cars. So that's a naw for me. That'd something only the rich can afford in the more premium brands.
@@baronvonjo1929 what I meant was that it should be default and somewhat cheap/free cause its saftey. My idea was that something in the emergey car would send a signal in a certain radius but i do see ur point
Insulation and gadgets aside, number one and two reason is arrogance and ignorance. To many drivers feel they don't have to, just as many don't know they have to yield
my country's EMS takes a picture of the plates and fines you big!!
The closest thing to automation I want in my vehicles is non adaptive cruise control. If the driver is going to be ultimately responsible for what their car does then we need to stop adding features that atrophy their skills and awareness.
10 seconds can transform you into Joe Biden
How? Half the people can’t even afford modern cars
Debt
Really? Cars are so insulated drivers can't hear the sirens from EMS? BS. As a former volley on an ambulance and engine, my experience says people are just a-holes and disregard emergency vehicles. There is no courtesy anymore. Insulated cars...lol
I live in the most densely populated state in the country. There are times on main roads going through towns, where, even if you can hear and see the vehicle, there is simply no where to go. No Shoulder. No way out of the lane. Many times the best option is simply don't move and let the emergency vehicles create their own path. Trying to "get out of the way" can actually block the only option they have.
It’s true. I don’t hear the emergency sirens as well in my current car as I have in previous cars. Fortunately I can often see their lights in the rear view or up ahead.
I can hear emergency vehicles, but as I just started driving I absolutely can't keep watching around
It would be nice if there was a microphone on the exterior dedicated for listening for sirens, and once one is heard, it takes over all audio within the car and plays an audible alert for the driver to move over for an emergency vehicle.
No chief, the ambulance doesn't move faster than the siren, that's not how physics work
The most advanced feature on my vehicle is the seatbelt. 😂
Whenever I hear an ambulance coming I still see people just outright ignoring it and then realizing they're in the way.
It's less so ignoring it and more so not realizing where the sound is coming from (as to the shock that they're in the way), and some newer cars block out sound so well you can't hear them till they're passing by you..but that all leads to the issue: people aren't paying attention to their surroundings. You can see an emergency vehicle from a long distance due to the lights, if people put down their phones and checked their mirrors often enough they'd be able to spot them and move in a timely fashion
I always crack my window just slightly when I drive specifically for this reason. It makes a big difference!
Moving faster than it’s siren? I was not aware that a fire truck can travel at velocities above 1,181 feet per second. Fascinating.
They should use amber alert technology to put a signal through the radio, letting drivers know that an emergency vehicle is coming and to yield.
The rumbler sirens have actually been the reason why I’ve been able to move out of the way some times
I think First Responders should be legally allowed to ram anyone who doesn't _attempt_ move out of the way within 5 seconds (if you're legitimately unable to, that's a different story).