Cars That Go Boom and Other Stuff

Here's a twist on a relatively old technology being used for new purposes; cars that go “boom”. If you’ve ever been annoyed by extremely loud bass in the car four blocks away from you and wondered what that was all about, now you too can have it in your emergency vehicle and the concept is actually being put to good use. The point I want to make about it here, however is that sometimes drivers have a tendency to over-rely on their emergency warning devices, and in particular, sirens. A siren is only effective if the person it is intended to alert can hear it. With so many “tight” cars and loud sound systems, as well as air conditioning and road noise, you have less and less of an opportunity to get that driver’s attention. Add in the elderly or drivers who are distracted (read: cell phone), and you have virtually no chance of pointing out that you need to get through. As emergency vehicle drivers, we have the responsibility of insuring that we drive with due regard; don’t assume that the drivers know or even care that you are responding (in some cases, they don’t). Avoid causing panic stops, don’t overdrive your siren, and always try to look the other driver in the eyes when you approach an intersection.

Many of these drivers can’t drive well on a good day; don’t believe for a second that they’ll all do what they are supposed to on a bad one. Buckle up, drive defensively, and let’s all go home in the morning.