Police sirens – alarm bells that we should never ignore
Every day we hear the sound of police sirens. In fact many of us will hear sirens more than once a day. Whilst sirens blaring away can sometimes be a nuisance we should never forget they are vital on police vehicles.
We all know what a siren sounds like. We hear them on fire, medical and of course police vehicles. All emergency vehicles need the audible warning a siren gives, and it is often the thing we hear before we see any flashing lights. Police sirens and lights are essential as hazard, danger and early warning systems for other road users. If you see a police car bearing down on you in your rear view mirror with flashing lights and siren in operation you need to act fast. In most cases you would be expected to drop your speed and pull to an adjacent lane if an emergency response vehicle needs to pass or if it is stationary at roadside.
Police sirens convey a sense of haste and danger and that is why they are very effective at warning pedestrians and road users. We hear a siren often long before the vehicle is in our line of sight, no amount of lights can be seen flashing or otherwise round corners or out of our line of vision. Siren sound can be a scary thing and sometimes drivers panic when they hear one, but really they are there as advance warning. A siren means a vehicle needs to get somewhere quickly, possibly to help save a life or lives, and that is extremely important.
If we come across a road traffic accident then there will be police, fire and medical personnel all in attendance. All of these vehicles need to get to such incidents with utmost speed but as safely as possible. The siren and lights can advise road users that the vehicle needs to pass although at a roadside scene you are unlikely to hear the police sirens, as they will mainly have their lights on only. Of course the safety of police officers is paramount and the siren and lights on their vehicles can act as important safety measures. When we hear a siren it’s natural to react, just make sure your reaction is appropriate.
Most states have passed a ‘move over’ law which is published and advises road users of what to do when they see flashing lights and hear police sirens. Many of the laws will advise at the very least you drop your speed to below that published, and if possible move to an adjacent lane. This instruction could be valid for an emergency vehicle approaching you from behind or if they are stationary at roadside. When in attendance at roadside emergency personnel are at their most vulnerable and the ‘move over’ laws have been brought in an effort to protect them from injury or death.
On average there is one first responder killed every month on our roads and that is one too many. We as drivers need to be aware of everything that is going on around us and we need to pay due care and attention to our driving. Regardless of whether you hear police sirens or see flashing lights you need to act quickly and appropriately to avoid being caught up in an accident yourself. Don’t think you can ignore lights and sirens as if you fail to adhere to the move over law you could find yourself landed with a hefty fine and points on your license.
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