Sirens at night

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Wed 6 Aug 2003 11:23
Sirens at night - Rob the Bus {P}
No, I don't mean the mythical variety!

I live near a fairly main road with a large traffic light controlled junction upon it. In one direction is the A20, in the other the M25 so as you can imagine there are a fair amount of emergency service vehicles blatting up and down with their blues and twos all day.

Thing is, they often have the sirens wailing at night (and I mean three in the morning). Not just to warn vehicles at junctions, but all the way down the road.

As us humble motorists are forbidden from sounding our horns between the hours of 11.30pm and 7.30am, surely the same should apply to emergency service vehicles?

(I actually know of a bus driver who was successfully - if that's the right word - prosecuted for using his reversing alarm at 6.30am)

I understand the need to clear the way and encourage safe progress for the emergency vehicle, but surely it is taking the michael to have the siren switched on all the way down the road?

Cheers

Rob
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Aug 2003 11:35
Sirens at night - GroovyChick{P}
Hi Rob,

I know exactly how you feel. I live near to Old Trafford and the main Police Headquarters is not a million miles from there. I can honestly say that every night I hear sirens and not just the short blast they should give through the lights. I also have the added sirens of ambulances as the station is just down the road as well. I guess I'm not the only person to hear them but is there anything we can do? (I doubt it)

What really annoys me though, is the mindless numpty's who insist on blasting their car horn past 11.30pm as they are leaving someones house. Can't understand why they do it. Perhaps i'm just too considerate.

GC
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Aug 2003 12:40
Sirens at night - borasport20
Hi Rob (i'll be in touch !)

Being a VERY light sleeper, I know what you mean. I used to live about 1/2 a mile from a road that had the fire station at one end and hospital at the other and my sleep was often disturbed by sirens, but you do assume they are only using them is there is traffic about, and whilst you and I keep our eyes open, it is not that long ago since some late night reveller crossing that road at 2 am walked straight in front of a police van using 'blues and twos'.

Groovychick - you stuck a chord there. There is a thread elsewhere about 'what gadgets would you like' - perhaps one that delivers the full charge of the car battery to the users fingertips if the horn is used when the car is not moving would meet your approval ?

p.s. - any ageing motorsport fans, I'd ask you to read my post in the 'I have a question' thread. ta





Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Aug 2003 12:36
Sirens at night - matt35 {P}
Rob,
Just for the record - 11.30am and 7.00 am...so if you pass any sleeping nightshift officers at 7.15am you can give them a toot?
Matt35
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Aug 2003 13:34
Sirens at night - Rob the Bus {P}
Rob,
Just for the record - 11.30am and 7.00 am...so if you
pass any sleeping nightshift officers at 7.15am you can give them
a toot?
Matt35

>>

Matt,

I realised my error as soon as I had posted! Never mind...

And I will be only too glad to (legally!) give the slumbering officers my most hearty and cordial greetings in future!

Cheers

Rob
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Aug 2003 13:38
Sirens at night - volvoman
Are you sure you're not just worried that they're coming after you or HF RTB ?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Aug 2003 16:18
Sirens at night - Dwight Van Driver
Sound travels round corners Rob. Lights and eyesight does not?

DVD
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Aug 2003 17:21
Sirens at night - Rob the Bus {P}
>>Sound travels round corners Rob. Lights and eyesight does not?

Fair point DVD. I expect a quick blast on the sirens as they approach the busy junction, but the rest of the road is virtually straight (the only slight bend is long and sweeping) so why keep the sirens on all the way down the road, disturbing the night-time slumbers of all who live near?

Could it be that the occupants of the vehicles simply can't be bothered to turn the sirens off and on all the time? (Perish the thought...)

Cheers

Rob
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Aug 2003 17:27
Sirens at night - volvoman
Could it be yet another example of insurance and litigation driven behaviour ? Police car/ambulance/fire engine has a serious smash with another vehicle and the fact that they weren't using the blues and two's properly leaves them open to a very costly legal action.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Aug 2003 21:23
Sirens at night - J Bonington Jagworth
"No, I don't mean the mythical variety!"

Shame - I thought we might be about to learn something interesting about HF... :-)
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 6 Aug 2003 23:58
Sirens at night - HF
Actually - and on my head be it here - if I *did* happen to be driving at these unsociable hours, I would like to have as much warning of approaching emergency vehicles as I do during the daytime.

Surely it's just as likely (or perhaps more so) that there will be a high speed police chase during these hours than others? I could well be wrong.

All I know is that I'd far rather have the siren warning than not, if I happened to be on the road.

Sorry!
HF
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 7 Aug 2003 00:05
Sirens at night - HisHonour {P}
Alas, you are likely to be hit by the fleeing villain long before you hear the sirens; but I suppose that would apply during daylight as well.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link