Just about everyone has heard a police car siren of some kind. For some people, the sound of a siren can be exciting, but to others who are afraid of being pulled over, can be the sound of something bad coming their way. When combined with emergency lights, sirens have the ability to alert a driver of a police officer’s need of right of way on the road. These loud warning devices are equally as important as lights because drivers tend to hear loud sirens before they are able to catch that police car driving by them. All of this audible equipment is used by EMS, law enforcement, and firefighters.
Police Sirens for Law Enforcement
Mechanical and electrical police sirens are constructed t be used by only law enforcement. Every state within the United States has regulations that outline who is permitted to use these devices inside of a car. If you improperly use a siren, it can result in fines and possible jail time. So messing with sirens inside a police vehicle is no laughing matter. There are other first responders such as firefighters and EMTs who are permitted to use these types of sirens inside of their vehicles.
The Purpose of Police Sirens
The purpose of a police siren is to let someone know that there is a police officer on the way. When these sirens come on with the emergency lights, cops are asking all drivers on the road for the right of way. If they are driving very fast they may use a yelp or wail siren sound. They may also activate these devices when they are trying to get the attention of individuals standing on the road. If this is the case they will use either, warble, piercer, air horn, and whoop sounds.
Changes over the years
Almost all police cars have an electronic police siren but that wasn’t always the case. These can be easily plugged into a power source and are much louder than sirens that are outdated. An electronic police siren is much easier to use and are not made up of a lot of different parts like the mechanical siren was. You can simply push a button and get the job done with an electric police siren. It is important to follow all of these rules and understand when to use police sirens when you are in an emergency vehicle.
