To find UK emergency vehicle sirens too loud?

[Hulabalu]

They aren’t this loud in France or Netherlands for example.
i believe they’ve got louder with new sirens fitted at some point over the years designed to be felt as well as heard within modern insulated cars.
I have found this petition on line & will sign.
Please sign if this bothers you too.

( if link won’t post then google 38 degrees petition for regulation of emergency sirens )

you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/for-a-regulation-of-emergency-sirens?share=14dc8291-a230-450a-acd0-4ce9feb43efe&source=&utm_source=

This. They need to be accompanied by bull bars to shove cars out of the way

It’s possible, but I am late 30s so not an old lady though. I was in Paris recently and sirens are different there, the sound isn’t ’felt’ like it is from uk sirens . I definitely noticed a difference in noise level .
i don’t think I’m imagining it.

Without going all Reddit type debate : what proof do you have of this ? Any statistics ? Any studies ? Any figures at all ? Even if it is at a high level, it’s transient and not like being in a nightclub.

As you are so concerned about the effect on people hearing it, may I reassure you that it isn’t awful for the patient in the ambulance being blue lit to hospital, as I can attest from personal experience several times.

It has to be loud to give adequate warning to vehicles ahead in its path to get out of the way, as if this needs explaining

Having a close family member as a paramedic I am worried about the damage to their ears (along side the long antisocial hours, the stress of the job, the damage of nightshifts, the violence, the poor system and many other worries)

Maybe it’s aging… like wagon wheels seem smaller, sirens seem louder.
Wagon wheels are definitely smaller, my age has nothing to do with it.
I'm not sure about sirens though.

There’s always one isn’t there. A siren can be a siren without being bone shatteringly loud. Here’s an alternative! Stop in car stereos going past a certain volume so ordinary sirens can be heard. If you haven’t had any ear troubles or witnessed the torture of a loved one with them, then think yourself blood well lucky.

Nor me

I just googled and a Reddit forum says the same. I’m sure if you look you will find articles etc on this

Their ears are protected as the sirens can’t be heard as loud inside the emergency vehicle

From AI

Emergency sirens in the 1970s generally produced sound levels in the range of 110-120 decibels. Some sirens, like the Chrysler Air Raid Siren, could reach 138 dB at a distance of 100 feet. The specific decibel level could vary depending on the type of siren and its configuration.

Also from Ai

Emergency vehicle sirens in the UK typically reach a noise level of 110 decibels (dB). However, they can be measured at up to 120 dB, particularly when mounted lower on the vehicle, like on a police car's front bumper. This level is comparable to the noise of a chainsaw or a jet aircraft. While the exact decibel level can vary, these sirens are designed to be extremely loud to alert people and ensure vehicles can get through traffic safely.
So no change then.

It isn’t just cars. It’s also pedestrians, cyclists and bikers. Some will not have good hearing over regular traffic. I wonder if they are louder as people use headphones and earphones?? I can’t say as a pedestrian I’ve noticed. I also live literally next to a hospital and you can tell what traffic is like from whether the siren is on (so I sometimes see just the lights as they turn.

Have you read the petition ?

Brilliant idea. My sister is a paramedic and she despairs of the amount of idiots on the road.

Yes, there IS always one and I fear it may be you. It’s one of those, I guess.

Just to clarify, you’re proposing the government somehow mandate a retrofit of car stereo decibel limiters to therefore make quieter emergency sirens to meet your comfort preferences? Alrighty…

Likewise, if you haven’t had a loved one blue lighted multiple times then count yourself bloody well lucky.

Sounds like the positioning of the siren can affect decibel level or how loudly it’s heard.

As someone who was recently blue lighted to a cardiac unit whilst having a heart attack I was very grateful for the noise to alert traffic the paramedic driving still had to use his horn though crazy eh 😳

Yep. Always one…

@Itsoneofthose OH THE TORTURE OF EAR TROUBLES (versus the torture of being trapped in a car wreckage. having a heart attack, suffering serious burns, needing an ambulance, being violently attacked…)

Anyone who thinks this thread is unreasonable should first read the petition content

Beautifully deduced.

It doesn't sound like that - it actually says that.

You have way to much time on your hands

You think so but not really. They have it prolonged times some tinnitus is rife.

It’s not an either or
France & Netherlands seem to manage with their sirens

you wouldn’t like to know quite how many times I’ve experienced exactly that actually.
And no that’s not what I said- did I suggest the government enforcing anything? I mentioned the stereos being limited as I imagined you’d be the exact kind of Wally driving around ignorantly with music blasting. But ultimately yes, the sirens are TOO loud, and yes this is an issue for those with any hearing difficulties (which if you have a read, is far more complex than being just a bit deaf!!)

There’s always one isn’t there.

Well, in this instance there's several. Quite the majority, in fact.

Point being maybe the position of siren can be changed