Audibility of warning signals emitted by emergency vehicles

The article presents selected results of research on the audibility of warning signals emitted by an emergency vehicle in relation to the level of background noise generated by a car audio system. The research was conducted for the ZURA PS-100R public address and alarm device, commonly used in currently operated ambulances. Based on the analysis of the acoustic spectrum inside the tested vehicle, the background noise level above which the warning signal is inaudible to the vehicle driver was determined.The process of driving a vehicle requires the driver to have, among other things, the ability to properly perceive visual and acoustic stimuli, which are the primary carriers of information about the traffic situation. The author’s subjective observation indicates that a significant population of young drivers listens to loud music while driving, contrary to general traffic rules [1], which may cause significant impairment in the perception of acoustic signals related to road traffic, e.g., warning signals emitted by emergency vehicles. (…)

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