I've probably posted here on this subject in the past, but in a nut shell:
I've noticed how dangerous the electronic tone sirens on emergency vehicles can be. I've had several near-misses with LAPD cars, and others have died when they didn't get so lucky as a near-miss. The problem is, unlike mechanical sirens, I cannot hear them until they're aimed square at my car, and only if totally unobstructed and if I have no radio on/no loud engine. On January 26, I witnessed a terrible crash right in my face between a Ventura County, CA sheriff's deputy and a young man in a Mitsubishi. I saw the patrol car come out of the station, with lights and (so-called) siren on, and of course I couldn't hear any siren until it got very close. The patrol car was southbound on Spring St, and the other guy was eastbound on Hwy 118 at the speed limit (45) with a green light. There is a blind corner with a soundproofing wall at that corner, and the timing was just perfect that the patrol car and the other car could not see each other around the corner until it was too late. I saw them coming, and I knew it was check mate. Not even enough time for either driver to let go of the gas, let alone put the brakes on. Just CRASH!!!!!!! The guy in the other car seemed OK, but later found out he had a ripped tendon in the shoulder, and has had surgery. The officer had broken ribs & hand. Another witness and I ran up and forced the patrol car open, and let the officer out.
I was so angry that it happened, so I wrote a powerful letter to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors the next day. I also followed the case, and watched as the politics came up in full force. First, the CA Highway Patrol ruled that it was the other driver's fault, and what a bunch of crap! I heard about that, and I wrote more letters. Then the media got involved, and suddenly the report changed, but now they've made it the deputy's fault. WRONG AGAIN!!!!!!!! So now, I have written enough about it that the Ventura County Sheriff has opened a new investigation, and I was called in yesterday to the Internal Affairs Bureau, where they WILL get to the bottom of it. The Ventura County sergeants with whom I met yesterday, seemed to be in complete agreement with my thoughts on the useless sirens, and I will be anxiously awaiting their final report, if they share it. I spoke again yesterday with the newspaper reporter who has been keeping up on it, and she's going to continue to report.
Here's a link to the article in the Moorpark Acorn; our local paper:
http://www.mpacorn.com/news/2010-04-09/ ... crash.html
And here's the original article I wrote back in '06 on the subject of inaudible police sirens, which was in the aftermath of several deaths in the City of Los Angeles:
Charles