We went out on the road with MedStar Mobile Healthcare Tuesday. And even with lights and sirens blaring on the ambulance, you wouldn't believe how many drivers didn't even notice.
"Headphones, blue tooth devices, other distractions," Shaun Curtis listed as reasons people don't hear or heed the sirens. "As cars evolve, they work to become much quieter on the inside, they're more insulated. And as they become more insulated, they're no longer able to hear us, hear the outside world."
That is a big problem, said Curtis, who's the organization's support services manager. When cars don't hear sirens, they don't pull over, which delays ambulances in getting to emergencies and can cause wrecks.
"We’re part of that outside world," he said. "We want you to be able to hear us."
It's a problem they believe they've solved.
You might have noticed a low, booming bass sound coming from ambulances lately. It's called the "Howler Siren."
They are two speakers, installed underneath ambulances, that give off a low-frequency noise that penetrates the vehicle more effectively, to let drivers know an ambulance is coming.
If you've never experienced the Howler siren when you've been out driving in a car, take it from us: you can really feel the rumble in your vehicle.
"There’s no Jurassic Park effect in your vehicle, you won't notice your water shaking or your glasses shaking, nothing's falling off the walls," Curtis said. "But it is a noticeable vibration."
And that is the point.
"When we activate the howler, you can feel in the vehicle," Curtis said. "It just runs for 7.5 seconds and it cuts off on its own. That way it’s a novel sound, not something drivers get used to."
MedStar was the first in the area to use this tool; now they say it's spreading in popularity.
"We have to come up with something new and creative to get drivers’ attentions," Curtis said.
Especially when it could be a matter of life or death.