Stockholm Ambulances to Interrupt Car Radios to Warn They Are Coming
Photo: Paul Long via Flickr
I would think ambulance drivers would hate people with big in-car stereos. They could be driving with siren on, lights flashing, and then get stuck behind some doof in an SUV, his vibrating windows tinted dark enough that the lights just haven’t registered yet.
Well, in one place, at least, that will no longer be a problem, as ambulances in Stockholm, Sweden, will soon begin testing a system that will interrupt in-car audio systems to deliver a warning that they need to get through.
The warning would consist of both an audible warning through the car speakers and a text warning on the radio display.
This system works by sending an FM signal to nearby tuners that are equipped with RDS, which is a program that reads small amounts of information embedded in the incoming broadcast, usually including something like song title or radio station name. The signal would shut off whatever is playing—whether it’s the radio, a CD, or music streamed in via Bluetooth—and relay its message, giving drivers something around 10 to 15 second to react and give way rather than the usual couple seconds after seeing the ambulance.
The system was developed by students at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, which is in Stockholm—the group said that crashes due to motorists not hearing emergency sirens are on the rise.
If the system works well, it is expected to spread across the country over the course of the year.
News Source: BBC
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.