EMERGENCY VEHICLE WARNING DEVICES - INTERIM REVIEW OF STATE-OF-THE ART RELATIVE TO PERFORMANCE STANDARD LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDARDS PROGRAM

• NCJ Number: 598
• Author(s): E T PIERCE; M A MCPHERSON
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 73 pages
• Grant Number(s): 4214450 (NBS PROJECT); 73-NI-99-0001; 72-NI-99-0001
• Contract Number(s): J-LEAA-IAA-009-72
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Commerce
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PROGRESS REPORT ON LEAA SPONSORED RESEARCH PROGRAM BEING DONE BY NBS TO DEVELOP PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR VEHICLE EMERGENCY WARNING LIGHTS AND SIRENS.

Abstract

PARTIAL SURVEY REVEALS FEW MEANINGFUL PERFORMANCE STANDARDS EXIST FOR EMERGENCY WARNING LIGHTS AND ESSENTIALLY NONE FOR SIRENS. DESCRIPTIONS OF STANDARDS FOUND ARE INCLUDED. CURRENT MANUFACTURER'S LITERATURE RARELY INCLUDES MEANINGFUL DATA ON THE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE OF EITHER LIGHTS OR SIRENS. PROGRAM STRATEGY DESCRIBED INCLUDES (A) QUANTITATIVE PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SPECIAL CONTENT, DIRECTIONALITY, LEVEL, AND TIME DURATION OF SIGNALS FROM A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLING OF EMERGENCY VEHICLE WARNING EQUIPMENT; (B) LITERATURE AND LABORATORY STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SIGNALS IN ALERTING DRIVERS TO EMERGENCY SITUATIONS REQUIRING REACTIONS; AND (C) DEVELOPMENT OF DRAFT STANDARDS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PHYSICAL MAKE-UP OF LIGHTS AND SIRENS, EXAMPLES OF THE TYPE DATA AND DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FACILITIES WHICH WILL BE USED FOR THE MEASUREMENTS ARE INCLUDED. FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WARNING SIGNALS ARE DISCUSSED. PROGRAM PLANS PROPOSE TO STUDY BOTH THE TIME ELAPSING BETWEEN THE OCCURRENCE OF A SIGNAL AND THE COMPLETION OF THE REQUIRED RESPONSE AND THE DISTANCE AT WHICH AN OBSERVER FIRST CORRECTLY INTERPRETS A SIGNAL. REPORT PROVIDES A LIST OF MANUFACTURERS/DISTRIBUTORS OF EMERGENCY LIGHTS AND SIRENS.