Rt. 4 South of Prince Frederick

[glhs837]

"No way to avoid it"? Sure there is. One thing I dont know if it has been mentioned is that it's possible for EVs to "outdrive the siren", basically any speed above around 60mph, I think. Not enough time for someone to hear the siren, process what it is, and take action before the EV is upon them.

 

[mamatutu]

"No way to avoid it"? Sure there is. One thing I dont know if it has been mentioned is that it's possible for EVs to "outdrive the siren", basically any speed above around 60mph, I think. Not enough time for someone to hear the siren, process what it is, and take action before the EV is upon them.

That is a good point. The speed of sound vs the speed of the vehicle, plus add in an elderly person, whose hearing may have decreased, or he had is radio on. So, many factors. It wasn't like the older gentleman was a young whippersnapper, taking a chance. It is truly tragic; and the accidents on 4 seem to be increasing; I know it is because the county has expanded so quickly. A first responder going all that way to Lusby to try to save a live, and then a life was taken. Extremely sad. I am glad the first responder will recover, according to the news. When, I hear about more accidents on 4, I think about hotcoffee's daughter that came so close in that accident by KenMar. Everyone, please take care.

 

[FireBrand]

It wasn't like the older gentleman was a young whippersnapper, taking a chance.

Middle age and old whippersnappers take chances too.

 

[mamatutu]

Middle age and old whippersnappers take chances too.

Well, I guess that is what happened; especially that the old whippersnapper wasn't wearing a seatbelt. I am a wimpy whippersnapper, since I got my license in 1971. I have never gotten a ticket. I have probably been screamed at by other drivers as being a 'blue hair' since my 20's. I am still here.

I have been in one accident in my life in Mobile, AL; when the interstate got backed up for a weird reason, and I got rearended at 70 mph, and I saw it coming! I am lucky to be alive, and never forgot that, obviously; in turn I try to be cautious on the road, and give even the most maniac drivers their space. I might be kookoo on other subjects, but not on the road. Drive safely, FB, because I still hold you in the most highest esteem, ever since my day one on this forum.

 

[PsyOps]

"No way to avoid it"? Sure there is. One thing I dont know if it has been mentioned is that it's possible for EVs to "outdrive the siren", basically any speed above around 60mph, I think. Not enough time for someone to hear the siren, process what it is, and take action before the EV is upon them.

Say what? You do realize sound travels, at sea level (depending on temp and humidity conditions) about 760mph?

 

[GWguy]

"No way to avoid it"? Sure there is. One thing I dont know if it has been mentioned is that it's possible for EVs to "outdrive the siren", basically any speed above around 60mph, I think. Not enough time for someone to hear the siren, process what it is, and take action before the EV is upon them.

The only time this happens is when someone isn't paying attention to the road, not aware of what's around them, or has the windows rolled up and music up just high enough to prevent them from hearing the siren at a respectable distance.

 

[PsyOps]

The only time this happens is when someone isn't paying attention to the road, not aware of what's around them, or has the windows rolled up and music up just high enough to prevent them from hearing the siren at a respectable distance.

And I think we’ve all seen it all-too-often an emergency vehicle moving along in the left lane with their siren and lights going and some pinhead in the left lane just la-dee-da along not even aware the EV is behind them. Folks are just too preoccupied in their vehicles to be bothered with paying close attention. I’ve seen cops going pretty fast up and down route 4, even when they don’t have their light/siren going, but I have never seen a rescue vehicle doing (what I would consider to be) driving excessively fast when responding to an emergency.

I will say there seems to be an issue in that stretch of road on 4 between Sixes and Broomes Island where there are a lot of accidents due to people coming out of side roads. I think there have been 3 or 4 accidents just in the past year or so where vehicles have crossed over to the opposing side.

 

[glhs837]

Say what? You do realize sound travels, at sea level (depending on temp and humidity conditions) about 760mph?

How about if I said "outrunning the useful sound", does that help? The sound attenuates through the air, add in road noise, increased road noise, and all the other factors like windows, reaction times, and pretty soon you are out of time........

Sirens on the freeway

 

[PsyOps]

How about if I said "outrunning the useful sound", does that help? The sound attenuates through the air, add in road noise, increased road noise, and all the other factors like windows, reaction times, and pretty soon you are out of time........

Sirens on the freeway

I was sitting at the 231 intersection the other day. Had a loud dump truck next to me on one side and some dude thumping his tunes on the other side of me. My windows were up and I had my radio going (although not very loud), and I still heard an ambulance coming from the other direction and was still quite far away. If you know this intersection, it goes up over a slight hill then back down; so the direction the ambulance was coming from was a blind approach. I heard the sound, I turned my music down, rolled my window down so I could get a better listen to where it might be coming from so I could respond to it when I got to the intersection. I went through the intersection and was half way down to the next intersection (Old Field Ln) before I saw it coming in the opposite direction. So it was pretty far away, and I still heard it.

The only reason anyone wouldn’t hear an EV nearby is inattentive driving. Claiming they can somehow ‘outrun’ their siren is just weird to me. I know it’s sometimes hard to know which direction it’s coming from, but don’t assume anything and always act on the side of caution. People just don’t pay attention and seem to mostly be of the mindset that someone else will watch for them and they can’t just mosey on their way.

 

[SoMDGirl42]

The only reason anyone wouldn’t hear an EV nearby is inattentive driving.

I disagree. As far as I am aware, deaf people have driver's licenses too. Add the fact the many of the ederly have some form of hearing loss.

We don't know what the specifics of the case are here.

 

[PsyOps]

I disagree. As far as I am aware, deaf people have driver's licenses too. Add the fact the many of the ederly have some form of hearing loss.

We don't know what the specifics of the case are here.

 

[glhs837]

May seem weird to you, but if you read that link, many first responders seem to find it a real thing. I agree with situational awareness being a largely ignored thing these days, and you all know how I feel about driver training, but unless we as a society place value on that, it's going to continue to be ignored.

EV drivers can drive as if they live in a world where everyone practices great SA, or they can realize whats really going and, which course leads to greater safety?