- Author
- Pierce, E. T. | Kelly, K. L. | McPherson, M. A. | Howett, G. L. | Booker, R. L.
- Title
- Emergency Vehicle Warning Devices. Interim Review of the State-of-the-Art Relative to Performance Standards.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC
- Report
- NBS 10 478, May 1972,
- Distribution
- AVAILABLE FROM: National Archives, Civilian Records, Room 2800, 8601 Adelphia Road, College, Park, MD 20740-6001, Telephone: 301-713-7230
- Keywords
- motor vehicles, signal lights; police, motor vehicles; sirens; signal lights; performance standards; performance evaluation; reviews; auditory perception; visual perception
- Identifiers
- police vehicles; emergency vehicles
- Abstract
- The report is an interim progress report on work leading to the preparation of national voluntary performance standards for emergency warning devices (lights and sirens) on police vehicles. Brief descriptions of current standards, which were identified, are included. The program strategy described in this report includes quantitative physical characterization of the spectral content, directionality, level, and time duration of the signals from a representative sampling of emergency vehicle warning equipment; literature and laboratory study of the effectiveness of representative signals in alerting motorists to an emergency situation requiring appropriate reactions; and development of draft standards. This report includes sections on the physical characterization of lights and sirens and discusses the factors influencing the effectiveness of warning signals. (Author)