It’s a common occurrence, especially for those of us who drive in cities: you can hear the emergency siren getting ever louder, ever closer but you just can’t quite work out where on earth it is coming from.
However, this may be about to change with the launch of a system currently being trialled in police cars in Washington DC.
In addition to conventional lights and sirens, “The Rumbler” emits 10-second bursts of low frequency sound, but is no louder than the normal siren.
The system is effectively a twin-subwoofer and vibrates everything within a 60 metre/200 feet radius to get your attention focused in the right direction.
Usefully, the system is particularly good at drawing attention to drivers’ rear view mirrors, by making them move in a Jurassic Park water cup stylee.
Apparently, the vehicular vibrator is proving to be a success and, at around £125 per car, is not an overly expensive addition. Over the next four years, Rumblers will be installed on all 767 cars in the Washington fleet.
No word as of yet if we’re likely to get the system over here, but as there are obvious safety benefits, especially for drivers and pedestrians who have poor eyesight or hearing, we’d expect the system to at least be evaluated.
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