Audible preemption

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

I didn't see this talked about in here or the archives so I thought I would post it.


Made by Traffic Systems, LLC. in Scottsdale


http://www.dot.state.mn.us/d4/newsrels/ ... orhead.htm

 

[bigcat]

I work in a city that has an audible preemption system. There are little cone shaped objects mounted near the traffic lights [one pointing in each direction]. If the system hears us coming it will give us the green light. It seems to work well.

 

[rwo978]

We have that in our city. It sucks. It normally doesn't catch you until you're right at the intersection.... or 6 blocks away, so the system times out by the time you get there. Changes the wrong direction of light.... Blech.

 

[PJD642]

I've always wondered if these were as effective at detecting the correct direction the emergency vehicle was coming from. Seems if you have several tall buildings in the area, you could get "echo" off them and confuse the system. Don't think that wold be an issue with the strobe-activated units.

 

[bigcat]

Well, personally, I don't bank on getting the green light. I know of only a few lights that have the sensors. I'm sure there are more out there than I realize. If I'm approaching the light and it turns green, I proceed through it [still clearing the intersection as always]. If it doesn't give me the green... then it's business as usual. Stop/clear/proceed through.


I'm not the only one going to a call a lot of the time too. Another emergency vehicle might be approaching the same intersection from a different direction. If the system hears them first, they're going to get the green, and I'm still going to have to stop.


It is just another tool that will [a majority of the time] facilitate the response of the emergency vehicle. It is one of those things you don't even think about, but is out there.

 

[dmitry103]

Montgomery County, PA has plenty of audible preemptors installed. 90% of the time they do serve the purpose.

 

[TCO]

if it is a rural area i can see them working no problem,trying to use them in a city or even a built up setting they would be useless due to sound reflection off of buildings

 

[JohnMarcson]

The system I saw changed all 4 directions to flashing red.

 

[nerdly_dood]

Then there's the Opticom, which if I'm right, isn't even visible, but infrared. (Ambulances and fire trucks in my area use preemption strobes)

 

[Zach C.]

We have a system around here but it opens the gate at the county pumps, parks, schools, etc... in the county . They work great. They save us a good bit of time.


Zach