Question: At all hours of the day or night emergency vehicles will use their sirens. I live in a small quiet suburb and it is not fun being awakened at 3 or 4 in the morning because of this. I can appreciate what these folks have to contend with as far as dumb drivers are concerned, but in the early hours of the morning when there are no cars they should not use their sirens.
Why Do Emergency Vehicles Use Sirens at Night?
Emergency vehicles must be able to reach the scene of an emergency as quickly and safely as possible. Their flashing lights and sirens warn other road users that they are approaching and may need to proceed through an intersection, exceed the speed limit or otherwise exercise special driving privileges.
A quiet road at 3 or 4 in the morning is not necessarily an empty or safe road. A driver may emerge from a driveway or side street, a pedestrian may be crossing, or another road user may approach an intersection without seeing the emergency vehicle. The siren provides an audible warning that flashing lights alone cannot always provide.
For ambulance and fire vehicle operators, the Emergency Vehicle Driving Regulation requires both emergency lights and a siren when exercising the privileges described in paragraphs (a) to (c) of section 122(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act. These privileges include exceeding the speed limit, proceeding past a red traffic signal or stop sign without stopping, and disregarding certain rules governing direction of travel.
In other words, the siren is not simply an announcement that an emergency vehicle is coming. It is part of the warning equipment required when the driver exercises these special privileges.
What About Police Vehicles?
Police officers have additional provisions in the Emergency Vehicle Driving Regulation that allow them to exercise emergency driving privileges without using a siren, or in some circumstances without using emergency equipment. These exceptions are subject to specific conditions, including an assessment of the risk to public safety.
Police Pursuits
Police pursuits are treated differently. To engage in or continue a pursuit, an officer must have emergency lights and a siren activated. The officer must also have reasonable grounds to believe that the driver or a passenger in the vehicle has committed, is committing, or is about to commit an offence, and that the seriousness of the offence and the need for immediate apprehension outweigh the risk to public safety.
A pursuit is defined as the driving of an emergency vehicle by a peace officer exercising the privileges granted by section 122(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act for the purpose of apprehending another person who refuses to stop as directed by a peace officer and attempts to evade apprehension.
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