Swedish ambulances to block music in other vehicles so sirens can be heard

Swedish ambulances and fire engines are to test a system which jams car radios to warn other drivers they need to get out of the way.

The system, which broadcasts a voice warning, while a text message also appears in the radio display, is being trialed in Stockholm.

Emergency vehicles will send warnings to cars with FM tuners and fitted with RDS, which is usually used to display the station or song title on the vehicle’s radio.

However, it will only be able to warn cars which have their radios turned on. CDs can also be interrupted.

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Officials said they hoped the system would give drivers more time to give way to oncoming ambulances.

“Often drivers have only a few seconds to react and give way to emergency vehicles, The optimal warning time is at least 10 to 15 seconds,” said Mikael Erneberg, as reported by the BBC.

He added: “We want to catch motorists’ attention at an early stage, and mitigate stress that impairs road safety.

“It fulfils three functions: improving accessibility for first responders, improving road safety and make the working environment in transport better for vulnerable professions.”

Erneberg is a student at Stockholm’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology, which has developed the new system.

The city will begin testing the system in a limited number of ambulances and fire engines later this year.