Comment by kube-system
1 day ago
Distracted driving is certainly a problem.
But, have you ever driven a quiet vehicle in an urban area where there are plenty of objects to block your line of sight? It is quite easy for a emergency vehicle to sneak up on you in a modern vehicle even when you are paying attention.
It's really a simple relationship -- if you block sound, it makes it harder to hear things.
This is exactly the reason why newer emergency vehicles have things like rumbler sirens. These sirens don't do anything to make people more attentive, but what they do is generate frequencies that are more likely to penetrate into modern vehicles.
You don't get to excuse a lapse in situational awareness because one or another of your senses is compromised. Compensate. Concentrate. Whatever it takes. Or, of you find that you're sufficiently impaired that you're not competent any longer to do the task, slow down and stop safely. You're in control, and therefore you're responsible. Be it driving, operating a forklift, or a spot welder on an assembly line. Do not cede control.
I honestly can't tell if you're serious or not.
I'm sure OP has never once made a mistake due to a lack of situational awareness. Everyone knows there's a little situational awareness gauge on your watch that beeps if it drops below 40%. That's how you know it's compromised. Not when an accident happens or anything like that.
Classic example of being unwilling to concede the argument.