Vibrating siren tested by doctors

The siren is being tested before the charity decides whether to adopt it

An emergency siren that alerts drivers by making their vehicles vibrate is being tested by doctors in Hampshire.

The Howler is being used by BASICS Hampshire, a charity made up of 20 volunteer medics who attend about 750 road traffic accidents every year.

They said paramedics were often held up by drivers who cannot hear them because they are playing loud music and are not looking in their mirrors.

The new device is mounted underneath the bonnet and sends out a sound wave.

Quicker response

The Howler sends out low bass sound that makes the car in front "shake".

Dr Rob Dawes, a volunteer doctor whose full-time job is as an hospital anaesthetist and military doctor, said people get out of the way quicker when the device is used.

He said: "The main problem is on the motorways where people can't hear the sirens or see you, because often they either don't look in the mirrors or they've got the radio on quite loud.

"What this new siren aims to do is, because they can't see you and they can't hear you, we hope that they'll be able to feel you."

Dr Dawes, who attends about 300 roadside accident scenes a year, said the new siren was the only one of its kind in England.

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The Howler siren is designed to make drivers move out of the way quicker