I get my hearing checked every 2 years for work, so I know it's not me, but has the volume of the sirens on emergency vehicles been turned down or is it that cars have become more sound proof. Once upon a time you would be able to hear the siren from miles away, now I notice the lights first and still not necessarily hear the sirens until they are maybe a few car lengths away. I do have MTZs on my car so there is probably a fair bit of road noise than normal, but driving my wife's car yesterday, a iX35, I thought the same thing when a cop car came screaming by (and no, the radio wasn't turned up loud)
The other thing I noticed for the first time, was when the police car came up behind some cars stopped at some traffic lights he turned the siren and lights off and waited patiently. Once the lights turned green, the lights and siren came back on and he was off. I could only assume that was to avoid pressuring the car in front to 'run' the red light.
