Sirens: Loud, Ineffective and Risky, Experts Say

One problem with sirens is that it is difficult for our ears and brains to process and determine which direction the siren is coming from. If you are in a car, even if you can hear the siren you can't easily tell if it is behind you or in front of you. "... only 26 per cent of occupants of a closed car could determine the direction of a siren" [1].

[1] https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6898454/why-is-it-har...

This is a known problem and hopefully some of the new proposed siren sounds will mitigate this.

Could ask the similar questions about police sirens while the car is traveling at high speeds. When I watch a police cruiser shoot down a residential street crowded with cars and pedestrians 60-70 miles per hour (or faster), running its lights and sirens at full blast, I often ask myself if the immediate risk of hitting someone is worth whatever advantage of time they achieve by arriving at the scene 2-3 minutes sooner.

A few times, I've seen police or ambulances race up to a building where they've been called, then get out and loiter while waiting for something else--immediately burning off whatever time they'd saved by speeding and running their lights.