Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure the emergency services comply with the provisions of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 which require them to use vehicle sirens only when it is necessary and desirable to do so, and that they should therefore refrain from sounding sirens late at night when streets are empty of traffic.

The conditions under which sirens may be used are governed by Regulation 99 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (C & U). Emergency service vehicles are permitted to use a siren to indicate to other road users the urgency of the purposes for which the vehicle is being used, or to warn other road users of the presence of the vehicle on the road.

Subject to the regulations and any form of guidance, drivers are expected to use their professional judgement to decide when and where the use of sirens is appropriate.

The use of sirens and other attributes fitted to road vehicles used by the emergency services is a matter for the chief officers of those services in conjunction with the chief officer of police for that area. There are no current plans to intervene.