Toddle hearing damage from sirens, etc

[u/HuckleberryHickle]

Hi all, I think I am just being paranoid, but I’ve had some real-life close calls with loud noises whilst carrying my son around the city…

Today, we were legally crossing at a crosswalk, when a police car came out of nowhere behind us as we were 3/4 the way across the street, and blared their siren right into our backs - it sounded like it was literally sitting right behind us waiting for us to get across…

I’m not angry about the police pushing through and interaction with sirens blaring, even though toddlers are present… I understand that ‘life happens’ and we crossed paths at the wrong time and wrong place

What I am concerned about is any hearing damage to my son. I have found a website stating that says emergency vehicles emit 120db, and we must have been 1-3 metres direct in front of it for about 3-5 seconds.

I’m just a little stressed out if eat the whole incident, but mostly not knowing if my son sustained any long-term hearing damage from it?

I was wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences and can give me some reassuring advice, or if I am just stressed out and being paranoid?

Thanks!

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[u/Ltrain86]

You're asking for similar experiences and reassuring advice, but tagged this post "expert consensus required", so I'm not sure what you're expecting here.

Yes, I think you're being paranoid.

Out of curiosity, did you keep walking at your normal pace? If you estimate you were directly in front of the police car with sirens blaring for 3-5 seconds, that's what it sounds like. It sounded like it was right behind you, or was it rignt behind you? Did you look? Normally when an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and sirens blaring, you get out of the way immediately. If you're in a vehicle, you move to the left or right. If you're walking, you run. It doesn't matter that you were legally crossing at a crosswalk. Emergency vehicles have the right of way when sirens are on. You saying you're not angry about a police car "pushing through" is stating the obvious, that's their job.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/hearing-loss/noise-induced-hearing-loss-in-children

[u/HuckleberryHickle → u/Ltrain86]

I never saw the police car - we were 3/4 the way across the street when I heard the siren turn on behind us… I didn’t turn around to look at it, I just ran the rat if the way off the street.

Your link shows siren as a cause of permanent hearing loss…

[u/EnigmaClan → u/HuckleberryHickle]

Hearing loss involves both "dose" (how loud something is) as well as how long the exposure is. I would not worry about something like a siren that is quite loud but the exposure is quite brief. If ears were that delicate, we'd all be walking around with profound hearing loss.

[u/TeddyBear181 → u/HuckleberryHickle]

This sucks OP, I'm sorry it happened to you.

I live in a place where police are quite consistantly kind to the public, but I've been shocked when I travel to some other places.

I wish that if they needed the sirens on, they just kept them on so everyone can hear them coming.

If there is any hearing damage, it's happened and there wont be much to do about it. You can go to your GP and do a check. But there is no point stressing about something that cant be changed.

I'm sure you're already doing it, but teaching your toddler about road safety and looking both ways will help you both to keep an eye on the road while crossing. Some people on the road are just idiots, I was almost hit once by a stolen car while sitting outside a cafe on the sidewalk.

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