
Traffic technology company LYT has released the results of a December 2024 industry survey that highlights the critical challenges faced by fire, law enforcement, and emergency first responder officials in improving response times and reducing intersection accidents.
The online survey was presented to more than 2,000 first responder officials across the US Key findings from the survey include:
Response Time Challenges:
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49.5% of departments reported worsened response times in 2024 compared to 2023; and
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41.7% cited traffic congestion as the biggest challenge in improving response times.
Emergency Vehicle Preemption (EVP) Adoption:
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59.2% of departments have not implemented EVP technology; and
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41% cited technical challenges as the primary reason for not implementing EVP.
Intersection Safety Concerns:
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80.5% of respondents are very concerned about emergency vehicle safety at intersections; and
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69.9% reported an increase in intersection accidents involving emergency vehicles.
EVP Technology Awareness:
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60.1% were unaware that some EVP solutions can be implemented through software updates and hardware solutions; and
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80.5% of respondents are likely to consider a budget-friendly software-based EVP solution.
Data Sharing Importance:
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60.1% consider data sharing across jurisdictions very important for improving mutual aid response; and
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39.8% face challenges with lack of standardized protocols for data sharing.
The survey results underscore the growing problem of intersection accidents involving emergency vehicles and the urgent need for cities to adopt advanced EVP technology. LYT says that implementing modern EVP solutions can significantly improve response times and reduce these dangerous incidents.
“Our survey clearly shows that emergency responders are facing critical challenges in maintaining and improving their response times,” said LYT CEO Tim Menard. “Advanced EVP technology not only addresses these challenges but also provides crucial data sharing capabilities that can benefit multiple cities and emergency departments.”
The survey also revealed that 60.2% of respondents believe adopting an EVP solution would improve response times by more than 10 seconds, highlighting the potential impact of this technology on emergency services efficiency.