DETROIT – July 11 2007 Ever notice how long it takes these days for drivers to pull over to the side of the road to make way for emergency vehicles bearing down the street?

The phenomenon has not been lost on firefighters, police and ambulance drivers on the way to emergencies who blame cell phones, iPods, and other electronic devices used by drivers for an increase in the time required to respond to emergencies.

Emergency responders often need to slow down or stop at intersections despite their lights flashing and sirens running to make sure the way is clear, says Tapan Datta, director of the Wayne State University–Transportation Research Group (WSU-TRG), which will evaluate a new warning system designed to alert drivers of oncoming emergency vehicles.

The Emergency Vehicle Alert System (EVAS) developed by Livonia-based inventor Thomas Pappas is being inaugurated this week for the first time ever at three Dearborn Heights intersections to provide drivers with a visual warning that emergency vehicles are approaching.

The “E-Light” devices consist of LED lights arranged in the shape of a fire truck and will hang adjacent to the traffic signals at the intersections of Beech Daily and Warren, Beech Daly and Hass, and Warren and Fenton. They can be activated from 2,000 feet away by emergency responders sending a signal via a dedicated frequency.

Dearborn Heights Mayor Daniel Paletko agreed to have his city become the first community to test the E-Light system when he was approached by Pappas 18 months ago.

Wayne State’s Transportation Research Group was selected to evaluate the effectiveness of the new system and report its findings to Dearborn Heights officials and the Federal Highway Administration, which approved its use for this trial period. E-Light, LLC has agreed to pay for its installation and $17,000 to conduct the research. The principal investigator for the evaluation project is Peter Savolainen, an assistant professor and also part of the WSU-TRG.

Datta, a traffic engineer and researcher at Wayne State, says his group will compare video recordings of traffic taken by cameras at the intersections before and after the installation of the devices. He believes the system can change driver habits after an initial learning period. “Like any new device you put in, it takes time for people to get used to it,” he says. “With this system, people will see the flashing light, and the emergency response time will be reduced.”

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to nearly 33,000 students.