A topic that comes up again and again and causes uncertainty among users - is there really a silent alarm in taxis that can be recognized by LED lights?
The answer is: yes! Unfortunately, little is known about the silent alarm in taxis. So if you receive a message that sounds something like this, you can trust it:
Silent alarm in the taxi = not fake!
There are actually these red LEDs on the taxi sign. Stefan Huber from the Munich taxi center Isarfunk, for example, comments on this to CHIP :
The LEDs are a silent alarm and part of a sophisticated system. If the lights flash red, this is a sign that the taxi driver is in distress, for example due to an attack.
We have also already described ( see here ) what function this silent alarm has:
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Robberies on taxi drivers occur again and again. The driver now has two options to draw attention to an emergency situation:
- He can press an alarm button, which then switches on the hazard lights, the taxi sign, the horn and the headlights.
- Or he activates the red, flashing LED lights on the taxi sign on the roof. The advantage of this option is that the perpetrator/passenger doesn't notice anything.
The alarm is triggered from the driver's seat and can only be turned off by a hidden switch in the engine compartment or trunk. The alarm causes the headlights and rear direction indicators to flash and also triggers an interval sequence of horn tones.
Some vehicles also have the option of triggering a silent alarm - for example by flashing red LEDs in the taxi sign. In an emergency, the driver can then decide whether to trigger the loud or silent alarm. The idea behind this is that a loud alarm could provoke the attacker in some situations and make them even more dangerous.
In both cases, the taxi control center is often automatically informed if the vehicle is connected to one. Sometimes the radio is automatically set to transmit on an emergency channel. However, the prevalence of voice radio has declined due to automation in the taxi industry and the spread of taxi apps.
Additional info:
A silent alarm does not necessarily have to be visible from the outside with a red LED on the sign. There are also systems that work without optical detection and forward an alarm directly to the police and the taxi headquarters.
You might also be interested in: The first taxi in line...
Article image: Shutterstock / By Kat Ka
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )