St. Louis-area police test app alert for when emergency vehicles are nearby

Three St. Louis-area police departments are taking part in a test for a cellphone app alerting drivers when an emergency vehicle is nearby.

Police in St. Louis, St. Charles and Jefferson counties held a demonstration on Tuesday in O’Fallon for the MakeWay app. When installed on a phone, it provides a notification for drivers that an emergency vehicle is nearby.

“The intended purpose is to improve road awareness and reaction time for motorists that are sharing the roadways during emergency conditions, whether it be our police, fire, EMS, or whether it be [Department of Transportation personnel] coming into a work zone, roadside assistance, pothole repair,” said Mike Walsh, founder and partner of MakeWay Safety Technologies.

The police agencies equipped five cars with the MakeWay technology that becomes active when a car’s siren and lights go on. Barry Bayles of the St. Charles County Police Department said the departments are testing the technology through the summer.

“Obviously, we're pleased to be part of the testing phase,” Bayles said. “So we kind of get an early look at it and get an idea of how it could help and benefit the community.”