Cobra's Safety Alert Traffic Warning System Now in Use in 50 States.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 11, 1998--

Approximately 2,000 Transmitters Installed In Police, Fire, EMS,

Road Construction and Department of Transportation Vehicles

Nationwide

In an effort to increase roadway safety and reduce accidents, municipalities in 50 states have now adopted Cobra Electronics' patented, FCC-approved Safety Alert(R) Traffic Warning System. Designed to provide early warning of oncoming high-speed emergency vehicles and trains as well as stationary roadside hazards, the Safety Alert System is now being used by police, fire, EMS, road construction and Department of Transportation vehicles across the country.

"We're excited about the use of the Safety Alert system here in the Campbell Police Department," stated Sergeant David Dehann, Campbell, California. "Studies have shown that emergency vehicle sirens do only an adequate job of providing advanced warning of the approach of police, fire and paramedic vehicles. And, as automobile engines are being engineered to provide a quieter, more insulated ride, sirens have become less effective. Safety Alert is a much improved alternative to the siren."

"Anything we can do to increase driver awareness -- that takes them from what's happening inside their car to what's happening outside their car -- will certainly increase safety," adds Chief Timothy L. Fondren, Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Police Department, New Orleans, Louisiana.

How Safety Alert Works

The Safety Alert System works automatically. When installed in an emergency vehicle, a small box with a self-contained transmitter is linked to the emergency light control; when the emergency lights are on, the transmitter automatically sends out a Safety Alert signal. No extra effort is required of the emergency vehicle driver.

According to Las Vegas Metro Police Lt. Schofield, Safety Alert "is one of the best systems I've seen. With the number radar units in use out on the roads, it will only benefit everybody."

The Safety Alert transmitter will trigger all traffic warning and radar detectors up to a mile away. It works in fog, snow and even around curves -- conditions where a driver cannot easily see a vehicle or hazard. "We're seeing a 25 percent faster response time using Safety Alert transmitters because drivers with radar detectors are moving out of our way," according to Rick Shieve, Acadian Ambulance, Livingston Parish, Louisiana. "We have a lot of curvy roads and drivers often can't see our lights or hear our sirens -- and that's a really dangerous situation all around. The Safety Alert transmitter is really helping us do our job better and safer."

Operating in the K band, the transmitter warns drivers of roadway hazards, including nearby emergency vehicles. Detectors, equipped with the Safety Alert technology, will provide intelligent alerts rendering detailed hazard information relating to high-speed vehicles and stationary road hazards. Some cities have installed transmitters in road construction and public utility vehicles, as well as school buses. In addition, Cobra is working with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to develop and test an in-vehicle warning system for railroad grade crossings using the Safety Alert technology.

"Our safety warning system utilizes unique microwave radar technology to send vital traffic information to motorists, resulting in fewer accidents and, hopefully, many lives saved," according to John Pohl, Vice President of Marketing, Cobra Electronics. "We're pleased that Safety Alert technology is being adopted by more and more public agencies throughout the country."

A separate "Safety-Only" detector, which utilizes Safety Alert technology but does not function as a radar detector, is also available from Cobra. The Safety-Only detector has separate audible and visual alerts for: fast-moving emergency vehicles, such as police cars, ambulance and fire trucks; road hazards, including slow-moving or parked emergency vehicles, public utility or construction vehicles; school buses; and oncoming trains at railroad crossings.

Cobra Electronics Corporation (NASDAQ: COBR), headquartered in Chicago, IL, designs and markets consumer electronics, including telecommunications products, safety/radar detection systems, citizens band radios, Family Radio Service two-way radios and power inverters in the U.S. and around the world.