Loud pipes save Cop lives in Oakland

I recently made a post asking if anyone was aware of evidence supporting the claim "loud pipes save lives". Nothing conclusive came back but I did find this article from the San Francisco Chronicle on the 93 decibel pipes the Oakland PD is installing on their Harleys. According to the article, "It seems the cops just didn't feel safe on toned-down bikes." The article refers to an inconclusive study the city did on the subject. Maybe the Oakland motorcycle cops just like to sound cool?
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Do loud pipes really save lives?

Loud pipes are common on Harleys and most Harley riders are quick to say "loud pipes save lives" but is there any quantative proof to this claim? Police bikes are typically very quiet, you'd think with all the investment in training a motorcycle cop they'd put loud pipes on the bikes, if it made a difference. Are there any statistics to support this claim or is it just an excuse to make some noise?

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NPR Report on Motorcycle Makers Responding to Noise Complaints

When it comes to Harley-Davidson motorcycles “loud pipes save lives” seems to be the battle cry of the masses. When I first rode a HD it was running Screamin’ Eagle slip-ons and I thought them loud, though enjoyable, at the time.

When I bought my Sportster Custom I looked into the Screamin’ Eagle option and was told by the dealer rep that those pipes “weren’t very loud.” They seem plenty loud to me and I know it would annoy my neighbors to be running anything much louder than stock up and down our suburban street. The greatest benefit I see in the Screamin' Eagle pipes is in torque and horsepower, as shown in the dyno chart.

National Public Radio just produced a segment on the topic of loud pipes including comments from representatives of The Motor Company. The biggest concerns are the “noise laws” communities including New York City, Denver, and Lancaster, PA are passing against loud pipes. The concern is this becomes a slippery-slope that leads to further regulation of the sport.

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