Search Result: Vehicle Reviews

It was my fault. I entered the hairpin curve way too fast, and the SUV I was driving went into a spin. But I had two things going for me that prevented the spin from being dangerous: I was in the 2007 Chevy Tahoe Police Package Vehicle and I was on a closed course at GM’s Scottsdale, Ariz., proving grounds.

Police vehicles serve many functions. They are symbols of law and order that help deter motorists from speeding and other people from committing serious offenses. They’re also rolling offices for sworn personnel, equipment haulers, and prisoner transportation systems. The list of all the tasks required of police vehicles could go on for a long time.

While it’s outstanding to survive a crash, it’s even better to avoid one in the first place, and that’s where good training and situational awareness feature heavily. But carmakers and their design teams play a role in officer safety as well. Let’s take a look at what the Big 3 American police car manufacturers are doing to make their cars safer for the nation’s law enforcement personnel.

Each fall the big three of U.S. police car makers turn their latest models over to test drivers from the Michigan State Police for comprehensive evaluations at the DaimlerChrysler proving grounds in Chelsea, Mich., and timed laps at Grattan Raceway in Belding, Mich.

No one other than a patrol officer is better able to understand the vital role of a police vehicle in today's law enforcement. The wrong vehicle can affect officer morale, reduce efficiency and increase a department's operating costs appreciably.

You'd never see it in a high-speed pursuit, and no SWAT team would ever consider it for storming a terrorist hideout, but some police departments are finding there's a place for a new and versatile electric vehicle - the GEM - in their fleets.

In keeping up with the expansion of the category "police vehicles," we've widened our annual roundup to cover some of these newer "mobile offices" as well as the newer models of old patrol classics.

Chevy's "Ride and Drive" is an opportunity to introduce new technology (in this case, the new Impala police package) to writers and cops from around the country. I rubbed elbows with uniforms from many states and there were plenty of serious, squinty-eyed stares going on as the performance was duly noted in notebooks and on video.