Autoblog

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson flagged for going 109 mph

Jonny Lieberman — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:44:00 EST

Minnesota Vikings All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson - or "Purple Jesus" as he's known to Vikings fans - is one of the fastest men in the NFL. Turns out, he's also one of the fastest men on a certain suburban Minnesota freeway, where police clocked him and his (model unknown) BMW going 109 mph in a 55 mph zone. Oops!

For his part, Peterson claims it was just, "A little ticket" and that he was not going as fast as the cops said he was. However, Minneapolis police spokeswoman Molly Anderson said that Peterson was indeed pulled over after police recorded him going 109 mph. Anderson states that Peterson was given a citation and allowed to drive away after what she described as a "routine traffic stop." Must be nice being the savior for an entire state. ~~Go Pack, go!~~

[Source: Associated Press | Image: Hannah Foslien/AP Photo]

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson flagged for going 109 mph originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Essen 2009: AC Schnitzer gives BMW 123d the police package treatment [w/VIDEO]

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:31:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, Coupe, Europe, BMW, Misc. Auto Shows, Police/Emergency, Design/Style, Diesel

AC Schnitzer BMW 123d Tune It Safe! police concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

High performance vehicles like Porsche 911s being used for pursuit duty on Germany's autobahn is nothing new. As such, in order order to grab the attention of Essen Motor Show attendees, the Tune It Safe! program's annual police-liveried show car needs to go a step further. Past efforts have included rides such as a police-liveried Brabus Rocket and a TechArt-prepared Porsche 911. This year, AC Schnitzer got the call and it has unwrapped (or perhaps wrapped is the better term, given the side graphics) a police car concept based on the BMW 123d coupe.

Naturally, Schnitzer couldn't leave the stock, 40 mpg 204-horsepower twin-turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel alone, and so it has boosted the show car's engine to 241 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. They've also applied an array of their appearance upgrades including a front splitter, rear spoiler, and a bigger wheel/tire package. The body has been dropped 30 millimeters, which should help compensate a bit for the extra drag of the light bar on the roof. Inside, racing seats and carbon fiber trim are accompanied by a cover for the iDrive knob that matches the wheel design.

We'll pass on the light bar and the graphics, but take the rest of the car, please. Not sure about it yourself? Take a look at the high-res gallery below and a video available after the jump.

Gallery: AC Schnitzer BMW 123d police package

[Source: AC Schnitzer]

Continue reading Essen 2009: AC Schnitzer gives BMW 123d the police package treatment [w/VIDEO]

Essen 2009: AC Schnitzer gives BMW 123d the police package treatment [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Formula for Safety? Abu Dhabi Police unveil the F999

Noah Joseph — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Police/Emergency, Specialty, Middle East

Abu Dhabi Police F999 - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Wednesday evening before the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last month, crowds gathered along the Corniche, Abu Dhabi's seafront boulevard. Two police cars sped down the road, swerved to a stop, an officer got out, pulled out his gun and began opening fire at a masked man pulling a checkered flag off a formula racing car. A driver climbed into the cockpit and drove off down the closed-off street to the applause of the gathered crowd as a marching band played on and a helicopter flew overhead. The point? Why, to promote road safety, of course!

The F999 - a formula racer decked out with emergency lights on the rear wing and police livery - is a project of the Abu Dhabi Police, and could very well be the fastest police car the world has ever seen. It's part of a public awareness campaign that sought to capitalize on the fever that swept the gulf emirate leading up to its first F1 race. The F999 is only the most recent in a slew of special police vehicles in the emirate that has recently included a police-spec Nissan GT-R, Chevrolet Camaro and a customer chopper, to name just a few. It's Abu Dhabi's way of getting people excited about road safety, and while it may seem counterintuitive to the rest of us, it's certainly garnered its fair share of attention. Follow the jump to watch video footage of the F999's unveiling and read more in the press release. Thanks for the tip, Ali!

[Source: Abu Dhabi Police]

Continue reading VIDEO: Formula for Safety? Abu Dhabi Police unveil the F999

VIDEO: Formula for Safety? Abu Dhabi Police unveil the F999 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Ford announces it will build all-new Police Interceptor for 2011

Chris Paukert — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Work, Ford, Australia, Specialty

In a surprise move, Ford has announced that it will pursue the development of an all-new Police Interceptor model. The move comes on the heels of General Motors' announcement that it plans to challenge the Crown Victoria's law enforcement dominance with its own heavy-duty Chevrolet Caprice sedan.

Details are slim, but Ford says the forthcoming PI will arrive in 2011 and it will sport durability, safety, and performance parameters that are superior to that of the Jurassic Panther-platform Crown Vic. Given the relatively tight timeframe and durability targets, we have to assume that the replacement cop car could be based on the rear-drive Australian-market Ford Falcon shown above. The Blue Oval promises that the car will be engineered and built in America, so it could also be an Ecoboost version of the Ford Taurus (as seen in the SHO), but front-drive cars have had trouble meeting the durability and cost requirements of police duty in the past, making this something of an open question. In an official release posted after the jump, Ford says it will disclose full vehicle specs in the first quarter of 2010, which should give enough time for both law enforcement and police vehicle equipment manufacturers to prepare for the changeover.

Ford says it presently shifts about 45,000 of the 60,000 police cars sold in the States each year, so it makes sense that Dearborn would not be willing to cede this market to Chevy's Caprice and the already established Dodge Charger.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading BREAKING: Ford announces it will build all-new Police Interceptor for 2011

BREAKING: Ford announces it will build all-new Police Interceptor for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Outraged Italian police set to crush fake Ferrari

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Europe, Toyota, Ferrari

Right up front, we must state that there is a very high likelihood that the following is not entirely true. With that said, here's the skinny on what we think we know: Thanks to local copyright laws, cops in Ostuni, Italy have reportedly confiscated a Toyota MR2 cut to look an awful lot like a Ferrari 355 Berlinetta. And they intend to crush it.

So much so that the British-made phony Italian was being touted as the real thing -- an obvious scam. As to why the authorities intend to destroy the car, let's listen to what one of the cops involved had to say: "It was a good fake but just a fake, Ferrari is one of Italy's crown jewels. We can't allow cheap copies."

Yes, well, we guess that makes sense. But are the cops allowed to crush the car out of some odd sense of damaged Italian pride? Looks like it. We here at Autoblog feel it's our duty to go ahead and give you a surefire tip on how to keep your faker from meeting the same fate - nobody suspects a Fiero-bodied Ferrari 308. Hint, hint. Thanks to Cosmin for bringing this to our attention!

[Source: Austrian Times]

Outraged Italian police set to crush fake Ferrari originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Finnish Him: Nordic authorities' harpoon chase-ender amazingly never approved

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Government/Legal, Videos

Finnish police car chase harpoon -- Click above to watch video

The place is Finland. The car is a Mercedes 300 wagon. The place is Finland. The protrusion, like the figurehead adorning Ahab's Pequod, is a harpoon. Instead of catching whales, however, this harpoon was reportedly to be used to catch cars leading police on high-speed chases.

We won't even spoil it for you by telling you if or how it worked, or tell you about the extra prize for miscreants hidden inside the harpoon. Follow the jump to check it out. And then, even though the lance was apparently never adopted, we remind you: Don't get any funny ideas in Finland.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Finnish Him: Nordic authorities' harpoon chase-ender amazingly never approved

VIDEO: Finnish Him: Nordic authorities' harpoon chase-ender amazingly never approved originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnStar prevents its first high-speed chase

Chris Shunk — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Technology, GM

We were wondering how long it would take before OnStar's Stolen Vehicle Slowdown service was used to prevent a high speed chase. Though announced nearly two years ago, the service that allows OnStar to remotely disable a vehicle's gas pedal is still not yet available on all GM models - for 2010, about 18 of 30 vehicles in the lineup have the capability. Early Sunday morning, however, police in Visalia, California were the first to work with OnStar to remotely disable the engine of a stolen 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe and prevent what would have certainly been a high-speed chase. The vehicle in question was allegedly carjacked by a 21-year-old armed with a sawed off shotgun.

The Associated Press reports that the armed assailant pointed a sawed off shotgun at vehicle owner Jose Ruiz and his cousin and demanded their money. After robbing the men, the unwitting thief made off with the Tahoe. Ruiz then found a police officer who called OnStar and had the vehicle tracked, but only after Ruiz gave his permission to do so. OnStar then worked with police to ensure officers were in place to make an arrest, and when the robber made a turn the massive SUV harmlessly came to a stop. OnStar President Walt Dorfstatter told the AP it only took 16 minutes to disable the vehicle. The arrested suspect in the case has been charged with carjacking, robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle and resisting arrest.

Visalia police told the AP that OnStar likely averted a high speed chase, potentially saving lives since most chases end in a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says there were 334 fatalities stemming from high speed chases, with 77 of those deaths of people not directly involved in the chase and five officer fatalities.

[Source: Associated Press]

OnStar prevents its first high-speed chase originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trunk Zoo: Italian police reportedly find 1,700 animals stuffed in car's boot

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Europe

A driver in Bari, Italy was stopped for a routine inspection of his car. When police got to the trunk, they found it filled with mammals, reptiles, and birds. We have no idea how he got them all in there or, better yet, what kind of car he was driving, but authorities reportedly found the following hiding out in the boot: 216 parakeets, 300 white mice, 150 hamsters, 30 Japanese squirrels, six chameleons and over 1,000 terrapins.

The police say the man was going to sell the terrapins for €20 apiece ($29 U.S.), and although they didn't say it, we imagine he was going to sell the other animals as well. Instead, the animals have gone to local zoos while the police investigate and the man will get to sell cigarettes and phone privileges in the local hoosegow.

[Source: MyABC50 | Image: marfis75 via CC2.0]

Trunk Zoo: Italian police reportedly find 1,700 animals stuffed in car's boot originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Parents of teen with speeding ticket fighting citation with personal GPS data

Michael Harley — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Technology

It seems as though there may just be a positive side to those unwelcome GPS-based vehicle tracking devices... especially if you are a teenager. Shaun Malone, a 17-year-old California resident, was cited by radar-yielding authorities for driving 62 mph in a 45 mph zone in 2007. Faced with a $194 fine (and some inflating insurance premiums), Shaun's parents fought back arguing their son's vehicle was equipped with a satellite-based tracking device that monitored Shaun's speed - and it showed he was doing 45 mph when he was stopped.

While they can be affected by poor reception or noise in the radio signal, GPS-based speedometers are generally considered the benchmark for measuring velocity. On the other hand, radar measurements are also considered very accurate, as long as the human at the other end of the device is correctly trained and is tracking the proper vehicle. At stake is the credibility of radar. As Doppler-based speed enforcement has become a primary source of revenue for law enforcement agencies nationwide, police don't want their technology challenged. With that in mind, the local Petaluma police have spent a reported $15,000 on the trial. The case is to be decided in the coming weeks.

[Source: Christian Science Monitor]

REPORT: Parents of teen with speeding ticket fighting citation with personal GPS data originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Irony Police: U.K. authorities reportedly resorting to 'theft' to discourage stealing

Jonny Lieberman — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:56:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, UK

England is a very strange place. Not only do they like having a royal family, but they talk like this: "Oi. Buncha southy Londoners are suddenly stroppy over the constable's wonky plan to nick exposed swag from their unlocked cars. Kind of a bollocks plan, innit?" Naturally the coppers are chuffed about the whole thing, claiming they're just teaching gadges that couldn't be arsed to lock their cars a lesson.

In other words, in an area of South London called Richmond, police have taken to opening unlocked cars and removing valuable items like laptops and cells phones. They think they are doing nothing wrong and teaching careless people a lesson. Of course, because of British common law they apparently aren't doing anything wrong at all. Said police supervisor Jim Davis, "Technically we are entering the vehicle but we are not committing a crime. It's a common law duty to protect (people's) property."

Aside from, oh, you know, the police locking the unlocked vehicles, we have mixed feelings about this particular program. On the one hand, they are taking pre-stolen goods right out of the criminals' mouths. On the other, no jury (in Texas) would ever convict you for shooting someone taking property from your car. Seems to us like a lorra lorra gert plonker method to sort out the wheat from the chavs.

[Source: BBC | Image: Chris Jackson/Getty]

Irony Police: U.K. authorities reportedly resorting to 'theft' to discourage stealing originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Ford preparing cops for life after Crown Vic, has police sample Taurus

Chris Shunk — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Ford, Specialty

Quick quiz: What vehicle transported Paris Hilton to prison? If you answered Ford's Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, you took the easy route and you were correct. The older than thou Crown Vic accounts for about 85% of the 75,000 police vehicles sold each year - a market where styling, amenities and new safety features have little to do with the vehicle's success.

The CV's body-on-frame construction helps the ubiquitous cop cruiser stand up to the punishment doled out by the guys and gals in blue. Body-on-frame platforms are generally also easier to repair, and anyone who has been in a police parking lot can plainly see that these vehicles take a big-time beating in the name of public safety. The CV is also rear-wheel drive for better handling, it's large enough to fit even the biggest of felons (and cops), and its column-mounted shifter enables the fuzz to have plenty of room for a laptop. But alas, the Crown Vic is also older than dirt. We'd joke that Henry Ford himself had a hand in the creation of the CV, but chances are that Henry II actually did, and he retired as the head of the Blue Oval when Pong was state-of-the-art video gaming technology.

According to The Detroit News, in June, Ford hosted police personnel from some of America's biggest cities to discuss the future of the police cruiser. The Dearborn, MI-based automaker told the police departments that the Crown Vic would be gone by 2011. That's bad news for departments like the LAPD, which has a shop set up specifically to deal with the CV. Some police departments told the Motown newspaper that rear-drive vehicles like the Charger can't hold up to the abuse of police work. Others are looking into the Impala, though the front-drive Chevy hasn't gained much traction with law enforcement. One ray of hope could come in the form of the Carbon Motors E7 purpose built police cruiser, but it isn't quite ready for prime time yet, and it's likely to be significantly more expensive than the equivalent Blue Oval cruiser.

Ford is in a bit of a predicament in that the Crown Vic has the police (and cab) market to itself and, as Ford President Mark Fields points out to The Detroit News, the CV gives Ford a presence in just about every municipality in America. One vehicle that Ford gave to police to drive during their stay in Dearborn was the new Taurus, which is almost as big and roomy as the CV, but with far more safety tech, improved fuel economy and the (costly) option of an Ecoboost V6 under the hood in the form of the SHO model. The Taurus may not be the ultimate answer (at least it won't be outrun by a Toyota Camry or Nissan Altima), but Ford insists that it isn't giving up its police share without a fight.

[Source: Detroit News]

REPORT: Ford preparing cops for life after Crown Vic, has police sample Taurus originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canadian man earns second ticket with one finger

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Humor

Stare at the maple leaf in the center of a Canadian flag long enough and it really starts to look like someone's giving you the bird. Especially if you've been sucking down Mooseheads, eh?

We mention this because a man was pulled over in Port Hope, Ontario, for going about 85 miles per hour (135 km/h) a few weeks back. After constable Bettina Schwarze wrote the motorist up, he flipped her off. Schwarze then pulled the man over a second time and issued him a ticket for an "improper hand signal." We kinda dig cops with senses of humor.

[Source: Toronto Sun]

Canadian man earns second ticket with one finger originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Police storm occupied SsangYong factory after dropping tear gas from helicopters

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, South Korea

Most American pistonheads' exposure to SsangYong is limited to Jeremy Clarkson beating one to death with a sledgehammer (or similar). However, not only did South Korea's fifth largest automaker once build Jeeps for the U.S. Army, in the 1970s they changed their name to Dong-A Motor. Obviously, they have since reconsidered. These days, they owe about half a billion dollars to various creditors and suppliers. As such, SsangYong managment has decided to go ahead and liquidate some assets and fire 37% of the company.

Not so fast, says The Wall Street Journal. According to the daily fishwrapper, a group of recently fired workers at an auto plant in Pyeongtaek occupied the shuttered plant several weeks ago and they have been using slingshots and molotov cocktails against approaching riot police in the lead up to Tuesday's raid. Until the raid, police responded by dropping tear gas on the workers from helicopters.

Finally, the police have attacked and about 80 commandos backed by choppers retook a few buildings. However, they have stopped short of capturing the highly flammable paint shop where between 500 and 540 strikers are still holed up. Said a union rep over the possibility of a raid on the paint shop, "We will respond to it, bracing ourselves for death."

[Source: The Wall Street Journal | Image: Jung Yeon-Je/Getty]

REPORT: Police storm occupied SsangYong factory after dropping tear gas from helicopters originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ruh Oh: Florida drops all charges against woman framed by police for traffic accident

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Click above to view the video after the jump

This is just... well, decide for yourselves. A Hollywood, Florida police officer rams into the back of a woman's car. Three other cops arrive on the scene and they concoct a fictional story about a cat jumping out of a car, and the officer thinking it's a pedestrian, thereby causing the accident. They then pinned a DUI charge on the woman. The cops even went so far as to change the angle of the pictures to make it look like the woman swerved in front of the police car. And it gets worse from there -- and it's all caught on the video. One of the officers says on tape (NSFW language), "I don't lie and make things up ever because it's wrong, but if I need to bend it a little bit to protect a cop, I'll do it -- She's freaking hammered anyway."

All charges have been dropped against the woman by the Broward State Attorney's Office and all four officers are now on administrative duty pending the completion of the investigation. To paraphrase Dave Barry, only in South Florida.

[Source: NBC Miami]

Continue reading Ruh Oh: Florida drops all charges against woman framed by police for traffic accident

Ruh Oh: Florida drops all charges against woman framed by police for traffic accident originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK police replace Imprezas with Lexus IS-F cruisers

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:27:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Etc., Japan, Lexus, UK

Lexus IS-Force - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Objects you do not want to see in your rear-view mirror: Hungry dinosaurs, pissed-off exes holding rifles, mushroom clouds and this guy. Indeed, you're looking at a Lexus IS-Force, an IS-F that's been converted to a cruiser for police duty in the English county of Humberside, which includes the notoriously criminally minded port city of Hull. For the past few years, Humberside bobbies have been chasing baddies in Subaru Imprezas, but the AWD cars just weren't up to the task at hand. What to replace 'em with? Here's what the cops were thinking, according to Sergeant Mike Peck:

"The Lexus was tested during a 12-month period along with similar vehicles and proved itself to be ideally suited in providing a dynamically safe high performance chassis along with an electronically stable platform for the computer equipment. In the past this equipment has placed huge demands on vehicles but the Lexus IS-F easily met with our requirements. The final product provides a most formidable package and is undoubtedly one of the most advanced police vehicles in the world which in turn enables my officers to deal with the criminals who use the roads for serious and organized crime."

We're actually a little weak-kneed at the very thought of the IS-Force's existence. 416-horsepower 5.0-liter V8s with the power to yank your license tend to have that effect. Even on crooks.

Gallery: Lexus IS-F Cop Car

UK police replace Imprezas with Lexus IS-F cruisers originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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STUDY: UK police officers confuse diesel and gas pumps four times a day, cost taxpayers £1 million

Chris Shunk — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:40:00 EST

Filed under: Maintenance, Etc., Government/Legal, Police/Emergency, UK, Diesel

British police have an expensive problem. It's not crime and it isn't corruption, it's much worse. The £1 million problem is stupidity. Over the course of three years, UK cops have on 4,709 occasions put the wrong fuel in their police cruisers. That's an average of four cars damaged per day, with damages of £6,500 a week. That's more than $1.6 million USD. Blimey.

Each time the wrong fuel is added, the very expensive fuel has to be drained, and in many cases engines have to be repaired. According to the Mirror, one force, The Met, had four times as expensive a problem as any other group, with £194,212 in damage ($316k USD) over three years. In one year alone, the pump-challenged bunch had 287 erroneous re-fuels from its 6,500 unit fleet at a taxpayer cost of £84,992 ($138k USD). That's a mis-fuel rate of .09%.

A group called TaxPayers' Alliance demanded fueling info under the Freedom of Information act from 52 forces in the UK. Eight forces rejected the request, and four more didn't respond. The public action group poured over data over a four month period to come up with the staggering sum of bungled fill-ups.

TaxPayers' Alliance chief Matthew Elliott doesn't mince words when talking about the size and scope of the fuel problem. "Every car damaged is thousands of pounds diverted away from the fight against crime. One would hope our police were more on the ball." One would hope.

To combat the expensive fuel mix-up issue, North Wales placed yellow stickers labeled 'DIESEL' back in 2006, but that didn't stop officers from pumping petrol on 39 different occasions. Many forces have stated that they've tried many things to combat the problem, but apparently only one solution has worked. Humberside has had only one mis-fuel, at a cost of £51. They have an all-gas fleet, which they say saves £250,000 a year. Hmmm....

[Source: U.K. Mirror]

STUDY: UK police officers confuse diesel and gas pumps four times a day, cost taxpayers £1 million originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaguar UK launches new police package for XF

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Jaguar, Police/Emergency, UK

The long arm of the law now has a cat to stroke with Jaguar's creation of a high performance police pursuit vehicle. It hasn't been commissioned by forces yet, but is apparently under evaluation by UK authorities across the country. The model in question is the new twin-turbo XF Diesel S, a 3.0-liter unit pumping out 275 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, while still returning 42 British mpg.

The police version XF gets a "police pack" electronics package to power equipment, the radio, and enough lights for several Heathrow runways: a roof-mounted light bar with 3600 light elements, side alley lights, blue and white strobing LEDs in the grille and blue flashing LEDs along the side of the car, along with blue and red flashing LED lights in the rear light clusters. If you ask us, this beats a Ford Crown Vic any day of the week.

[Source: Jaguar]

Jaguar UK launches new police package for XF originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 May 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK looks to implement roadside drug testing

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, UK

According to the UK Telegraph, Britain's government is no longer willing to let those who have illegal drugs in their system slip through any more checkpoints. It has let the Department of Transportation know that it is looking at creating a new law that would ensnare anyone with illegal drugs in their systems, as well as those whose driving is impaired by using legal, medicinal drugs such as sleeping pills.

A British company makes a "drugalyzer" that can detect amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, cannabis and methadone in a saliva sample. That machine is already in use in police stations, but a field unit would need to be approved by Britain's Home Office.

Right now, those thought to be driving on drugs are given the same walk-the-line field used for perceived drunk drivers for decades before the Breathalyzer came along. Countries like Romania, Australia, and Italy already perform mobile drug testing. If enacted in Britain, the bill would likely help the authorities reign in the suspected 23% of drivers and 21% of riders in accidents who have "impairing" drugs in their systems.

[Source: The UK Telegraph]

UK looks to implement roadside drug testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 May 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beat the Heat: Florida police battling street racing by... racing?!

Chris Shunk — Sat, 02 May 2009 16:10:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

Police officers around the country routinely put their lives on the line in an effort to keep our streets safe. Officers in South Florida have come up with a way to make city streets a safer place and have a bit of fun at the same time; by drag racing at the track. A bad street racing problem that was endangering the lives of law abiding citizens when a plan was hatched to set up monthly "Beat the Heat" drags between the fuzz and street racers at Miami's Countyline Dragway. Everyone from former street racers to moms and dads are paying the $25 to line up against Johnny Law.

The "Beat the Heat" program has drastically cut down the amount of drag racing on the Florida streets, while also fostering a better relationship between racers and officers. And "Beat the Heat" isn't just in Florida. There are police drag racing programs in other areas of the country, including Chattanooga, Tennessee. If making nice with cops isn't your idea of fun, you can still test your skills against the king of all drag cars; the Crown Victoria police interceptor. Where do we sign up?

[Source: Officer]

Beat the Heat: Florida police battling street racing by... racing?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 May 2009 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK police in hot water for "recreating car chase for 'petrolhead porn TV'

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Police/Emergency, UK, Celebrities

For an episode of the show Police Interceptors, which airs on channel five in Britain, the producers wanted to recreate a police chase. But instead of throwing together some archive clips and fast-cut footage of police cars caroming through empty streets, the show gave presenter Natalie Pinkham (right) a Lamborghini and told her to take off. Then the Essex police gave Pinkham a 20-minute head start and they took off after her - speeding, blue lights flashing, the works.

Because the Lamborghini had a tracking device, the police knew how to find Pinkham, but it took them an hour. Other police forces are upset that the Essex men in blue were shown "Sitting round swapping silly jokes, drinking cups of tea and chatting up young women drivers." For their part, road safety campaigners are fuming that innocent drivers could have been put at risk, and a taxpayer's group doesn't like the Essex police subbing as extras instead of protecting the public.

In reply, a police spokesman said the chase was "a training exercise for officers in using a new tracker device." If Ms. Pinkham ever needs to try out a tracking device on this side of the world, please, let us know. We'd like to get that kind of training, too.

[Source: Daily Mail | Image: NataliePinkham.com]

UK police in hot water for "recreating car chase for 'petrolhead porn TV' originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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