Throw EV's into the mix. Electric vehicles make very little sound while being driven. Therefore, starting in 2019, ALL electric vehicle shall have a sound-emitting device while travelling at less than 18.6 MPH. This is not verbatim, but what I remember seeing on the news a couple days ago. It is intended to save distracted or hearing-impaired pedestrians from being hit by cars. Funny thing, at 18.6 MPH, you can FEEL my Chevelle coming your way. My 2011 MCS, maybe not. AND, the Ford crown Victoria was killed in 2011 for one reason, and one reason only....CAFE, Corporate Average Fuel Economy. I say bring the Crown Vic back, give her the same body, give her the Mustang 2.3 Twin Turbo, and an 8-speed auto. That will achieve the "numbers" needed by the Feds, while giving our Cops the car they have known to love. Many of the Cops on the PD that I work for lament the demise of the Crown Vic. The Taurus "Interceptor" is too small inside, while the SUV Explorer version is just to heavy and slow.

 

Funny you mention EV's. I remember almost being run down by a hybrid Camry in a Starbucks parking lot about 10 years ago. We lived in Miami at the time and made frequent trips up and down I-95 between Miami and Charleston, SC- a frequent stop was a Starbucks in Jupiter- usually dark if we were heading north. We stepped out of the shop and the first indication I was in any danger was the sound of the tires sliding on sand over the asphalt- the car was operating in pure EV mode and I heard nothing. That served to remind me of how important visual contact really is.

As far as Crown Vics and police go- I've heard LEO friends lament the loss of their Crown Vic cruisers. Around here, I see more than a couple of Dodge Durangos being used instead- they seem fairly happy with those, although they may be heavy, with the 5.7L Hemi V8, they are far from slow.

 

coworker just bought a Alfa Romeo Stelvio and it's the most beautiful car in the parking lot, nicer looking than our X5, but ours is a diesel and can tow my track car and enclosed trailer hers could not.

Police here in Piedmont NC area use dodge chargers almost exclusively, there are a few suv and some interesting unmarked traffic enforcement cars

 

Yes. I cannot agree more. I look and assess the chance of being T-boned when I cross a green light, especially if I am up front. The more driver aids, the worst are the drivers and their skills and attentiveness. Trust no one is the key to survival. Practice defensive walking, running, and driving.

For a very long time now, I refuse to ride bicycle on the road, except in my residential neighborhood with a lot of idiot-proof precautions. I have adapted a habit always running and walking against the traffic, even on boulevards that has sidewalks. Must be watching too much Youtube crash videos. I always use my peripheral vision to keep track of a car behind me when I walk on the other side of the pavement. You just never know what the driver is doing these days.

What amazed me is how often I get that "you are walking on the wrong side of the street" stare from other pedestrians in the no-sidewalk streets.

One of my colleague is a avid runner. He got hit running on a marked pedestrian strip and fell down a steep hill. He was running with the traffic. Of course the driver was never found and cited.

I just don't trust any drivers nowadays, unless they are someone I know. Going 110 MPH on the track is infinitely safer than going fast on the streets.

 

Worry not that the Crown Victoria is long gone. One of the "big three" will always step up to offer a Police Pursuit special. Be it a SUV or modern American muscle car with the police specials.

The Dodge Charger LEO specials are nothing to sneer at. Here is one interesting site to read up on these not-for-civilian offerings. There are many no-nonsense lessons to be learnt there.

 

Most of the LEO friends I know who drive Chargers complain about lack of comfort while driving them, especially ingress and egress with full gear on. The ones who drive Durangos seem to love those, and I've never seen a police-prepped Ram.

 

It is such a different era now with what LEO carries versus when the Crown Victoria was still in production. I am surprised that they can even get in and out of those vehicles.

 

Oil price has risen considerably. Will this slow the US sales of trucks, SUVs, and rollovers (aka x-overs )?

Crude oil has risen 20% since January.

 

All of this seems to familiar...

 

Rarely that I find good articles like this. An interesting and informed read for me despite that I would never own one of these.

GM squeezes pounds and pennies to attack Ford's pickup profit machine

I cannot find the un-format text function, so the supersize text .

 

...it is a conspiracy by the Government to continue to increase the overall size and weight of the "SUV" the predetermined vehicle of the future and the decreasing power and size of the power plant, so that we will all be stuck in indestructible boring boxes that can only move slightly faster than the speed of smell.

Breakout and ...

Motor On!