CHP unveils new patrol cruisers designed to blend in with traffic

David777

David777

Well-known Member
Location
Silicon Valley
California Highway Patrol just began implementation of new patrol vehicles that are not obviously visible by sight alone when lights are off. Driving our SF Bay Area freeways that have 65mph or 70mph speed limits, average speeds tend to be 70 to 75. However increasing numbers of drivers now regularly cruise well above 80mph unless they notice CHP black and whites. Such vehicles annoyingly tailgate and push others already say at 75mph that then are disrupted having to look for spots to move towards slower lanes. Lacking effective enforcement, others are increasingly joining them.

But they are not the more serious targets that will soon meet their doom. One too often will see vehicles with gang like occupants driving well over 90mph weaving through traffic. There are often 2 or 3 such cars like a pack doing so. In recent years ALPR cameras have also been set up at key freeway ramps that are increasingly nailing criminals based in Oakland, Richmond, Vallejo, and Antioch as they drive into and flee from other cities.

CHP unveils new patrol cruisers designed to blend in with traffic

CHP unveils new patrol cruisers designed to blend in with traffic
 

It's like over here in Vancouver, has two vehicles undercover for traffic. and I know that the funniest thing is we know one's a large pickup and the other one's a small 2 dr coupe. The thing is they're both bright blue so we recognize them.

I don't know if they're going to get other colors, I don't know what the other two ones are at this time, because I haven't seen them in operation. Once you do then they're easy to track.
 

David777 said:
California Highway Patrol just began implementation of new patrol vehicles that are not obviously visible by sight alone when lights are off. Driving our SF Bay Area freeways that have 65mph or 70mph speed limits, average speeds tend to be 70 to 75. However increasing numbers of drivers now regularly cruise well above 80mph unless they notice CHP black and whites. Such vehicles annoyingly tailgate and push others already say at 75mph that then are disrupted having to look for spots to move towards slower lanes. Lacking effective enforcement, others are increasingly joining them.

But they are not the more serious targets that will soon meet their doom. One too often will see vehicles with gang like occupants driving well over 90mph weaving through traffic. There are often 2 or 3 such cars like a pack doing so. In recent years ALPR cameras have also been set up at key freeway ramps that are increasingly nailing criminals based in Oakland, Richmond, Vallejo, and Antioch as they drive into and flee from other cities.

CHP unveils new patrol cruisers designed to blend in with traffic

CHP unveils new patrol cruisers designed to blend in with traffic
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Well, I can understand that. California needs the money!...:)
 
Having unmarked cop cars presents an unfair advantage to the cops. When cops had those familiar black & white cruisers, speeders knew when to slow down. A guy driving a black & white Crown Vic is a cop. Now, how do you know if the guy in the Toyota next to you is a cop?
Cops have a totally unfair advantage. :unsure:
 
Just a thought ... if your not doing anything wrong, why should it matter if the cars blend in.

A lot of people don't go around collecting tickets & if they do get a ticket, think of it this way. Divide the cost of the ticket you received by the number of times you didn't get caught speeding or doing another violation. For most of us, it's pennies over a long time of driving.

However, if you're a habitual traffic offender who either is close to loosing your license -or- have already lost it but drive anyway. Then yes, you are probably going to feel that this is unfair.
 
Obviously there are significant numbers of impatient drivers within dense traffic urban environments (often without any reason other than aggressive habit) who would given choice always drive as fast as they are capable of. And of course, they know many others dislike their inconsiderate annoying driving style but selfishly don't care about others. It's their dog eat dog mode of life with their internal emotion pea-brains squarely enjoying opportunities to public display so.

I'm certain this is going to within a few months result in some of those that get nailed to foam at the mouth publicly. And the rest of us will just smile. :)
 
@David777, your right about the aggressive driving. It's a problem all over & it's not getting better. The other major problem is people people texting/talking on their cell phones while they drive.

In Ohio, they passed hands free in April 2023 & enforcement started in October of 2023. You still see so many Ohio drivers with a cell in their hand driving. A lot of them are in a car that has blue tooth, but they don't care .

Now, if these drivers hurt or kill themselves, it's on them & no one else. I get really ticked off when I hear on the news they've injured or killed pedestrians or people in other vehicles.

https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/phonesdown/home
 
We have LOADS of unmarked police cars..... they are all over the place and they use all different models of cars..so you can't tell who is an undercover cop car and who isn't... and of course they don't wear uniform they have long hair, wear jeans and hoodies... like any other joe...

They're mostly used on the motorways and annd dual carriageways to catch errant drivers....that could be anyone from a speeding or drunken drivers.. to drivers of 40 tonne trucks watching tv, or sleeping at the wheel as they drive along... Incidentally they also use umarked Vans and Trucks


A quick google search tells me that a minimum of 25 % of all Police vehicles in the UK are unmarked
 
Unmarked police lorry

s960_Patrol-cars2.jpg

the umarked trucks are used mainly to catch other lorry drivers.. ...the police being high up in the cab can then see exactly what another truck driver is doing...


There's also marked police trucks as well as unmarked.....
the-police-truck-321235183.jpg

Can-you-spot-the-police.png




the police here also use Drones.....
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Having unmarked cop cars presents an unfair advantage to the cops. When cops had those familiar black & white cruisers, speeders knew when to slow down. A guy driving a black & white Crown Vic is a cop. Now, how do you know if the guy in the Toyota next to you is a cop?
Cops have a totally unfair advantage. :unsure:
Click to expand...
Fuzzy - which PD still drives Crown Victorias? Mayberry:>)
 
95% o f motorists could be ticketed for some traffic violation or another. The vast majority of tickets issued are to raise revenue for the municipality or state, not for public safety.
 
Lilac said:
A lot of them are in a car that has blue tooth, but they don't care .
Click to expand...
Our new truck has the Bluetooth option and I find it way more dangerous to use than picking up the phone. The phone I can move up in front of me to see just like the HUD in some cars... To use the BT I have to look over and down taking my eyes off the road, and spend 3X the time to bunch buttons to make a call...
I can answer the phone without looking.... but have to take my eyes off the road to even answer the BT...
 
In Ohio, they have traffic grants periodically through the year during the high accident & drunk driver "seasons". Departments may target a specific zone or larger area. This allows extra officers to be put on the road in a time they are needed while others stay on their duties.

For drunk driving check points, the news broadcasts where & when days prior to set up. You'll find these around holidays & in the high offense areas & no one should be surprised coming across one. It's still amazing how many DUIs are found during these.

Considering how some people drive today, they make themselves easy targets for traffic enforcement. Yesterday on the interstate, there were two people with out of state plates weaving in & out of traffic at high speed. Drivers like these make themselves easy targets for the State Patrol, especially if they are running aircraft enforcement.
 
old medic said:
Our new truck has the Bluetooth option and I find it way more dangerous to use than picking up the phone. The phone I can move up in front of me to see just like the HUD in some cars... To use the BT I have to look over and down taking my eyes off the road, and spend 3X the time to bunch buttons to make a call...
I can answer the phone without looking.... but have to take my eyes off the road to even answer the BT...
Click to expand...
Before we had blue tooth in the vehicles, we had an ear piece that all we had to do was to tap it to answer.

Our cells are linked to the blue tooth in the 2025 as well as the 2014. Phone rings & truck screen lights up with a large red button that I can see out of my peripheral vision & touch it once. If someone is in the truck with me, I let them answer the phone. In most cases, I won't answer the phone when I'm driving by myself. Especially if the traffic is such that answering would be dangerous.

There isn't a call that is that important that I have to answer it. Also, it wouldn't be the first time that I've found a parking lot to use the phone.
 
Lilac said:
@David777, your right about the aggressive driving. It's a problem all over & it's not getting better. The other major problem is people people texting/talking on their cell phones while they drive.

In Ohio, they passed hands free in April 2023 & enforcement started in October of 2023. You still see so many Ohio drivers with a cell in their hand driving. A lot of them are in a car that has blue tooth, but they don't care .

Now, if these drivers hurt or kill themselves, it's on them & no one else. I get really ticked off when I hear on the news they've injured or killed pedestrians or people in other vehicles.

https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/phonesdown/home
Click to expand...
Saw a program on Chinese town roads & a short scene showed a young woman riding a small scooter/motorcycle? & talking on a cellphone. It struck me so funny--her using a cellphone while riding that open little thing. How cellphone crazy can you get?! Dumb? Or daring?
 
Elsie said:
Saw a program on Chinese town roads & a short scene showed a young woman riding a small scooter/motorcycle? & talking on a cellphone. It struck me so funny--her using a cellphone while riding that open little thing. How cellphone crazy can you get?! Dumb? Or daring?
Click to expand...
@Elsie, so many people are attached to their phones, it's like another appendage for them. Personally, I don't like having one. However, with the way things are today, you have to.
 
David777 said:
California Highway Patrol just began implementation of new patrol vehicles that are not obviously visible by sight alone when lights are off. Driving our SF Bay Area freeways that have 65mph or 70mph speed limits, average speeds tend to be 70 to 75. However increasing numbers of drivers now regularly cruise well above 80mph unless they notice CHP black and whites. Such vehicles annoyingly tailgate and push others already say at 75mph that then are disrupted having to look for spots to move towards slower lanes.
Click to expand...
batman2.jpgbatman1.jpg
They are very efficient that Californian Highway Patrol. No excuses, no matter who you are!
 
old medic said:
Our new truck has the Bluetooth option and I find it way more dangerous to use than picking up the phone. The phone I can move up in front of me to see just like the HUD in some cars... To use the BT I have to look over and down taking my eyes off the road, and spend 3X the time to bunch buttons to make a call...
I can answer the phone without looking.... but have to take my eyes off the road to even answer the BT...
Click to expand...
You do not have voice or steering wheel options?
 
@David777, I'm happy to learn this and hope it goes statewide very quickly. As many have mentioned, aggressive driving is out of control.

As for cellphone use while driving, I rarely answer a call while driving despite my car's bluetooth connections. Talking on the phone - hands free or otherwise - is far more distracting than talking to a passenger. I think adult passengers notice difficult driving conditions and naturally adjust their conversation rhythms accordingly.

Children do not. Even in my 30s (at the top of my game), when driving in heavy traffic, rain, fog, or being in an unfamiliar area, I'd often ask my children to please be quiet for a little bit so I could focus.
 
Nathan said:
Here in San Bernardino County we could use more visible/non-visible CHP vehicles, the aggressive & insane driving is off-the-charts. The CHP does respond to serious collisions, and they do watch the backs of the CalTrans workers so they don't get run over by maniacs, but actual traffic patrols are really thin around here.
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Same here. Unfortunately.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Don't know. Around here, PA, the 'staties'; drive crummy hatchbacks.
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I’m not sure what you call a hatchback, but the PSP was driving gray colored Ford Explorers (some had extended bodies). Just recently, the Governor started ordering White Chevrolet Tahoes. I haven’t heard any feedback from Troopers that I know who have driven the new vehicle. They have also added Dodge Durangos and Ford Explorer Police Interceptors.

Also, the PSP has decided to no longer carry shotguns, but will be carrying 30.06 rifles for clean long distance shots. That’s good news.

New PSP Vehicles
 

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