Among all the vehicles on the road, police cars are perhaps the most mysterious of them all. The reason for their mystique probably lies in the fact that you will not be able to know anything about a cop car until you become a police officer yourself. This is why many people have formed several misconceptions about police cars, including the following.
Myth #1: All police cars are bulletproof
Police vehicles, including equipment, are built to be tough. They are durable enough to withstand low-impact hits like bumping a trunk while running at 100 mph. You probably see some cop cars chasing after a criminal bump against the perpetrator’s trunk to get them off the road.
But, do not think that they are totally bulletproof. Encasing a police car in bulletproof material is too expensive than just training officers how to take cover when they are under fire.
Myth #2: All police cars are Crown Victorias
It is true that for a time, almost all police vehicles in Kansas and other states in the U.S. were Ford Crown Victoria models. But times have changed and most police officers prefer cars that have more power. Besides, Ford has stopped production of this model in 2012.
What most police precincts have in their garages now are Ford Mustangs or Dodge Chargers. So, do not be surprised if you do not see any Crown Victoria cars roaming around your city anymore. But watch out for those unmarked Ford Mustangs because they can still pull you over.
Myth #3: All police cars are built by Ford and other manufacturers
Despite what most people think, car manufacturers do not build cop cars and send them to every precinct in the country. What happens is that there are companies that modify regular vehicles to fit the requirements of police officers.
Myth #4: All police cars are automatic
This may be true if you are living in the U.S., but if you go around the world, some cop cars still have manual transmissions. The ones in the U.S. are mostly automatic in order to make it more convenient for police officers to focus on performing their tasks. If you think about it, chasing after a criminal while radioing other police officers to corner the criminal would be doubly hard if you have to use a stick shift.
Myth #5: All police cars are marked
This is perhaps the biggest myth of them all. A lot of people believe that only vehicles that have the markings of a police car can pull over motorists. But the truth is there are several unmarked cars roaming around your town that carry plainclothes detectives who have every right to pull over any motorist.
So, even if you do not see any cop cars driving around or hiding behind bushes, you should not go beyond the speed limit. There may be unmarked cars around that can pull you over and give you a speeding ticket. It pays to be always careful when driving.
