Ford recently announced that its police interceptor cars will be fitted with "no profile" front visor light bars.
The cars getting the headliner light bars are the 2017 Ford Interceptor Utility police SUVs. The autos will not sport any department decals, extra antennae, big spotlights or traditional light bars, which could make it very hard to tell the difference between a police car and a civilian one.
The #Ford Police Interceptor Utility just got a little stealthier with the no-profile front visor lights. pic.twitter.com/ECQc3aqwuw
— Ford Motor Company (@Ford) April 7, 2016
One thing that the police department bets on is that drivers will see every Ford Interceptor as a potentially unmarked police car, thus taking the foot off the acceleration pedal mode often.
Previous variants of police vehicles (both sedans and SUVs) featured aftermarket interior light bars that clipped to the window visors. A disadvantage of such third-party light bars is that they impede driver visibility and take up a lot of headroom space. However, the new visor light bars on the Ford Interceptor are placed at the point where the headliner meets the windshield, considerably diminishing the bulkiness of aftermarket add-ons.
The Ford Interceptor is not the only model of vehicle that drivers are accustomed to seeing as a police vehicle. A notable presence in the auto park of the police force used to be the Crown Victoria, sedan which is no longer manufactured. The last line of law enforcement Crown Vic Interceptor cars were on the production bench in 2011 and hit the streets in 2012.
For U.S. drivers who hit the road between 1992 and 2012, the image of the Crown Vic is synonymous with police cars. Anecdotal evidence tells that people who purchased second hand Crown Victoria autos saw the traffic on the highway "magically" open up as they advanced. This goes to show just how powerful the police car staple is.
The new Ford Interceptor was showcased at the Chicago Auto Show at the end of February.
The law enforcement tailored Interceptors sport different modifications to make them suitable for road action and pursuit.
Just as the Crown Victoria police cars, the Interceptors feature heavy duty suspensions, batteries, brakes, performance and durability reinforcements, cooling systems and other gadgetry to help the officers in their line of duty.
Should you be on the wrong side of the law, keep in mind that the new Ford Interceptors are even harder to spot thanks to the new visor light bar.
Drive safely!
