Differences Between Police Cars And Regular Cars - Car Talk

When lives are at stake, having a Police car that can be pushed to the limit is the only viable choice. Police fleets around the world, including the Pursuit Vehicles, Patrol cars and Riot Control vehicles, are equipped with high-performance parts which regular cars lacks.

These cars are used for chasing down offenders and responding to incidents. In the case of a Pursuit and Patrol Police cars, these high-performances vehicles are designed to endure a lot of abuse. They have features that allows rapid acceleration as well as force other vehicles off the road.



Below are some of the features that you will find in a Police Pursuit/Patrol cars which regular cars lacks:

High-Output Engine
Police cars have high performance engines. Most of them are equipped with V6 engines while others have a stronger V8 engine in their bonnets.

Push Bumpers
They have Push bumpers fitted to their chassis to force vehicles off the road and to bump into them.

Larger Radiators And Fans
The demands that the Police place on their cars can cause the engine to overheat. So police cars use upgraded coolers with larger radiators and fans to overcome the threat.

Heavy Duty Seats
The seats are heavy duty and often feature an opening to accommodate gun belts and firearms.



Enhanced Electrical Output/Powerful Alternator
An alternator of a regular car produces up to 100 amps of power. The one in a police vehicles can crank up as much as 225 or more amps to keep everything running properly.

Heavy-duty Suspension And Braking
They have reinforced suspension system and enhanced brake pads to carry the extra weight of the car.

Run lock ignition
This feature keeps the running so the lights and radio can stay on without draining the battery. The system also cuts the engine as soon as the parking brake is disengaged if someone tries to steal the police car.





Video Camera/Recording Device
Just like the DashCam, these devices helps in documenting the chronology and causality of events.

Vehicle Tracking System
These feature allows officers to track a stolen vehicle fitted with transponder, guiding them to it.

Heavy-Duty Components
Such as the drive shaft, u-joints, frame mounts, wheels and exhaust system which are more sturdier than a civilian’s car.





So equiping the Nigerian Police Force with Pursuit and Patrol cars goes beyond just buying and painting civilian cars to look like one. Apart from the siren, Nigerian Police cars are regular (civilian) cars in disguise… And that is the main reason why they don’t last.