Dagosa, I must respectfully disagree with your assessment of the Crown Vic. While I owned retired vehicles, the suspensions and steering components were in good shape, as were they on the newer one I drove. The Crown Vic hasn’t changed much in years regardless. A decent car, stable and predictable, but dated.
I was not weaned on FWD cars. In fact the only FWD car I’ve ever owned has been my 94 LHS. While a little long in tooth, I would still say that the handling of this large sedan is far better than any Crown Vic I’ve ever driven, the one exception might be against a RWD car on a snowy road, provided that the driver knows how to throttle steer the vehicle properly. And I do know how to slide around a RWD car. My current vehicle, a 300C, is RWD and will run circles around the CVs that most depts. still have, even with the stability control disabled. Not a boast, but a simple fact proven in evaluations of police package vehicles. The tests are online as well as to how this platform performed in police vehicle tests. Cops tested these vehicles. Right now, it looks like GM has one-upped Ford and Chrysler as far as police vehicles go. The last Chevy tested, while ugly as sin in my opinion, came out on top in these tests. Most of the V6 powered vehicles also beat the V8 Ford on acceleration, and some turned in great lap times, probably due to the lighter weight.
I agree with eraser1998’s safety-tips for when pulled over! I will also add, that if it is after dark when I am pulled over, the first thing I do after finding the safest place to pull over, is turn the interior dome-light on so that the officer can see who and what is in my vehicle when he/she walks up. I also advise anyone riding with me to keep their hands in plain sight, and not to make any sudden moves while the officer is by my vehicle. (I also ask them to refrain from speaking unless the officer speaks to them first!)
I also get my license and insurance card out, and ready to hand to them, so they don’t have to feel nervous watching me digging around. The last thing anybody needs is to get shot by a nervous, perhaps inexperienced officer over a mere traffic-stop!
I don’t envy law-officers’ jobs! They never know what might happen next, when they pull someone over! And without law-enforcement, it wouldn’t be safe to drive the streets, let alone walk them!
I’ve had tickets, and I’ve had warnings, and I’ve always been treated fairly. I will say that in some of the smaller towns, even if you go to court dressed decently they may not reduce the fine. (I guess they need the money! So it pays to be extra-careful in small towns!)
oblivion…"While a little long in tooth, I would still say that the handling of this large sedan is far better than any Crown Vic "
You are right about the CV and it’s age…and this debate on that point alone could go on with no conclusion. Generally speaking, I feel two comparable cars, one fwd and one rwd, exhibit different characteristics with power on or off. With it off, the more modern suspension, balance and tires of a new car could allow you to track or coast around a turn with better control be it fwd or rwd. With the power on, fwd plows, rwd tends to oversteer which allows for quicker cornering speeds. So, IMO, there is much room for compromise in our debate…
But,a critical part of a pursuit is pulling out into traffic under full power while turning and maintaining steerage while accelerating. That’s were most cops who prefer rwd are coming from and I have yet to talk with one who likes fwd as a pursuit car. That includes older CVs vs any modern fwd car. They are terrible for that intended purpose as their “power on” handling is poor enough to compromise acceleration under many conditions.
I agree about the Taurus. In awd it is very competitive with rwd handling…fwd Taurus never will be. The Chevy with rwd comes out on top. They will find that awd is too expensive to maintain and fwd though more fuel efficient, will EAT tires like you wouldn’t believe if they drive aggressively. What are the chances a patrol car won’t be driven aggressively ?
MustangSally77…sounds like you have a lot of experience being pulled over.
Have a great New Year !
Drive slowly, this one time. I could be the gramps in the lunch lane. ;=)
@ dagosa, Yes, I do have sufficient experience being pulled over, I guess. In my 37 or so years of driving, I have been pulled over perhaps, eight to ten times approximately; on three of those occasions, I got, and paid tickets. Two of those were during a period of six years when we lived in a tiny town, where they were not reduced, for ANYBODY who was in attendance in the traffic court on both occasions, (about 15 or so other drivers.) Probably half of the times I have been pulled over were for a light-bulb in either the tail-lights or the license-plate light, being burned out.
I have a LOT of road-miles “under my belt”! Most of which I have been “forced” into, because when we go for long drives, my husband of 29 years prefers to make me do most of the driving, so he can enjoy the scenery, (although he is a perfectly good driver, with even more miles under his belt than me.) His father was the same way with his mother!
I know some of you say 06 Speed6's advice is BS and ignore it. That is up to you. But, I've received a few tickets over the years. And a few "potential tickets" where I did NOT get a ticket. This really is true not just in a police stop, but with dealing with customer service (either on the phone or in store), and in other situations. If you are polite and civil, it is a pleasant surprise for the policeman or phone customer support especially, and if they have a chance to "work with you" on something they will. If you are neutral, they won't. And if you are downright rude, they will find any chance to work against you. Of course, you're way more likely either way to get a ticket if you are going 100MPH than if you are going 10 over.
I got stopped once for speeding, I had a big cooler on my passenger seat (it was Mt. Dew but know way for him to know that...) and an expired license (in Iowa, they will warn you WELL ahead that your registration needs to be renewed, even though that happens every year.. but not your license, which lasts 5 or 10 years...). I thought I was screwed about the license, the car was going to be towed off and so was I. But, since I was polite, I got the speeding ticket; I got a warning on the license (since it was less than 60 days expired); and he seemed to make a point of shifting his eyes everywhere *but* the cooler. If I'd been rude I'm sure I would have been shut down regrading the license already, and he could have given a field sobriety test and (since it's at the officer's discretion) he could have made sure I didn't quite pass it and had to be hauled in.
continues and although I have not posted my opinion on that sight I have wondered if the officer who died in the wreck was wearing his seat belt. And why he was so wreckless in his pursuit when it would appear that everyone in that rural area recognized the speeding car. The offender remains in prison.
No one condones reckless driving by either the speeder or pursuit officer. But, the single biggest deterrent to criminal behavior is the assurance of being caught and held accountable for what that behavior. Thinking, all they have to do is out race the cop chasing them in order to get away leads speeders to do it again, any time they want. Right or wrong, that plays into the decision to continue the pursuit.
I’ve been pulled over a few times. 3 times for speeding, once for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, once for being an idiot and listening to a GPS telling me to turn on a certain street right as I was approaching said street and realized I was in the wrong lane to make the turn and I pulled into the lane I needed to be in and cut off a police officer (ooops!), another time for running a stop sign in a construction zone because I didn’t see the guy holding the stop sign (it was night time and the guy was standing on the side of the road and lucky for me the state trooper gave me a chance to explain this so I just got a warning and the trooper told the man holding the stop sign that he had to make himself more visable but in a safe manner) and I’ve found that being polite, cooperative, and admitting what you may have done wrong works a lot better than putting up an arguement. Save the argument for the courtroom, that’s why they have traffic court! I’m pround to say that I’ve never been cited for reckless or unsafe driving and I’ve never had a DUI/DWI offense! Really, it’s not difficult to drive safely. If you’re unsure about your driving skills, attend safe driving classes. They usually have listings at your local DMV for driving schools and classes.
@oblivion
I agree, 300 euro is outrageous. As I mentioned in my post, ticket revenue either goes into the general fund and/or underwrites the operating costs of courts and police. It’s expensive to buy all those cars, those uniforms, weapons, helicopters, airplanes, pay the heat and electric bills, sign all those paychecks, train those drug sniffing dogs and all the other expenses at law enforcement drums up. Oh, and don’t forget paying for those wrongful prosecution and police brutality lawsuits. It’s a business, and they need a revenue source. They have a budget and a bottom line like any other endeavour. Sometimes our taxes aren’t enough. I’m not defending it. I don’t necessarily think it’s right, fair or even moral. But I understand it.
Back in June, I was pulled over in Ohio. I was stuck behind a very slow truck in a tunnel where I couldn’t pass. As soon as I hit a passing lane, out of frustration, I punched the gas, sped up to 70 in a 50 zone and was immediately pulled over by a State Trooper. Then something happened that was pretty cool. I’m in the Army and many, many of my former Soldiers go on to careers in law enforcement. We keep in touch. So, I’ve learned to pull over immediately and ensure you’re in a safe spot, hit the hazard lights, turn off the car, throw the keys on the dash, roll down all the windows on the officer’s side, turn on the interior light and have license, registration and proof of insurance ready in hand. Keep your hands in view at all times. Also, keep the car clean and squared away so that the officer won’t have to wonder what’s under a pile of junk. And for Pete’s sake, don’t talk on a cell phone. I addressed him politely as ‘Officer’ and only answered his direct questions with relevant answers, mostly being ‘yes’ and ‘no’. As he approached, he said into his shoulder mic, “Cancel backup.” I thought, “Cool. He’s not worried about lil’ ol’ me.” He actually clocked me at 73 in a 50 zone, which counts as reckless driving. He let me go with ‘Failing to obey a traffic signal’, the posted speed limit sign. Not bad, I guess. Sure, it may feel like kissing officer tushie. But beats a night in jail. A cute lil’ fellow like me wouldn’t last long in prison.
I have been driving for almost 60 years. I have no records of any tickets, Once I was stopped for eating and driving at the same time. While I was told I was going to get a ticket in the mail, it has been 30 years and I have not yet received it yet. The other one I forgot to pay so I had to show up for the hearing. I explained that if I had seen that highway patrol marked car in the left hand turn in front of me I certainly would not have turned in front of him. I got off without a ticket.
While I often driving on a highway that is IMO set too low, I tend to stick to what is legal as long as I am not blocking traffic.
One of the 3 times I got pulled over for speeding ( I was doing 65 in a 55 zone) by a Deputy Sheriff and he had me pull in front of a gas station and so I stopped, shut the engine off, took the keys out, had my registration and insurance and license ready and as the deputy was getting out of his SUV, another deputy pulls up behind him and gets out and it made me a little nervous. I began to think I had done something other than speeding. And the deputy could tell I was a little nervous and asked me if I had anything to drink that night which I didn’t and if there were any warrants out for my arrest and there weren’t and asked me why I appeared to be nervous and I flat out told him it was because of the other deputy pulling up behind him. He was like “Oh its okay, we’re not gonna hurt you!” and then went back to his vehicle ran all my information and just gave me a verbal warning. Then of course 4 weeks later I get pulled over again and this time by state trooper and it was because I didn’t have my new registration sticker on my plates. But that wasn’t my fault! I had already paid my taxes and registration for the year at the DMV and hadn’t received the new sticker in the mail yet. Nevada is notorious for that! You don’t get tickets if you have documentation proving you paid your fees but its just a hassle getting pulled over for it.
Some of you question the speed limits posted on some roads. Don’t fault the officers for this. It’s not their job to decide them. That’s left up to city/state/ county governments to call. The officers job is to enforce them; they have no say in it. They can however (at least in my state) give citations for “overdriving conditions”, no matter what the speed limit is.
Same in Nevada, you can get cited for “Driving too Fast for Weather Conditions” So basically if there’s a blizzard and you’re driving 65 in a 65 mph zone and you tailgate other drivers who are driving slower and more cautiously, you can get a fat ticket for that.
Something not mentioned so far. If your vehicle has any body damage on it, the cops seem to think it is their sworn duty to get you off the road. For sure on vehicles that are obviously unsafe, i.e. head lights falling off, fenders duct taped into place, no taillights, but even small minor damage seems to attract their attention and not in a good way. They also seem to dislike tinted windows, even lightly tinted and extra lighting and certain bumper stickers.
I know in some areas its illegal to have extra dark window tint on your car and in the state of Nevada its illegal to have running board lights under your car. Also any burned out lights on the exterior of your vehicle the cops will get you for that. I once had a burned out lightbulb above the license plate on my old car and I got stopped for that.
Katidid79…got the urge to be a wise guy. How is it possible to drive 65 mph in a 65 mph zone in a snow storm and be tailgating some one driving slower ? ;=)