Grey is my favorite color, and the new color for state trooper patrol cars is very cool.
However, some people on YouTube in the comment section are concerned about visibility. They argued that this shade of grey will be hard to see in cloudy weather and pose as a safety concern.
What do you, CarTalk, folks think? Do you believe the color will help the cops catch violators easier or will it cause problem for public safety ?
Why do drivers rear end cars stopped on shoulder? With flashing red lights? I think most drivers “see” a car and assume it is moving. Why would any car be stopped on roadway? Or else they just want to hit cops. More likely.
I saw many of those videos, too, where a driver would run into the back of a car parked on the side of the road shoulder.
I always wonder what causes this. I refuse to believe this has anything to do with being distracted.
It almost seems like the parked car attracts accidents. If the parked car wasn’t there, then there would be no accident.
So, this tells me some drivers have poor judgment. They can’t determine if a car is moving or is stopped. You’d think the when a vehicle is coming closer to you, you’d slow down and avoid hitting it. Sadly, for those drivers, they rather drive into what coming closer.
I have no way of proving this, but I suspect suspect that many/most of those collisions are the result of a driver who is (pick one or more):
Drunk
High on drugs
Asleep
Edited to add…
Suicidal people
Drivers who are completely distracted by gazing at their cell phone
True. I forgot drugs. While I have never smoked in my life, not even a cigarette, drugs will definitely cause accidents like this.
I have driven with people who would listen to their radio and I would observe to how those people drive. From what I saw, those people’s eyes were barely on the road but instead were enjoying whatever was being played on the radio. Many times I ask them if they are watching the road and they’ll tell me yes.
It just doesn’t look like it to me. They drive very good though.
Silver or gray cars are nearly invisible on the road. That orange side strip will do little to help the NY staties be seen.
I owned a silver sports car (Honda S2000) that was virtually invisible to the state or local police. No tickets. No notice, nothing.
My red sports car (Corvette) with its hidden radar detector constantly screaming, was bombarded by so many radar waves driving under the speed limit in the right lane, I could have cooked hot dogs threaded on the radio antenna!
The elderly who totaled my car in 2011 told the police officer that the color of my Camry ( green) was the cause of the accident.
He said he could not distinguish between the trees and my car.
I don’t see green vehicles as often anymore.
So ALL grey cars are a safety problem?
How about yellow cars on a bright sunny day with a field of sunflowers in the background - is that unsafe. Some people are too blind to see. My brother and his wife took his father-in-law license away because he was too blind to see, but wouldn’t admit it. Took a court order.
To clarify my comment… gray cars tend not to be noticed… that is not to say they are dangerous because they are not.
In low light conditions they need to have their lights on. A police car would have the lights on.
There are a ton of silver, gray and white cars in Florida. In the fog or rain if there is a car running with no lights or only the daytime running headlights it is a 90% liklihood of being one of those colors! They have been called ghost cars. Those idiots are the dangerous ones.
The people complaining don’t want to get popped for speeding by a police car following them.
The NJSP operates some “ghost” cars, in addition to their “regular” marked cars. They began with sedans, like this one, and they now operate some Ford Explorer/Interceptor vehicles in similar stealth mode.
The term ghost cars for unmarked police cars is not what I was referring to. I used the term for those folks running with NO tail lights but with their daytime running lights (DRLs) on while driving in low light conditions. The driver THINKS they have the lights on… but don’t!
I have actually done this, to my own embarrassment. I had a company car with DRLs and no automatic headlights. I’ve driven to work in the dark with no tail lights because there were headlights and dash lights.
This is but one of my pet peeves against DRLs and why I pull the fuse for them even if the car has automatic lights.
There are other ways to camouflage a cop vehicle. A few years ago in MA there was a F-150 pickup with a ladder rack and ladder tied down cop vehicle. More then once I saw him pull over someone on Rt in the Lowell MA area.
Of course, I knew that!
Back in the early '60s, the Hudson County cops seized (because of drugs, I think…) a yellow 1960 Ford Convertible with a 390 V8 under the hood, and they proceeded to use it for snagging speeders. The folks who were pulled over by that flashy convertible were said to be very surprised.
This isn’t a police car, but the police all over Maryland loved it. The owner and builder is Rod Saboury. At the time, it was the fastest street legal car on the road with 2600 HP. He used to drive it to Ocean City, MD and got a lot of attention from the police. They would pull up along side and gawk. He’d smile and motion for them to pull over. He’d stop, give them a tour and answer their questions. He was a vary popular man on US50. IIRC it did sell at the BJ auction in 2014.
. . . . . .
2,600 HP to run slower 1/4 mile ETs than Pro Stocks with N/A engines making half that much power. HP is great if you can get it to the ground. To each their own I suppose.
I don’t know this to be the case and I have not read the link. I was aware of their new scheme though. One issue might be any extra cost for a non standard color. The second issue is the resale when it is time to retire the cars. Minnesota is still maroon which is non standard and hurts the resale value at the end. Removing decals or painting a door is one thing but changing colors is not going to happen. City and county cars remain usually black or white.
Some years ago we discussed this topic to no end and no resolution. Some thought it was like a bug being drawn to the light. I don’t buy that but maybe. I know for me from a distance with those blinding strobes on, it is sometimes hard to tell where the car is, if right or left, or in the road until you are very close. Especially at night. The folks here after will transact their business from the passenger side, just to be able to jump out of the way. My favorite tow driver though said he will no longer go on the freeway. Just too dangerous. I doubt color make much difference. The move over laws seem to help if you know which way to move over to.
As it seems to me
Many times I am on the highway and it’s always too late when I see a state trooper hiding. Not that I care as I’m majority of the time within the posted speed limit, either going 5mph over or 7mph.
The reason I spot them late is due to the color of the car ( dark blue ) and mostly drive after dusk.
I’m sure this shade of grey is going to be incredibly hard to spot for those who love to speed, especially on foggy days and after dusk. Insurance companies are going to have their plate full.
Either way, I love the color!
