HO 6 Police Vehicle Equipment

Activity Read the text about police vehicle equipment and then choose the correct answer in the
multiple choice questions below.

Police vehicle equipment

Police cars are usually passenger car models which are upgraded to the specifications
required by the purchasing force. Police forces may add to these modifications by adding their own
equipment and making their own modifications after purchasing a vehicle.
Mechanical modifications
Modifications a police car might undergo include adjustments for higher durability, speed,
high mileage driving and long periods of idling at a higher temperature. This is usually
accomplished by heavy duty suspension, brakes, calibrated speedometer, tires, alternator,
transmission and cooling systems, and also sometimes includes slight modifications to the car's
stock engine or the installation of a more powerful engine than would be standard in that model. It
is also usual to upgrade the capacity of the electrical system of the car to accommodate the use of
additional electronic equipment.
Safety equipment
Police vehicles are often outfitted with AEDs (automated external defibrillator), first aid
kits, fire extinguishers, flares, life buoys, barrier tapes, etc.
Audible and visual warnings
Police vehicles are often fitted with audible and visual warning systems to alert other
motorists of their approach or position on the road. In many countries, use of the audible and visual
warnings affords the officer a degree of exemption from road traffic laws (such as the right to
exceed speed limits, or to treat red stop lights as a yield sign) and may also suggest a duty on other
motorists to move out of the direction of passage of the police car or face possible prosecution.
Visual warnings on a police car can be of two types: either passive or active.
Passive visual warnings are the markings on the vehicle. Police vehicle markings usually
make use of bright colours or strong contrast with the base colour of the vehicle. Modern police
vehicles in some countries have retro-reflective markings which reflect light for better visibility at
night. Other police vehicles may only have painted on or non-reflective markings. Most marked
police vehicles in the United Kingdom and Sweden have reflective Battenburg markings on the
sides, which are large blue and yellow rectangles. These markings are designed to have high
contrast and be highly visible on the road, to deter crime and improve safety. Another passive visual
warning of police vehicles is simply the interceptor's silhouette. Police vehicle marking schemes
usually include the word Police or similar phrase (such as State Trooper or Highway Patrol) or the
force's crest. Some police forces use unmarked vehicles, which do not have any passive visual
warnings at all.
The active visual warnings are usually in the form of flashing coloured lights (also known as
'beacons' or 'light bars'). These flash in order to attract the attention of other road users as the police
car approaches, or to provide warning to motorists approaching a stopped vehicle in a dangerous
position on the road. Common colours for police warning beacons are blue and red, however this
often varies by force. Several types of flashing lights are used, such as rotating beacons, halogen
lights, or light emitting diode strobes. Some police forces also use arrow sticks to direct traffic, or
message display boards to provide short messages or instructions to motorists. The headlights of
some vehicles can be made to flash, or small strobe lights can be fitted in the headlight, tail light
and indicator lights of the vehicle.
Audible warnings
In addition to visual warnings, most police cars are also fitted with audible warnings,
sometimes known as sirens, which can alert people and vehicles to the presence of an emergency
vehicle before they can be seen. The first audible warnings were mechanical bells, mounted to
either the front or roof of the car. A later development was the rotating air siren, which made noise
when air moved past it. Most modern vehicles are now fitted with electronic sirens, which can
produce a range of different noises. Police driving training often includes the use of different noises
depending on traffic conditions and manoeuvre being performed. In North America for instance, on
a clear road, approaching a junction, the 'wail' setting may be used, which gives a long up and down
variation, with an unbroken tone, whereas, in heavy slow traffic, a 'yelp' setting may be preferred,
which is a sped up version of the 'wail'. Some vehicles may also be fitted with air horn audible
warnings.
A new technology has been developed and is slowly becoming more popular with police.
Called the Rumbler, it is a siren that emits a low frequency sound which can be felt. Motorists that
may have loud music playing in their car, for example, may not hear the audible siren of a police
car behind them, but will feel the vibrations of the Rumbler. The feeling is that of standing next to a
large speaker with pumped bass.
(Text adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_car)

Choose the best answer:

1. What sort of cars do police forces use?
a) usual vehicles, personalized by police forces
b) passenger car models upgraded to the specifications of the purchasing police force and
additionally adjusted with special police equipment
c) any type of vehicle adjusted to their own needs

2. What changes can be made to a police vehicle after its purchase by a police force?
a) modifications to the vehicle’s engine and wheels
b) adjustments for higher durability, speed, high mileage driving, and long periods of idling at a
higher temperature
c) changes for adapting the vehicle to difficult road conditions

3. How is the purchased police vehicle adjusted for higher speed?

a) its stock engine is slightly altered or a more powerful engine is installed
b) the vehicle’s transmission and suspension undergo considerable modifications
c) it is required that the car be fitted with new tires, brakes and a calibrated speedometer

4. What needs to be upgraded in a police vehicle so as to accommodate the use of additional

electronic equipment?
a) the consumption of the heating installation
b) the vehicle’s engine power
c) the capacity of the electrical system

5. What sort of safety equipment are police vehicles fitted with?

a) fire extinguishers, automated external defibrillators, first aid kits, life buoys
b) AEDs (automated external defibrillators), first aid kits, fire extinguishers, flares, life buoys,
barrier tapes
c) safety belts, body armour, first aid kits
6. What is the purpose of the visual and audible warning systems installed on a police vehicle?
a) to exempt the police officer driving the car from road traffic laws
b) to warn other motorists of the police vehicle approach so as to move out of the direction of
passage
c) to prosecute the non-abiding drivers who fail to clear the road lane

7. What are passive visual warnings?

a) the coloured designs on the exterior of the police car
b) the colours the police vehicles are dyed in
c) the bright-coloured and highly contrasting markings on the police vehicles
8. What is the usual purpose of using passive visual markings on police vehicles?
a) to deter crime and improve safety
b) to be highly visible on the road
c) to have high contrast in traffic

9. What form do active visual warnings take?

a) visible markings on the exterior of police vehicles
b) audible signals that warn the motorists to clear the road
c) flashing coloured lights, also known as ‘beacons’ and ‘lightbars’

10. What sort of colours are usually used for police warning beacons?
a) the colours are usually red and blue
b) the common colours are blue and red lights, though these vary by force
c) these colours are different according to the police forces’ choice

11. There are several types of flashing lights that are usually used by the police forces. These are:
a) flashlights, beacons, lightbars
b) arrow sticks, display boards, headlights
c) rotating beacons, halogen lights, light emitting diode strobes

12. What are the audible warnings used for?

a) to alert people and vehicles to the presence of an emergency vehicle before it can be seen
b) to be highly audible in the traffic
c) to make motorists aware of the presence of a police vehicle

13. What kind of audible warnings have been used by the police along time?
a) air sirens and electronic sirens
b) air horns, mechanical bells, air sirens
c) mechanical bells, rotating air sirens, modern electronic sirens

14. What technology has been developed in terms of audible warnings?

a) a low-frequency sound emitting siren
b) a state-of-the-art electronic siren
c) a siren that emits a low-frequency sound that can be felt

Exercise 1 Find words or collocations in the text to fit the following definitions or synonyms:

 something that makes a deep, long, rolling sound ____________________________

 a pneumatic alarm device that makes a loud warning sound _________________________
 a place where two things join or meet, especially a place where two roads or railway routes
come together and one terminates ____________________________
 a movement or action requiring dexterity and skill __________________________
 an electronic device producing a similar sound as a signal or warning
______________________
 a semiconductor light source used as indicator lamp in many devices
______________________
 an instrument that provides a flashing light synchronized with the periodic movement of an
object ______________________________
 a signalling or guiding device ________________________
 police car ___________________________
 a device, such as a polystyrene ring, for keeping a person afloat in water
___________________
 a device that produces a bright light for signalling, illumination, or identification
____________________________
 immunity from an obligation or duty ___________________________
 the number of miles travelled by a motor vehicle on a given quantity of fuel
_________________________
 not in use or operation _______________________
 the quality of being highly resistant __________________________
a portable electronic device that treats a patient’s cardiac arrhythmia by the application of electrical
therapy, which allows the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm
______________________________