World's First! Patrol Car with a Purpose

Reported November 2009

ATLANTA, Ga. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Every day, 425,000 law enforcement vehicles patrol the streets of the U.S. Unlike the cars and trucks used by fire departments, the military or even postal carriers, police cars aren't built specifically for the job they do. Now that's changing. Science and law enforcement have joined forces to create a whole new kind of car.

ATLANTA, Ga. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Every day, 425,000 law enforcement vehicles patrol the streets of the U.S. Unlike the cars and trucks used by fire departments, the military or even postal carriers, police cars aren't built specifically for the job they do. Now that's changing. Science and law enforcement have joined forces to create a whole new kind of car.

For police Sergeant Dana Pierce of the Cobb County Police Department in Georgia, it's more than a patrol car.

"The way a police car is designed, everything from the lights to the handling of that automobile is very important to the safety of that officer as well as the traveling public,“ Sgt. Pierce told Ivanhoe.

The new Carbon Motors E-7 police vehicle is a rolling office, complete with video cameras, radios and computers. Georgia Tech engineers used this mockup to develop new cockpit ergonomics to fit the special needs of police.

"Everything he needs to do, he can do from this seat without adopting an uncomfortable position or posture,“ Dennis Folds, Ph.D., a human factors engineer at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, told Ivanhoe.

The end result is a new kind of police car. Inside this purpose-built vehicle, systems are designed for easy access and safety in high stress situations. Features include a built-in touch screen display and computer keyboard, steering wheel controls for lights, siren and radios, seats with room for gun belts and equipment, plus built-in biohazard sensors and a clean diesel engine designed to use 40 percent less fuel.

"We've taken the vehicle from the ground up specifically for the use of law enforcement and integrated all of the equipment into the vehicle to make it much safer, more ergonomic and to save taxpayer dollars,“ Stacy Dean Stephens of Carbon Motors Corporation in Atlanta, explained.

The new police car is slated for production in 2012. The car costs $40,000 to $60,000, which the company says is comparable to a patrol-ready passenger car today. More than 10,000 reservations have already been made for the new car by police departments all over the country.

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Dennis J. Folds
(404) 407-7262
dennis.folds@gtri.gatech.edu

Lois Smith
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
Santa Monica, CA 90406
(310) 394-1811
http://www.hfes.org
lois@hfes.org

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