WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — When Winston-Salem police officers stop drivers for traffic violations in March, motorists will see red-and-blue lights in their rearview mirrors, rather than the all-blue lights they’ve seen for decades.
The police department will receive 32 Chevrolet Caprices with the new light bars next month, said Cpl. Keith Winters, manager of the police fleet of 614 cars and other vehicles. The new cars cost about $28,000 each and will replace some of the older Ford Crown Victoria patrol cars, he said.
Ford Motor Co. is no longer producing Crown Victorias, Winters said. As those cars become mechanically unfit for use, they will be replaced with Caprices.
The new cars will have solid blue stripes with black borders on both sides, replacing the red stripes on the previous patrol cars.
Research has shown that red-and-blue lights on police cars are more visible in daytime hours than all-blue lights, Winters said.
This article was written by John Hinton and originally appeared in The Winston-Salem Journal. Click here to read more.
