Mad Max would be proud.
Police cars tend to be sturdy and practical things that can keep up with the ordinary passenger vehicle, but sometimes, police departments require a specific vehicle for niche jobs. In Germany, for instance, the existence of the Autobahn requires cops to employ the services of Porsche 911 sports cars to hunt down speeders, and in Wales, the rugged terrain has forced the police departments there to get behind the wheels of Ford Ranger Raptors to track sheep thieves and those who take the Queen's name in vain. In the US, we have our own set of unique challenges including the extremely dangerous Florida man. To protect innocent bystanders from Florida man's bad road manners, Tennessee Highway Patrol and Florida Highway Patrol (FHP)are using semi trucks, and they look badass.
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the FHP first started making use of these commercial vehicles back in 2014 when it used a Florida Department of Transportation truck as a traffic overwatch vehicle. The semi reports aggressive driving, texting while driving, and other traffic law violations to patrol vehicles further down the road, and despite being clad in official police livery, most seem completely unaware that they're driving next to a cop car. “Believe it or not, people will pass this truck, although it is marked as one of our units,” said Sergeant Christopher Galante. “It is amazing what people do around tractor-trailers.”
The FHP has recently decided to not even bother with calling in for patrol vehicle support, and many have seen these semi trucks actually pull over lawbreakers, but according to FHP Lieutenant Derrick Rahming Sr, this is not their regular modus operandi: “FHP's Office of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement has three marked semi-trucks. The semi-trucks are used in various capacities, including traffic enforcement details. These semi-trucks are properly equipped to initiate a traffic stop; however, they are used primarily for spotting.” Using semi trucks as patrol cars can't be very cheap, or good for the environment, but when Florida man acts up, Florida cop must serve and protect by any means possible.
Keyword: Florida Cops Are Using A Semi Truck To Enforce Traffic Laws