New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly on Tuesday announced that the NYPD is equipping police cars with a scrolling blue colored message display board mounted on the existing police light bar.
The first ten vehicles outfitted with the message boards were deployed earlier today to Manhattan and highway units in the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn. Eventually, the NYPD has plans to outfit all 2,600 marked police vehicles with the scrolling and flashing message boards, officials said.
“Our tests showed that the blue color messages are highly visible to pedestrians and motorists, in daylight and at night,” Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said. “Eventually this technology will be installed on all marked police cars, vans and SUVs throughout the city.”
Blue LED light bars were first introduced on NYPD vehicles in February 2008.
The message boards introduced today are pre-programmed with different advisories notifying motorists and pedestrians of emergency incidents and road conditions, and other events
Cops in the vehicle can select the advisory they want from a pre-programmed menu. In field tests, the message bar can be read from distances of 200 feet or 10 to 12 car lengths, police officials said.
(Source: NBC New York)
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5 Responses
What is the point of this? Just listen to the radio or open your eyes. I’m sure you will be able to see what causes the traffic!
I want one of these for my car.
Reply to #1.
I prefer not turn on the radio in my car, especially when I have children with me. In addition the radio very rarely gives specific information about each and every traffic incident. (this is even more true, if I am stuck behind a traffic jam). This can actually be very useful as well, instead of the officer waiting at a point past the traffic jam waiting to give tickets to who ever speeds up after they finally gets past the traffic, they will actually be helping people out with useful information upfront.
#3, First of all, I still don’t get it. How in the world will it help out? Either you will be in a rush and go for a detour if there is traffic, REGARDLESS OF THE REASON, or you will stay on!
#3, I didn’t finish yet. If I can quote you, “instead of the officer waiting at a point past the traffic jam waiting to give tickets to who ever speeds up after they finally gets past the traffic, they will actually be helping people out with useful information upfront” Instead of?!? Who said it’s instead of?