Toronto Police Testing Smart Cars
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.20.07
They look quite cute, zipping around town, as long as you are not on the receiving end of a parking ticket from the driver. Toronto has been testing two smart cars and two Civic Hybrids, and may adopt them on a large scale. They are already common as police cars in London, where the are ideal for patrolling congested streets.
"So far, the response has been very positive," said Mark Pugash, the director of public information for the Toronto Police. "There are jobs we have that officers don't need to go from A to B very quickly."
Although Smart Cars are quite common on the streets of Toronto, it is still unusual to see a big policeman climb out of one. The Star describes one officer's driving position: "At 6-foot-4, things get a bit squishy for parking officer Otimoi Oyemu in his division's new Smart car. His knees protrude eight centimetres above the bottom of the steering wheel. He can easily place one hand on the windshield and the other on the back window. And to reach the police radio, Oyemu has to twist his chest into the passenger seat to get around his own leg."
The current Smart for Two sold in Canada is being replaced with the new gasoline fuelled, larger and more powerful Americanized model, so perhaps next year he will have a bit more room. ::The Star
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I am excited to see this car come to America. I wish it wasn't "Americanized" i.e. no diesel model. For a car not designed around horsepower, a diesel or SVO would make my day.
Does the "Americanized Version" have a more fuel-INefficient engine? Say 22.5mpg? It also would be bigger and heavier than most all other cars in the world, and the lack of further innovation is encouraged by the government.
I think a hybrid car would be a better fit for "meter maids" (those who give parking tickets) as they crawl about neighborhoods and city streets, rarely accelerating fast enough to warrant a gasoline engine.
Police, medical, and fire operators in the US idle their engines when they are occupied. Is this a requirement? There could be an "idle at scene" switch which the officers press to turn off the engine while at the scene; since they won't have to dash away at a moments' notice.
Reducing carbon emissions can only be practical when realistic alternatives exist. A tiny car for a large person isn't realistic, no matter how efficient the car may be.
Does anyone know if the American version will be safe on interstates and highways? I can't see US state troopers driving these if that's never a possibility.
LA: they are very safe, they have a cage around the driver that has passed all of the crash tests.