Advertisement
Highway Patrol goes green with solar
Updated: Wednesday, 27 May 2009, 10:06 AM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 27 May 2009, 10:06 AM EDT
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio Highway Patrol cruisers will still have white paint jobs, but the patrol says the cars are going green in the other sense.
To conserve fuel and battery life, the fleet of nearly 1,200 Ford Crown Victorias is being equipped with 5-watt solar panels.
The patrol said Wednesday that the panels will allow the vehicles to be turned off while troopers sit monitoring traffic, because solar energy will power the cars' police radio systems. Right now, officers have to keep their engines idling to keep the radios on.
The solar panels cost about $37 each and are being mounted on the rear decks of cruisers, within brackets fashioned from misprinted license plates that have been recycled.
On the Web: Ohio State Highway Patrol
Post story comments here:
Comments that are derogatory, attack other users, offer unsubstantiated facts, use foul language or are offensive in nature can and will be removed as defined by the Terms of Service. WDTN is not responsible for the content posted in this comment section. We reserve the right to remove any offensive or off-topic remark or thread. To mark a comment for review by a moderator, click "Report."
Comments that are derogatory, attack other users, offer unsubstantiated facts, use foul language or are offensive in nature can and will be removed as defined by the Terms of Service. WDTN is not responsible for the content posted in this comment section. We reserve the right to remove any offensive or off-topic remark or thread. To mark a comment for review by a moderator, click "Report."
Email This
Print This
View Story on a Single PageAdvertisement
Advertisement