South Australia Police deploys shadow patrol cars invisible in daylight

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South Australia Police has deployed six new shadow police vehicles.

Their US-inspired reflective graphics are hard to see in daylight.

Fleet includes Subaru Outbacks, Toyota Klugers and Land Cruisers.

South Australia Police is borrowing from the American playbook with a new fleet of “shadow patrol cars.” Built to occupy the grey zone between traditional marked units and fully covert cruisers, these low-key machines are meant to catch drivers who only mind their manners when they think the law is watching.

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The new police fleet is Australia’s answer to the “ghost cars” and “stealth interceptors” that US state patrols and local departments have run for years.

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During a briefing, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens admitted the agency lifted the concept from its US counterparts, adding that American experience showed subdued wraps do a solid job of disrupting evasive maneuvers and deterring repeat speeders.

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South Australia Police

The opening program works as a proof of concept and runs six police vehicles , among them two Subaru Outbacks, two Toyota Klugers (sold as the Highlander in the US), and two Land Cruiser 300 Series. Each wears color-matched vinyl graphics that stay mostly hidden against the bodywork under bright daytime sun.

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However, when a light source hits the reflective livery at night, the full police wrap illuminates revealing the true nature of the vehicle. To sell the disguise further, these models ditch the usual roof-mounted light bars for smaller strobes tucked inside the grille and behind the glass.

South Australia Police

As with regular police cruisers, the covert units are equipped with operational gear, including speed detection systems, mobile alcohol and drug testing kits, and collision investigation equipment.

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The shadow fleet hits the road right away, with the six cars divided between regional highways and clogged metropolitan zones.

Authorities hope the new vehicles will help combat drink driving, drug-impaired driving, and aggressive road behavior, which are believed to account for 10%, 21%, and 36% of the state’s 61 road fatalities this year, respectively.

H/T to CarExpert

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