Finnish police test Ford Transit with safety risks
This year, the Finnish police are using a trial batch of 11 Ford Transit Custom vans with a new interior layout for patrols. Safety risks for police officers and transported persons have been identified in these vehicles, YLE News reports.
Seat belts and sound insulation
In the trial version of the vehicles, the transport compartment is located directly behind the cab. Seat belts were installed there to improve road safety. At the same time, police believe that a person in the vehicle could try to use them to harm themselves or police officers.
Another problem is insufficient sound insulation between the cab and the transport compartment. As a result, a person in the compartment may hear conversations of police officers seated in the front. There is a window in the partition between the two parts of the vehicle. At the same time, locating the compartment behind the cab was intended to improve transport safety and road safety.
A decision will be made after the trials
Police Inspector Sami Hätinen said that the new layout was studied at the request of the parliamentary ombudsman. The ombudsman asked for an assessment of whether new design solutions could improve the safety of work and transport in police vehicles. According to Hätinen, the process also identified safety risks for police employees and transported persons.
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The trial batch was distributed among police units and the Police University College. The police are currently collecting user feedback and have not yet made a final decision on whether this modification is suitable for routine patrols. If vehicles with a central transport compartment do not meet the needs of patrol service, they will not be ordered in the future.
Procurement of Ford Transit vehicles for the police is coordinated by the state joint procurement company Hansel. Hätinen noted that the police have limited influence over the choice of the base body, but can exert more influence over the equipment. The 11 vehicles already ordered will likely be used for tasks where the identified risks will not interfere with police work.
Since spring, the Internal Finland Police in Tampere have been using one such Ford Transit. The vehicle has also received positive feedback, but the location of the transport compartment and sound transmission between it and the cab remain problematic issues.
