Police Ford Rangers back on the beat

The fleet of more than 200 Ford Ranger utilities used by NSW Police were allowed back on the road at the weekend after being sidelined last week.

But the clearance may only be temporary, pending an inquiry by the NSW Police Vehicle Standards Committee.

In addition to the inquiry, Ford Australia has taken two NSW Police Ford Rangers for testing at the car maker's You Yangs proving ground facility on the outskirts of Melbourne.

A meeting late last Friday gave officers temporary clearance to get behind the wheel of the Ford Rangers, but under strict guidelines which prohibit them from any 'urgent duty' or pursuits. As part of the conditions, officers are still allowed to refuse to drive the vehicles if they have concerns.

The NSW Police fleet of Ford Rangers, which account for about a quarter of all front-line general duties vehicles, were grounded after a spate of roll-over crashes, including eight in the past 18 months and four in the past five weeks.

Several officers have been injured, according to the Police Association.

The president of the Police Union, Scott Weber, said the decision to sideline the vehicles and commence an inquiry was made "as a consequence of a number of incidents involving rollovers, many of which were at low speeds."

According to a Sydney newspaper report, the Rangers were originally approved by the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority to be used as police vehicles, but the testing procedure did not include the added weight of the prisoner module.

"One officer said driving them was like trying to steer a boat. Members attached to police driver training also expressed serious concerns regarding the vehicles' suitability," Weber said.

"Should an incident arise in the performance of duty -- particularly if it resulted in serious injury or death -- it may expose the NSW Police Force to prosecution under the Occupational Health and Safety Act."

As reported by the Carsales Network last week, the police action does not affect Ford Rangers owned or driven by members of the public, and there is no safety recall.

The action relates to the Ranger's suitability as a police vehicle, especially when equipped with a prisoner module on the back.

NSW Police owns about 250 custom-made prisoner modules and each one has been refitted up to a dozen times over the past six years as vehicles get replaced.

But the modules do not fit later model utilities, such as the Mitsubishi Triton, that come with more safety features including with six airbags, stability control and an all-wheel-drive system that can be used on tarmac for added stability.

Photo: as the story appeared in a Sydney newspaper at the weekend.

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