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A ten year-old debate over the safety of many of the cars used by the Florida Highway Patrol is heating up.  30 police officers nationally have died when the fuel tanks of the Crown Victoria ruptured when hit from behind. Five officers were in Florida. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, many who drive the cars are spending more time looking in their rear view mirrors.

The Florida Highway Patrol has just over 1600 Crown Victorias in service. This test video shows what can happen when the Police Interceptor is hit from behind.

Five Florida police officers have died in Crown Vic fiery crashes since 1983.

The problem is that the car’s gas tank is situated behind the rear axel, making it more vulnerable. The most recent death happened last year, prompting the Police Benevolent Association to call for the Crown Vic to be scrapped.

“It is a dangerous enough job and we need to not make it anymore dangerous for them,” PBA spokesperson Al Shopp said.

Since a 2002 settlement with the state, Ford has provided Kevlar inserts for the cars’ trunks, and since 2006 they have added fire suppression systems. But a fourth of the FHP cars still on the road don’t have them.

“If you’re parked on the side of the road, in any vehicle that’s got a fuel tank in the rear of the car, and you have vehicles traveling past you at 70 and 80 miles an hour, that’s a danger no matter what the car you’re driving,” Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson Capt. Mark Welch said.

New recruits are stuck with whatever they get, including the Crown Vic. Once this car gets replaced, they’ll get to choose between another Crown Vic or a Dodge Charger.

Lawmakers gave the patrol 5 million this year for replacing cars, but as long as replacement choices are limited, troopers will still be looking in the rear view mirror when they are stopped on the side of the road in a Crown Victoria.

Ford is expected to stop production of the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor in the coming year and begin pushing a Ford Taurus for police work.