Today the Ohio State Highway Patrol consists of over 1,300 uniformed officers and approximately 1,000 support personnel. And the mission of the force remains the same: to reduce the number of highway accidents and fatalities; to make Ohio's rural highways safer for travel; to provide aid to the injured; and to assist the motorist in need.

The Highway Patrol had its beginnings in the early 1930s when traffic problems and rural crime rates were rising and traffic enforcement outside municipalities was lacking. There was also little regulation of trucking and widespread neglect of licensing fees. Out of this situation, the Ohio State Highway Patrol was born. In the 1950s the patrol began implemmenting new technologies, including aircraft, radar speed detection and breath testers. In 1953, the force became part of the Ohio Department of Highway Safety.

In the 1950s the Ohio State Highway Patrol made a major contribution to national highway safety. Working with Cornell University, the department compiled detailed records of injury crashes in an effort to create safer automobiles. These efforts resulted in alternative safety designs for cars across the nation, many of which are still in use today. Maintaining this tradition of excellence, the Ohio State Highway Patrol continues to attain the highest level of safety for motorists using Ohio's highways.

Now, the pride of Ohio State Highway Patrol is celebrated in a classic die-cast model of a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. Crafted to capture the distinctive styling of the most coveted collector car of all time, your model features a red roof light, spotlights, realistic police wheels and official Ohio State Highway Patrol graphics. The Ohio State Highway Patrol 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air is produced by - and available only from - Matchbox Collectibles.

(2000)

Scale: 1:43