Just read about a tragedy on Christmas Day in which 2 newlyweds were killed in a smash with another car which was being driven without lights in the early hours of the morning in Lincolnshire. Apparently, minutes before, the vehicle had been spotted by a Police patrol car which gave chase briefly and tried to stop the Polish driver but then abandoned the pursuit. A few minutes later the patrol car caught up with the offender's vehicle which had crashed into another car killing all 3 people involved!
We are increasingly being told that the Police should avoid high speed chase situations but in this case their failure to stop the car led to a tragedy. What should the Police do ?
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My view may seem extreme to some. i believe that once someone has refused to stop for the blue lights they have crossed the thin line of acceptable behaviour and the gloves should come off. The police should be allowed to use all force to stop the car - if the driver is injured in the process, tough. It's time plod stopped pussy footing around with these people and just shoved them straight off the road into the nearest ditch.
It can't be beyond possibility to come up with a device which can "grab" the car allowing plod to bring it to a halt with their own brakes?
Seems to me that the longer a chase goes on the higher the chances of someone (innocent) being hurt. Must be possible to stop chases if only we could stop blaming the police for accidents and realise it was all started by the crook in the first place (and make them carry the can afterwards too).
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I'm surprised that with the advent of engine management systems in cars that the government didn't force all manufacturers to build in a method of stopping a car engine using a signal of some type - either individually addressing that car or as a sort of 'beam' that could be fired by a pursuing patrol car, even if it effected other cars within a say 25' radius I'm sure the risk would be far less than that posed by the joy riders/thieves.
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Wasn't there a discussion herre recently regarding Black Boxes in cars, and having the capability to remotely switch off a car engine?
I like the way the American police nudge the back of a pursued car so it loses control and goes off the road (fishtailing)
But the obvious problem here is that if there were to be injury, even to the offender, the police would get sued and lawyers and defendents would clean up...
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It will always be down to the police officer at the time taking into account all the circumstances (the crime,traffic levels e.t.c).
It would seem the police made the right decision in my view. This driver was obviuosly willing to risk his own life so there is little the police can do in this situation. A high speed pursuit may have led to a far worse outcome.
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Pursuits are always under the control of HQ, or at least, the person at the other end of the radio.
Not only do they monitor the direction, speed, dangerousness etc of the pursuit, but the offiver or his colleague has to maintain a running commentary. If he sounds like he is getting stressed then the pursuit will be called off. The officer will also obviously have a large say on whether the pursuit continues at any time.
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How about a Helicopter and a large magnet?
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It can't be beyond possibility to come up with a device which can "grab" the car allowing plod to bring it to a halt with their own brakes?
They have.
IIRC the Swedish Police had a few cars fitted with a large harpoon, which would then drive into the back of offending vehicles, snare through the metalwork, and then the harpoon was detached, leaving a 20 ft hawser attached to the police car. end of chase as plod braked.
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now this is beginning to sound like the "wacky races" - remember them.
Simple solution. Fit all cars with satellite tracking device whereby bib brother can plot the movement of cars. Don't bother "chasing" as such, rather just plot the criminal's movements and catch them when they stop.
Yes I know, infringement of liberties, can be used to catch us speeding etc etc.
But it should be possible!
Splodgeface
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"catch them when they stop."
Given the majority of of cars involved in these chases are stolen, or at least not registered in the driver's name,what would tracking achieve - other than find an abandoned car?
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Ian, twas the Finnish police, but same part of world.
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Can't remember the film (some inane rubbish with a two-bit actor in methinks - Hasselhof jumps into my viewfinder for some reason). Anyway... in it the persuers (bad guys) have a remote control car which they control from their motor as the persue their quarry. They 'drive' the remote under the chased vehicle and detonate it - that'd sort the parasites out; just enough explosive to disable the vehicle and if, by chance, they all get fried then even better.
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That Swedish harpoon was a stunningly stupid idea. Harpooned rear seat passengers don't make for good press.
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IIRC a practical version of this was tried with a remote controlled model car which was supposed to be driven under the chased vehicle whereupon an electical conductor sprang up and delivered a knockout pulse of 100,000 volts or so to the chased car's engine management system.
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Anyway... in it the persuers (bad guys) have a remote control
car which they control from their motor as the persue their
quarry. They 'drive' the remote under the chased vehicle and
detonate it - that'd sort the parasites out; just enough
explosive to disable the vehicle and if, by chance, they all
get fried then even better.
There is something similar to what you have mentioned in the new Jackie Chan film Tuxedo. The only difference being that it is a skateboard packed with explosives homing on a bug planted on the car
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Runaway?
Robots are in this film (spider things and a cleaning droid that shoots its owner at the start yesno?)
Dan
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