American police chases?

[longdogs]

I was watching another one of those USA police chase/video programmes recently. There seems to be an endless supply of footage, the ones that last for ever and sometimes over several states. I was wondering how common it is in the US to see one of these Dukes of Hazzard style chases in progression.

Maybe our members in the US could comment?

The only similar thing I have witnessed in the UK was about twenty years ago. There were about eight police cars chasing a vehicle along the A13 - on both sides of the dual carriage way. Don't know if they got him or not.

 

[snico]

The US police love a good pursuit, every police vehicle they have would get involved and try and ram it off the road.

Pity they are not very good at it though

 

[footprints]

The only police chase I got involved in was when I got stuck behind a police car for about half a mile.

Why was I stuck?
Because he was chasing a moped that couldn't do more than 25mph because it was mostly uphill

 

[mattylad]

Of course you see them going from state to state, because once over the state line the police have no authority.

Its what they rely on.


Well - according to the tv I have watched

 

[Whitespirit66]

I like it when they do the PIT manouvre, ie. nudging the corner of the miscreants' rear bumper with the police car - causing it to spin out of control.

Can you imagine all the whiplash claims from the scuzzers it if we did it in this country?

 

[snico]

I like it when they do the PIT manouvre, ie. nudging the corner of the miscreants' rear bumper with the police car - causing it to spin out of control.

Can you imagine all the whiplash claims from the scuzzers it if we did it in this country?

We do it in this country, only if its necessary though, unlike our American cousins who do it every opportunity

 

[JBR]

I remember hearing about a harpoon-like device several years ago. The idea was that it could be fired into the back of a fleeing car. I think it was a Swedish idea.

I wonder why it never took off!

 

[Whitespirit66]

I remember hearing about a harpoon-like device several years ago. The idea was that it could be fired into the back of a fleeing car. I think it was a Swedish idea.

I wonder why it never took off!

Only in America!

 

[JBR]

Well it worked!

No, the one I saw (on TV I think) was a Swedish design and was shot from the pursuing car.

An even better idea was in a James Bond film. A helicopter supporting a large electromagnet on a cable picked up a car then dropped it somewhere nasty (although I can't remember exactly where).

 

[raebhoop]

I can see a future of an immoblising device being fitted to all cars to prevent those without insurance etc being able to drive...and stolen cars being immobilised by a following police vehicle.

 

[captaincaveman1]

I can see a future of an immoblising device being fitted to all cars to prevent those without insurance etc being able to drive...and stolen cars being immobilised by a following police vehicle.

Your quite right we have the technology now surely that if a car gets reported stolen then a message could be sent to its ECU to disable it in a controlled way.

 

[JBR]

Good point. If they were to apply this it would mean a virtual end to police car chases.
The only cars that might still pose a problem would be the old ones without the modified ECUs and which, by then, would be old bangers unlikely to speed away from a cyclist.
As I understand it, ECUs cannot easily be removed from cars or overridden, although I'm sure there will be some who make a practice of doing it. Impossible to overcome on stolen cars, though.

 

[misterhelpful]

Having spent a lot of time there recently, including 3 months last year (my other half is American), I can't say that I saw one police chase, even on live TV.

The closest thing I saw was when a Sheriff pulled across right in front of us at a red light and a convoy of emergency vehicles came wailing past. I got out my phone to take some cool pics and...
View media item 73591 View media item 73593 View media item 73592
...it turned out to be a Veteran's Day Parade!!

It's a sleepy little place in reality.

 

[Whitespirit66]

You could live in The States, but live in South Wales?


Talking of The States, it's a great shame that they are getting like us, in the fact that they are buying less and less US manufactured cars. If you saw a film or programme years ago, 95% of cars seemed to come from Motown - bar the odd VW, Merc, Volvo, etc. Now the Yanks seem to be buying boring Euroboxes in a big way and shunning US built cars. Even NYC yellow cabs are now often Jap.

At least the cop in the image above looks like he's supporting their own car industry.

 

[snico]

Think they have realised now that they cant build cars