I believe that something should be done to prevent things like that from happening in the future. I can see bank robbers or similar being chased but traffic violators-come on :x....especially not at break neck speeds!!
The problem with that approach is it creates the situation where all you have to do in order to get out of getting a violation is to drive faster. How many more people would try to outrun thepolice if they knew they would not be chased? If more people run there is a greater chance of accidents by definition. It is a catch 22 for sure.
That it turn might also be a cure for constant speeders I think if given a choice I'd rather drive the speed limit than being shot
I'd imagine the technology is already there to remotely disable a vehicle. Problem is would there be an acceptance of it from the general public. It would likely eliminate such chases and likely cut down on car thefts if law enforcement could disable a vehicle from satellite.
Did anyone catch the name of the CHP spokesman? Sgt. Jon Bakker. That was Ponch's partner on CHiPs from what I remember.
From a practical aspect, how would the police know which car it was they wanted to stop via satellite? Something like Onstar or even Lojack begins with the auto being known.
Well, I guess it implies identification by some elaborate VIN cataloging database of sorts intermingled with GPS tech, since using such devices can pinpoint a vehicle's exact location. It does seem like we could be on the threshold of such techology, albeit perhaps expensive to employ. Perhaps a more affordable method would be using electricity in some capacity to essentially "zap" a car's computer. I had read at one time they were experimenting with that, but certainly spike strips are just cheaper. Of course, we often see that they can have little effect initially. Tires often hold up pretty well for a few more miles even after running flat and then you'll see some perpetrators riding on the rims when they are truly desperate, which presents a dangerous situation at times. The way I see it, there is no way to effectively end a chase safely without disabling the automobile's computer. You know, similar to how the police can disable a "bait" car for auto thieves but on a more complex scale. How this is brought to use by the police is out of my realm of creativity.
I denitifcation of a fast moving vehicle if it was in traffic would tend to be problematic even if the GPS levels were upgraded to military standards, which would be doubtful. That might work but as in the case of any cahse would require someone ahead of the chase to be able to set up and perform the action in time. Maybe something can be developed, but until then we are still left with how we handle situation now.
If there was some way for a law officer to position himself/herself ahead of the chase and electronically disable an automobile, it would likely be more effectively immediately than the spike strips. As for the here and now, I'm not really sure what can be done. Not every law enforced jurisdiction has the ability to put a helicopter in the air and discouraging chases for simple traffic infractions might only encourage more people to attempt to get away, regardless of stringent prosecution if caught.
there is a launched dart that kills the electronics on a targeted car, don't think it is a widely used tool yet.
another factor Another factor in the high death toll is that many of the occupants in the car and truck were not wearing their seat belts. These young children were not restrained in car seats. Being ejected increases the chance of death by 20x.
The story on WRAL said there were all in the cab, but none wearing seat belts, not even the 1 year old.
