(By Greg Rourke) – We’ve all seen the PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) used to stop fleeing criminals on countless reality video TV shows. While it looks cool, it usually damages the police car, and it seems like the spinning getaway car can hit other cars or passersby. There is a new device seems much more civilized.
It looks like a fork on the front of the police vehicle, with a web of yellow ratchet straps. The cops get up close to the offender, get the rear tire between the fork and the straps wrap around the tire, locking it up. It seems there are models that include a tether to the police vehicle to completely stop the vehicle, or one without the tether where they just hope the locked up wheel will slow the criminal enough that they give up. Seems much less dangerous to everyone involved. The tether is quick relase from inside the cop car. (Story continues after video!)
This puts me in mind of the great old movie Thunder Road, with the eternally cool Robert Mitchum as a moonshine runner. The revenooers have a 57 Chevy sedan, but Mitchum has a 50 Ford with a full house Caddy mill. The agents have a device on front of their car that grabs the bumper of Mitchum’s car, just as he slows. It would be a very short flick if that worked, ol’ Rob was wise to this deal. His car was equipped with a quick release bumper, he just pulls a lever under the dash and hauls ass.
Learn something from the first vid showing the device that might end the PIT maneuver, and watch the scene from Thunder Road just because. You’re welcome.
