Drag Net

Since so many cars are front wheel drive I don't believe there is a drive shaft for the belts to wrap around. Perhaps a pad that emits and electrical signal that fries the cars computer when it passes over would bring the vehicle to a stop in a fairly short distance.

While Frosty is correct in that most of today's cars are front-wheel-drive, there is still a driveshaft-type of connection between the wheels and the transaxle. The advantage to the potential criminal is that this area is so small on either side of the engine that there is a fair chance of the straps missing the target.

On the other hand, should the straps catch on just one of the wheels, the device is going to literally yank the car to the side of the stopped wheel and almost definitely cause a wreck.

However, it seems, based on the highly-publicized chases seen on television, the most common car used in one of these chases is either a high-performance "Muscle" car, which is rear-wheel-drive, or the perp is using an SUV/pickup truck, also rear-wheel-drive.

This device is likely to be more effective on average than the spike strips, but certain vehicles have the potential to be immune to the trap and it really wouldn't be too hard to make a vehicle immune to it. Of course, the average criminal making one of these foolish runs in the first place isn't likely to have the forethought to steal the kind of car that could escape this kind of trap.

I agree with Vulpinemac that this could pull the vehicle to one side or the other; watch out on-coming traffic. The research so far shows merit to Frosty's EMI pulse suggestion. That's probably less threatening to other traffic.

The article says the trap is capable of halting a vehicle moving at 35 mph, most likely because higher speeds would simply shred the components of the trap. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't sound like the sort of high-speed chase where measures such as spike strips and traps become necessary. At 35 mph, you can just box the car in or force it to the side of the road.

It seems to me that the main advantages of this device over spike strips are (1) you don't have to worry about other trafic hitting it, since you trigger deploy it right in front of the perp, (2) you don't have to be as close to the action as an officer casting spike strips, and (3) it is camoflauged to keep the perp from avoiding it.

I think a similar device that threw out spike stips rather than straps would keep all the advantages without the weaknesses of the strap system. Either way still does signifigant damage to the car as well as insuring a wreck in many circumstances.

I have a feeling this device will not work as planned and cause wrecks in real world applications.

The idea of the spike strips is they let the air out in a controlled manner allowing the car to come to a controlled stop.
This tries to arrest it in a violent manner and if you have even a high school knowledge of physics you'll know that energy has to go somewhere and it won't be pretty or safe.

Second possibility police may over use it damaging people's vehicles needlessly either way the company who produces it will probably end up getting sued into oblivion.
What good is it to recover a stolen car if you destroy it and 5 others in the process none that's what.

Also it won't work on vehicles with a belly pan but then every since DHS was founded it seems a lot of fly by night companies with some random idea have been feeding from that gravy train.

BTW in Europe they don't do high speed chases that often as 95% of the time they are not necessary any more.

If you have a helicopter or the car has lojack let the thief think they have escaped as they'll lead you to the main operation.

But then many US cops these days are hot headed and reckless they really need a change of policy and higher standards.

@Ruri:

Your grasp of physics causes me to question the quality of your so called "high school knowledge." Piercing a tire so that it shreds under the subsequent explosion is anything but a "controlled manner" of release. More often than not, spike strips cause the effected vehicle to lose control and crash. It is much more "controlled" to arrest the drive train so that the car can no longer accelerate (Coasting to a stop is safer than crashing to one, for obvious reasons.)

Your claim that this device would cause more damage than spike strips is ridiculous, due to the aforementioned difference in the way these two devices cause a vehicle to stop and also due to the types of damage they inflict; even if the victim of a spike strip launch maintains control, the tires are shredded to the rims, causing massive amounts of damage to the undercarriage of the vehicle as it drags along the concrete. In the end you're looking at four new tires and a lot of body work, if you're lucky. The worst you'd get from this "SQUID" setup is a few hours under the vehicle digging the straps out of your drive train and axles.

I also disagree with your assumption that police are "hot headed and reckless" during a high speed pursuit. Real life is not "Die Hard"; when you're in a situation in which any mistake behind the wheel can wreck your vehicle and get people killed (yourself included), hotroding is the least of your concerns. These are people who put their lives on the line to protect your property. Have a little respect.

Doug Terry@terryreport.com

The key thing in most police chases is not catching the offender immediately, but the ability to track and find him and place him under arrest. Further, the chase itself becomes often much more dangerous than the crime for which the person is being sought. A chase could easily kill several people, while the crime might be burglary or a hold up in which no one was physically injured.

Instead of this somewhat lame "35 MPH" scheme, why not place a device beside the road, and perhaps in the road as well, that could fire a tracking device into the car? It would take something very sturdy to penetrate and still be able to emit a radio signal, but I think it could be done. It could also have some sort of light on the other end of it that would, hopefully, stick out the side of the car so that vehicle could more easily be followed visually. Hell, you could even just have a remotely control paint thrown at the car by a mechanical device. No one could go anywhere with such a car without being stopped by police.

It is very difficult to keep one's cool in a chase. Everything the police officer is thinking can get wiped away by the urgency of getting "revenge" on someone who dares to challenge his authority. (See: Contempt of Cop, the number one crime in America). When I worked as a television reporter in Dallas, we would hear police chases all the time on the police radios, with the officer excited and screaming about the chase. Usually, it ended with the chased car crashed and the officer calling in, "He just wrecked out. Send an ambulance." Some of the high tech gear being used to take money from ordinary law abiding citizens could be used, also, to get a picture of the person being chased actually driving the car. If people know they are very unlikely to get away, there would be no need for high speed drama.

If we wanted, we could have every car in America be fitted to turn off at a radio signal tied to a lojack number. We already have cars that you can call a number and have unlocked. From there, yes, hardened criminal would have vehicles without the system (though likely not stolen vehicles). So, whan a car is not eqquiped to the law's standards, ice the engine with a helicopter mounted 50 cal.

Good cars stop, bad cars stoped and broken. It doesn't take many AP rounds to stop a car engine.

The problem is, Americans get uncomfortable when law enforcement works too well. We like the really bad guys off the streets, but too many of us are doing things we are ashamed of to want police to be truely efficient. (Note the tendency in American film/comics/etc for the cops to be either (A) incompetent or (B) serving a corrupt and dictatorial government agency.

Wow, the reading comprehension of some previous posters is atrocious. The 35mph limit is on the prototype, the production model will stop a 5000lb truck going 120mph.

Why dont they develope a radio shut-off in new vehicals, a police officer could type your plates, get your frequency, and push a button. kill the ignition, lock the doors, gradually apply the brakes. and steer the car on to the shoulder.

buddyred

This is ok but I agree with several other responses, My car is a roadster and capable of 150+ mph speeds and my under carriage is fully enclosed to prevent anything from getting trapped into the undercarriage. It is rear wheel with a drive shaft but that also is fully boxed in to prevent damage. Also like stated above most chases exceed 35mph 3x-4x

Why dosn't law enforcement and the car companies throughout the U.S. come up with an electrical shutoff switch. i know they have one, but why don't they put one in the car and a computer where the officer could type in the make model and license plate, and boom. The car would come to a gradual stop. That would save countless police officers lives.

"While Frosty is correct in that most of today's cars are front-wheel-drive, there is still a driveshaft-type of connection between the wheels and the transaxle. The advantage to the potential criminal is that this area is so small on either side of the engine that there is a fair chance of the straps missing the target."

Wow, despite all of the skepticism, this is an ingenious idea and concept. Congrats on that.

- James, http://www.bobpowell.org/

i think that if this got into the wrong hands then it could also be helpfull to bank robbers trying to escape from the police
like every new item it has every posibility of being used by the wrong people

qlmmb2086
03/27/09 at 2:26 pm

@Ruri:

I also disagree with your assumption that police are "hot headed and reckless" during a high speed pursuit. Real life is not "Die Hard";

Have a little respect.

RESPECT????
I guess you missed the video where the police jumped on and started to beat an unconscious driver with their clubs who was thrown from his vehicle after it rolled (and there was no doubt he was unconscious, and actually looked dead), and continued to beat him!

Those are not isolated incidents by any stretch of the imagination, and htey are a part of the reason why some run from the cops as they want to avoid another beating!

And often cops say YOU assaulted them to cover their asses even when you did nothing!

I am an adult white male and have had witnessed it personally!

qlmmb2086, you need a reality check!

buddyred
Why dont they develope a radio shut-off in new vehicals, a police officer could type your plates, get your frequency, and push a button. kill the ignition, lock the doors, gradually apply the brakes. and steer the car on to the shoulder.

The technology is already there.
Many years ago when I worked at a Ford dealer and went to a factory EEC class, they explained how they were planning to put in the GPS and other Government mandated tech into the new ECM's.

GM already has admitted the ability to unlock the doors remotely, just look at the commercial about the on-star system.
Shutting down the fuel pump or ignition system is no different than unlocking the doors!

There is the Mega Squirt web site where you can build your own ECM and there will be no GPS and door unlocking ability by others!

This seems absurd. Not only do you need to have this device precisely in the right spot for it to work, it also seems that this could really cause severe damage or injuries to nearby bystanders or other cars. I could see the car rolling or flipping if it is going at very high speeds, whereas letting the air out of the tires is still keeping the car on the road.

http://suzyjenkins.easyjournal.com/

Ah... what about (front wheel drive). With the Chevy Corvette, the drive shaft is encased in a tube wirh the transmission in the rear for weight balance.