police chases

12.01.09

Drag Net

A new police device puts a safe, quick end to car chases

By Corey Binns Posted 03.26.2009 at 11:26 am 19 Comments

With cop cars disappearing from his rearview mirror and an open road ahead, a fugitive thinks he’s in the clear—until his car comes to a sudden halt. A sheriff, hiding in the bushes, has activated a road trap that sprung a ball of straps into the car’s undercarriage, immobilizing its drive shaft and axles.

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READ MORE ABOUT > april 2009, auto news, cars, crime, crime-fighting, headlines, law enforcement, police, police chases

Stick It To 'Em

L.A. police turn to an adhesive GPS dart to lasso the getaway car

By Matthew Phenix Posted 07.01.2006 at 1:00 am 0 Comments

To see how the StarChase system works, launch the photo gallery by clicking "Slideshow" to the left. Also, listen in as host Jonathan Coulton grills the LAPD on their secret crime-fighting tech in Episode 5 of the PopSci Podcast.

Los Angeles, car capital of the country, is notorious for its epic police chases. O.J.-style pursuits may make for exciting TV, but the fatality statistics are sobering: Police chases kill, on average, one Californian every week.

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READ MORE ABOUT > fatality statistics, frantic pursuit, jonathan coulton, police chases, starchase system