No more cop chases

[Bendy]

https://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40381000/gif/_40381365_car_stop_inf416.gif

A futuristic gadget which disables suspect vehicles with radio waves could soon be used by police in car chases. It's their latest weapon in safely ending pursuits.
The invention of a device which is effectively a stun gun for cars has roused the interest of senior officers.

They believe it could offer a safe alternative to high speed chases, which all too often result in deaths.

The number of people killed by crashes involving police cars in the UK is "far too high", the Police Complaints Authority warned last year.

With cop-show style chases off-limits, the potential for inventive ways to halt a runaway car has never been greater.

At the flick of a switch, the zapper directs a beam of intensely concentrated radio waves at the target car and makes it stall, safely bringing it to a halt.
The system works, according to its inventor Dr David Giri, because it turns the very technology which has revolutionised motoring over the past decade against the driver.

Computer chips are now used in most cars to control the fuel injection and engine firing systems. By knocking these out the car cannot be driven.

The system relies on a battery and a series of capacitors stored in the police car's boot. The radio waves are produced by sending a short burst of electricity into a roof-mounted antenna, which has a target range of about 50 metres.

Tests on the device are being conducted by Home Office scientists and police also appear to be keen on it.

"It seems to have potential, there's no doubt about it," said Mick Barker of the Police Federation.

But officers still want to know more about the effect of the device on non-suspect cars in the area. And, of course, it does not work on vehicles built before on-board computers were standard.

[TheBoyChris]

I can't help wondering if the same would apply to bikes however.

Would cutting a biker's engine out in a high speed chase be dangerous? Would the comparative instability of a bike vs a car stop the police from employing this tactic?

Also, if you've got a non-essential electrical component bike running on diesel, would it even work?

Just pondering...
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[byke95]

Suppose it's a start in order to catch little gits who steal cars or anyone trying to do a runner!

What about bikes tho, stunning the engine at speed would be pretty dangerous??

[Demonic69]

The Aussies had a few similar devices years ago. One was a wee radio controlled car that went under the car and killed the leccy, another was a harpoon gun The Gun worked well till someone was injured when they were being kidnapped in a boot and the harpoon went a bit too far
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[mrchips]

For the most part most stolen cars are pre-'90 so I don't see how it will work in all cases. I remember years ago on Tomorrows World when they said cars would be chipped and linked with satalites so they could not exceed speed limits. Next we will not be able to drive at all.

[Robin]

Don't bother me much as both bike and car are over 20 years old and don't rely on a computer

Tha scary bit is the effect this could have on safety if used aginst a bike, even if it is accidental and the bike happens to be in the 50yrd range and not actually the target vehicle.

'Official' tests on the continent claim that the sudden slowing of a bike using electronic devices does not lead to instability (tests carried out in Scandinavia relating to the introduction of EVSC). However, these tests are highly flawed as they only related to a bike travelling upright and in a straight line Imagine the effect of having your engine cut as you are leant over into a corner. It doesn't even bear thinking about.

The technology is out there to make this happen, and unless we are careful this sort of thing will be introduced. I am not too bothered about the police stopping cars in chases, as I do not get chased by the police. But it is a very real fact that speed limiting devices will be coming in to control your speed via the vehicles electronics. If you do not want the speed of your bike limited by either some bod with a button, or even worse a computer in a building somewhere. Then get writing to your MP now.

[Robin]

[Visitor Q]

I do believe about 10 years ago there was a little box on coasters that was deployed from under the chasing car and rocket propelled and emp'ed the car from underneath.

That never went anywhere either. Development costs, the fact that any numpty can design some system to avoid it working, and the fact that the cop cars would have to be shieled too, should unscrupulous croops nick one and target the cars. And imagine one being 'souped up' and aimed at laning/alighting planes.

All in all, probably doomed before it started.

Nifty idea tho.
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[Lee_367]

Could you just shield all the electronic parts on your car to stop it from working?
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[Danny]

I'm sure you could shield critical parts if you wanted.

[Shade_BW]

Sorry, but even the idea of locking up a car at 70mph with one of these things sounds incredibly dangerous. Where does all the momentum go?

Either the drive wheels lock up, forcing a skid where the car can go anywhere (unless they dip the clutch, leading to..), or the car free wheels, becoming an uncontrolled missle, going anywhere. This will depend on the computer having anyting to do with the power steering.

Do you fancy being on a bike near one of these cars that suddenly goes out of control, even if your bike is unaffected?

Sorry, anything that makes a car uncontrolled has the possability of being just as dangerous as the car in control of a thief.

Shade
Doesn't like the idea.

[Blue]

There's nothing computerised on my Capri, so I'm okay!

[Demonic69]

It only causes your car to stall, not lock up. It's in no way applying the brakes or faffing with the gear box, it just stops fuel getting to the engine. Would work quite well on bikestoo.
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[Kickstart]

Hi

Such an idea might stop chases, but as has been said exactly the same technology could be used against the police cars or more likely against security vans used for transporting cash (as it would nicely knock out the GPS tracking systems they use).

It should not lock the wheels, but it is not going to differentiate between which computer on the target car it is frying, so it will quite happily fry the ABS system, traction control, central locking, brake assist (the Mercedes system that decides when you are attempting an emergency stop and does the job for you), etc. I would not be surprised if one of those could fail rather dangerously.

Add to this that any car in range would be totally knackered. Total write off time. Half a dozen police cars following being fried would mean a potential cost of several hundred thousand pounds for each use of the system.

Also remember that most diesels still use fully mechanical systems so would be unaffected, except for loosing the ABS and the like.

All the best

Keith
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[Shade_BW]

[Davo]

What happens to a car when the vacuum servo has no effect. I caused quite a bit of damage to a vauxhall astra once by going in to a parking space and turning the engine off before i stopped.. The brakes stopped working .

[Lee_367]

Wouldn't it destroy the surrounding and parked cars? Imagine waking up in the morning to find your cars fried
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[Craggles]

If it could be focussed well enough to only attack a target, then ok...

I read the article on BBC, it didn't make it clear weather it would destroy the electronic components or just disable them.

It's probably less dangerous to stall a car at high speed resulting in the driver having a broken nose and wiplash at the worst, than a high speed chase resulting in the driver, and innocent drivers being killed or badly hurt.

As for Bikes - are there many bikes that have computerised controls that would be affected - and those that do, could a cop car really be able to get in front of the bike for long enough?

[Shade_BW]

[Demonic69]

Ever had an alternator die? It would have pretty much the same effect, just removing any electrical current from the engine. Would that cause so much damage?
I've seen the ones I mentioned earlier at work and there was no sudden braking or skidding etc and they tested it on several different cars. It kinda overloads the electrics and shorts the system out.
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[Robin]

The fact still remains that the technology is there to control the speed of a vehicle from outside means. If they can get it through that the authorities can control your vehicle by computer/electronics/whatever in one situation, why can't they do it all the time???????

If it is allowed to control a criminal in a police chase, who's to say they can't also control the 'criminal' who is doing 45mph in a 40 limit?? They are both technicaly breaking the law and putting the public at risk

I ride a bike that weighs in at 500lb+ with a full tank of fuel. I don't want somebody to suddenly close the throttle on me and take control (put me out of control!) without some prior warning.

[MarJay]

[Demonic69]

How many bikes have a CDi unit? That should be fried.
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[McJamweasel]

Surely it could cause assisted brakes and power steering to fail too - thereby causing the car to go out of control completely.

Not too sure about this.
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