'Satellite Cannon' May End High-Speed Chases

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Currently, when a police officer wants to stop a fleeing car he performs what is known as a pursuit-intervention technique (or PIT). The method involves the officer nudging the front of his police car into the rear corner of the fleeing car. The officer then turns into the fleeing car, forcing it into a tailspin.

The Economist reports that the technique was developed in California in the 1970s and is a spectacular sight to see. While it does make for exciting video for high energy police TV shows it also is extremely dangerous and
Injuries are common in these situations.

Spike strips are also a commonly used method of stopping a vehicle on the run. Police lay out a strip of spikes across the vehicles path which flatten the tires and slow the car down. Spike strips are not always effective and many times, the criminals are able to proceed at speeds of up to 100MPH after the tires are flat, running on just the cars rims.

These types of high-speed chases are extremely desperate and dangerous and experts say one in four will result in injury. It is also reported that 400 people a year die as a result of high speed chases in America alone.

StarChase, a Virginia Beach based company says they have developed a new technology that would eliminate high speed chases all together.

Using a pneumatic cannon that is mounted on the police car, the officer merely shoots a satellite-based tracking device covered in epoxy goo onto the back of the vehicle it wants to track. As soon as the tracking device is attached the police are able to fall back and track the suspect with endangering or harming the public.

Pretty good idea right?

The Los Angeles Police Dept. thinks so and are planning on adding the cannon's to their arsenal later this year.

Police have added that it would also be nice to be able to physically stop the car by satellite and GM plans to help them accomplish that goal.

Starting in September GM will add a new system to their OnStar service called 'Stolen Vehicle Slowdown.' The new system will allow police to stop a car by calling an OnStar operator who has the power to disable the car's accelerator.

There is a fair amount of concern being expressed about technology that allows cars to be shut down remotely and fear that hackers could take over the system. OnStar says that even with the risk the benefit still outweighs the risks os death, injury and kidnappings that are associated with high speed chases.

The new satellite cannons are a great step forwards in improving public safety during police action. I can't wait to see them put into place.