# High speed chases - What are the passengers guilty of?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-speed-chases-what-are-the-passengers-guilty-of/103863>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 16, 2002, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-speed-chases-what-are-the-passengers-guilty-of/103863 "2002-04-16T02:02:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-speed-chases-what-are-the-passengers-guilty-of/103863/21 "2002-04-16T23:41:25Z")

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\>\> High speed chases - What are the passengers guilty of?

In most of cases of aggravated stupidity.

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**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-speed-chases-what-are-the-passengers-guilty-of/103863/22 "2002-04-16T23:51:16Z")

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**Bryan Ekers** : “What I meant is that if the police pull over a car after a high-speed chase, it is reasonable of them to arrest the driver and detain the passengers.”

Okay, in that case, I agree with you. However, for me, there is a big difference between police doing what you describe and police assuming that these people are guilty of something. That’s why I questioned your earlier statement.

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**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-speed-chases-what-are-the-passengers-guilty-of/103863/23 "2002-04-17T10:30:48Z")

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So how **vigorously** are you expected to try and stop the driver if you’re a passenger in a car fleeing from the police? Doing so **safely** might be very difficult or impossible.

I certainly would want to try but not if it meant certain serious injury or death! Or are you expected to put the public safety above your own in such a situation?

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-speed-chases-what-are-the-passengers-guilty-of/103863/24 "2002-04-17T18:47:01Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Hail Ants \*  
> \*\*So how **vigorously** are you expected to try and stop the driver if you’re a passenger in a car fleeing from the police? Doing so **safely** might be very difficult or impossible.
> 
> I certainly would want to try but not if it meant certain serious injury or death! Or are you expected to put the public safety above your own in such a situation? \*\*

Many of those high-speed chases _end_ in serious injury or death. If your friend is barreling down a highway at 95MPH in the wrong direction, it is probably in your best interest to buckle your seatbelt, choose a relatively safe moment, and do something to stop the car. I’d start with trying to talk the driver into pulling over, but if he refuses, you have a hard decision to make. Reach for the keys now or do a rollover any second? Tough call.

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