# Police car damage during chase **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 18, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-car-damage-during-chase/169485 "2003-04-18T03:30:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-car-damage-during-chase/169485/1 "2003-04-18T03:30:58Z")
Who is responsible for damages to police cars when they willingly wreck the car to take out some one they are chasing? The person they are chasing? I doubt most of them have the money. The taxpayers? ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-car-damage-during-chase/169485/2 "2003-04-18T10:32:14Z")
It would come out of the police budget. So yes, the taxpayers are ultimately paying for it. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-car-damage-during-chase/169485/3 "2003-04-18T11:28:28Z")
I’d just like to say i’m willing to pay for the cars cops screw up so long as they do a good job. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-car-damage-during-chase/169485/4 "2003-04-18T12:26:23Z")
> [@](#): > > **when they willingly wreck the car to take out some one they are chasing?** It doesn’t really happen anywhere near as often as you would think from watching television… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-car-damage-during-chase/169485/5 "2003-04-18T13:07:28Z")
It really is a legitimate business expense for the cops. What price would you place on the lives of innocent bystanders to a police chase? Would it seem reasonable to pay $25,000 for a new Crown Victoria, in exchange for the life of one innocent man, woman or child? I sure think it is. They’re just using the vehicle as a tool, the same way they use handcuffs, 2-way radio and firearms as needed. As a bonus, you guys will be happy to know that the Crown Vic and many SUVs are relatively cheap to fix after front-end collisions due to their construction. The whole “body on frame” construction they use means it’s easier to rip body panels off and bolt them back on. With unibody construction, if a panel’s crushed, well then, it’s probably joined by part of the frame. At that point it gets uglier to fix. ---
**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-car-damage-during-chase/169485/6 "2003-04-18T13:20:25Z")
What I want to know is: Who pays when the cops ram a suspect’s car which in turn hits an innocent victims car? ---
**Author:** ![yme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/35a633/32.png) [@yme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yme)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-car-damage-during-chase/169485/7 "2003-04-18T13:48:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by herman\_and\_bill \* > \*\*What I want to know is: Who pays when the cops ram a suspect’s car which in turn hits an innocent victims car? \*\* Insurance companys. ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-car-damage-during-chase/169485/8 "2003-04-18T13:54:09Z")
First, you try to get restitution ordered as a part of the criminal’s sentence. Should that fail or the criminal not pay, I think most police forces end up eating the costs (meaning the taxpayers pay).