# Should high speed police chases be outlawed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 31, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733 "2008-01-31T17:37:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/21 "2008-02-01T18:40:29Z")
[QUOTE=simster] tell me how you can differentiate between the two \*before \* the unsub(s) are apprehended? you can’t. [/quote] Well, if the radio call says that the suspects from a bank robbery (still very common) are fleeing in a red Camry, and a red Camry goes shooting by the LEO and goes on to evade stopping, it is a pretty reasonable assumption that the occupants are the criminals. On the other hand, if the LEO calls in a plate and it turns out to be stolen, but they know nothing else of the vehicle occupants, then it may not be wisest to chase. Still, I’ll acknowledge that there are lots of situations where the LEOs have no such information readily available. > [@](#): > > Make a law that say’s “Cops are not to pursue into high traffic areas or schools zones” and that is where these folks will head - criminals care not for the law or the folks hurt in their flaunting of it. > > Coordinate with traffic control to clear and BLOCK paths of escape - coordinate with ‘blocker trucks’ on the highways - find ways to more affectively shut down the chase - those are the ways to solve the problem - along with more penalties that get enforced the minute you decide to run… but those that run usually don’t care about the penalties - or thier incapable (too drunk to know) - which I don’t see as an excuse either. I agree with everything else. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/22 "2008-02-01T18:47:09Z")
[QUOTE=jtgain] I agree. But not even that. I don’t want a speeding ticket, littering, a seat belt ticket, or a tail light out ticket. Just floor it, watch the cop back off, go home and if questioned, complain about how the damned neighbor kids were driving your car recklessly last night. You are such a nice guy that you give the whole neighborhood permission to use your car and leave the keys on top of the left front tire. Promise to give them a stern lecture. [/QUOTE] So then the police impound your car. That’s easily solved. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/23 "2008-02-01T19:08:20Z")
Which has many legal issues. If they can prove it’s you anyway. And if they just happen to have the manpower to walk around doing it. One MAJOR issue which has been ignored is that peope don’t just casually slow down once they get away from the cops. Drunks, particualrly, just keep going as fast as they can. This rather creates an even more dangerous situation. From a cop I’ve met and who talked about it in his writings, people sometimes have this image that the cops jest love themselves a gol’durn real live car chase. He said it was the scariest thing he ever had to do, and he had to do it several times (I don’t believe he ever drew his gun in the line of duty). He did NOT liek it, and neither did anyone on the force, becasue you were white-knuckled praying you lived through the experience. So it was hardly somethig they wanted to do. Nonetheless, he felt that generally, it was better to chase than not to. Once someone sped away, they kept going for who knows how long. About the only thing warning everyone is the police lights and sirens. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/24 "2008-02-02T03:08:13Z")
A big part of the problem is the other drivers on the road who do NOT get out of the way for the sirens and flashing lights. I am mildly addicted to watching “police reality” shows and regular scratch my head at the fact that you almost never see anyone even clear a lane, much less pull over and stop as is required by law in most, if not all, jurisdictions, even with multiple cop cars coming up behind them. ---
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/25 "2008-02-07T17:52:42Z")
[QUOTE=Sunrazor] I’d want to see statistics on how many innocents have been killed as a direct result of police chases vs. the number of “rabbits” who have been caught without incident. Outlawing police chases means one has only to refuse to be pulled over by the police to avoid being detained. [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > The national average was approximately 350 deaths per year with approximately 20 deaths per year in Georgia. The stats are in the 6th story down on [this site](http://www.georgiainjurylawyerblog.com/police_chases/) ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/26 "2008-02-07T18:15:27Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] \On the other hand, if the LEO calls in a plate and it turns out to be stolen, but they know nothing else of the vehicle occupants, then it may not be wisest to chase. [/QUOTE] People who steal cars aren’t criminals? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/27 "2008-02-07T18:15:44Z")
Surely the corrollary of outlawing chases is that police cars will be equipped with missiles and that running will result in a missile up the boot? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/28 "2008-02-07T18:32:48Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] People who steal cars aren’t criminals? :dubious: [/QUOTE] I think the implication was that the car might have been sold. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/29 "2008-02-07T18:49:07Z")
[QUOTE=smiling bandit] I think the implication was that the car might have been sold. [/QUOTE] That doesn’t make sense to me. If somebody buys a stolen car, how do the register it? If they just haven’t made the trip to the DMV yet, but they’re an upstanding citizen, and a cop flips his lights at them, why would they run? ---
**Author:** ![puppygod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@puppygod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puppygod)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/30 "2008-02-08T11:27:12Z")
[QUOTE=kanicbird] I still think there is a use for it, but we should use it with discression. We should be looking for technological answers to replace it. Perhaps a EMP device to disable the car, or a tracking devise that can be somehow attached to the car, along with areal methods where the ground based patrol can hand off the pursuit to a helicopter or even a unmanned craft. [/QUOTE] Yup. Just scale down [this](http://www.stevenashley.info/2007/12/bad-guys-beware-laser-c-130-gunship.html) and there will be no more high speed chases. Or any chases. It’s hard to drive with molten engine compartment. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/31 "2008-02-08T14:09:52Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] People who steal cars aren’t criminals? :dubious: [/QUOTE] You missed the point completely. If all you know about the car is that it is listed as stolen, perhaps it is not best to engage in a high risk activity to recover it. However, if you know the vehicle or occupants were recently engaged in violent activities, the risk may be judged worth the apprehension of the felons. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/32 "2008-02-08T18:22:52Z")
[QUOTE=jtgain] Okay, but to take it to the next step. If a drunk driver is dangerous, then how much more dangerous is he if a cop follows him in high speed pursuit? I mean, he’s dangerous at regular speeds, blindly trying to limp home, but push him to 100mph? If you read my last post, I’m playing devil’s advocate, but there are some good points to the “no chase” thing.. [/QUOTE] Again, this is why departmental policies should leave some discretion to the police officer and any higher ups he is communicating with on the radio. There should be policies in place designed by professionals. An absolute “no chase” prohibition does not make sense. A seriously drunk person won’t be much of a danger to anyone if he’s driving at 100 mph, it doesn’t take long for someone who is seriously impaired to lose control of their vehicle and wreck at those speeds. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/33 "2008-02-08T19:15:42Z")
[QUOTE=Martin Hyde] A seriously drunk person won’t be much of a danger to anyone if he’s driving at 100 mph, it doesn’t take long for someone who is seriously impaired to lose control of their vehicle and wreck at those speeds. [/QUOTE] Ummm, I’m not saying your argument in its entirety is wrong ( I don’t want to get into this), but **Martin Hyde** , perhaps you should read what you just wrote. :eek: It ah, doesn’t exactly add to your argument. In fact, it kinda kneecaps it. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733/34 "2008-02-08T21:05:55Z")
To ban them all would mean you couldn’t chase a paedophile with a stolen kiddie in the back seat, or a muderer. I say discretion should be used, and approval from a supervisor must given before you chase. You definitely don’t want a pedestrian getting hit in a pursuit of someone who fled the gas station without paying though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-high-speed-police-chases-be-outlawed/435733.md?page=1)