# Those car chases on TV, what are the odds I can outrun the cops? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 6, 2002, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-car-chases-on-tv-what-are-the-odds-i-can-outrun-the-cops/122526 "2002-08-06T02:05:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-car-chases-on-tv-what-are-the-odds-i-can-outrun-the-cops/122526/21 "2002-08-07T06:48:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FIREMAN44 \* > \*\*The cops may back off, but not before they get your plate number. Sooner or later they will catch you. \*\* Well, more specifically, they will find your car. But to prove you were the one driving it? "Oh yeah, Wednesday night? We had a party at my house, I was drunk. I let some guy that was here use my car to go get beer. Who was he? I don’t know. " Sure, it sounds like an obvious lie…but how could the police prove otherwise? Is a “back of the head through a car window while going 90 through a neighborhood” description going to hold up? I’m sure it would go to court, but would they get a conviction? I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-car-chases-on-tv-what-are-the-odds-i-can-outrun-the-cops/122526/22 "2002-08-07T07:23:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OddTunes \* > \*\* I’ve never seen them use a helicopter here in Sydney so that also gives me a great advantage! > \*\* You obviously live on the leafy North Shore. Come to Bankstown if you want to see choppers. Roadspikes, helicopter back-up, radio and telephone communication to other police area commanders, unmarked police cars… need I go on? Don’t mess with the New South Wales Highway Patrol. They are highly trained professionals, and those boring-looking police cars can _MOVE_ when they need to. > [@](#): > > \*\*But back to my OP, I’d still like to see some statistics offered up on just how many folks do evade the cops in these situations. It’s got to be heaps more than those wildest chase shows, or even the cops, will own up to! \*\* I don’t think it’s a good idea to ask for that stuff on this board, mate. ---
**Author:** ![Koth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@Koth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koth)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-car-chases-on-tv-what-are-the-odds-i-can-outrun-the-cops/122526/23 "2002-08-07T07:34:42Z")
The only carchase I’ve seen where the person got away was on a motorcycle (does it still count as a carchase?). He got onto a freeway or highway (some stretch of road anyway), and he easily outran the police cars, then outran the helicopter… but I think it was low on fuel. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-car-chases-on-tv-what-are-the-odds-i-can-outrun-the-cops/122526/24 "2002-08-07T07:50:45Z")
Geez guys, encourage him. I think he should go for it… Gene pool will be way better off. a few inocents may die but… he don’t care so why argue? Maybe he will get away and he’ll hit a roo and die from that. what poetic justice… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-car-chases-on-tv-what-are-the-odds-i-can-outrun-the-cops/122526/25 "2002-08-07T10:44:57Z")
- - - The radio jammer is basically a big spark-gap thing. The short-gap time is set to around the carrier frequency, and it’s arced at 100 Htz or so. It interferes with all radio signals, but is concentrated mostly around the arc-gap frequency. It’s dirty, wide spectrum. And should you get caught, that’s a few more laws you broke. -But all you’d really have to do is find out the police base frequency and cover that, and it would only have to jam an area around your car of a half-mile or so… Radio-Shack does not sell a kit. 🙂 - I’d guess that having an effective radio jammer, staying around a busy area and having an _escape plan_ would be much more of an advantage than a particularly fast car. The practical problem with an escape route is that having one implies advance planning though, and most of the people on those “Cops” shows don’t have the marbles to plan much. They run on a snap decision and don’t have any idea where to go except “away”. - Changing cars would seem to be a good idea to me also, but you’d need to reach the car out of view of officers and any witnesses—who would tell arriving officers what you drove off in. And then the officers would get your old car…-unless it wasn’t really yours anyway… ~ ---
**Author:** ![DVous\_Means](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-car-chases-on-tv-what-are-the-odds-i-can-outrun-the-cops/122526/26 "2002-08-07T14:55:43Z")
Regarding the motorcycle maniacs: The last time I heard of someone trying to outrun a police chase on a dirt bike in my town, he ended up head first in a gully, then literally dropped dead in front of the paramedics less than half an hour later. So much for being a hero… The Royal Adelaide Hospital trauma dept refer to motorcyclists as donorcyclists, for obvious reasons. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2002, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-car-chases-on-tv-what-are-the-odds-i-can-outrun-the-cops/122526/27 "2002-08-07T16:08:03Z")
**Oddtunes** , I have no idea if you are serious or not. Here’s a hint though: “Don’t do it for the love of Christ!” Unless you stole the car, they WILL trace to YOU! And unless you’ve got no one who’s seen you in it, they WILL still trace it to YOU!. You are only puttng your own life and other people’s in danger. Moreover, your ar won’t be doing much speed after they spike it. And they can just wreck you. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-car-chases-on-tv-what-are-the-odds-i-can-outrun-the-cops/122526/28 "2002-08-07T16:40:53Z")
It all depends upon how well the chase gets organised. I’ve met plenty who have done this sort of thing with varying results, but the longer the chase the more likely it is that you will be caught. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-car-chases-on-tv-what-are-the-odds-i-can-outrun-the-cops/122526/29 "2002-08-07T18:37:38Z")
> [@](#): > > I usually don’t drive when I’m totally wasted, and I’ve momentarily got my hands on this cool car which is way faster than any cop car for sure Please provide details of identifying the vehicle so we can point and laugh when we see your bloody corpse being sawed out of the twisted wreck on the next wildest-video program. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-car-chases-on-tv-what-are-the-odds-i-can-outrun-the-cops/122526/30 "2002-08-07T18:41:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OddTunes \* > \*\* > My feeling is one could outrun the cops given the right situation. \*\* I could go Space Station given the right situation, too. \*\* > [@](#): > > For instance, I’m a pretty damn good driver, as good as any cop if not better\*\* You’re _sure_ of that, are you? What did you do? Take a 3 day driving course and now you’re an _expert?_. You sound cocky, naive and about 19 years old. I strongly suggest you don’t try for various reasons already pointed out. If you feel the need that you must though, be sure you don’t kill/hurt some innocent bystander and make sure you life insurance covers acts of utter and complete stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-car-chases-on-tv-what-are-the-odds-i-can-outrun-the-cops/122526/31 "2002-08-07T19:48:58Z")
Statistics on the success rate would all right, but it’s obvious you’re after more than just dry statistics. We don’t allow questions (or answers) about how best to break the law. This thread is closed. bibliophage moderator GQ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-car-chases-on-tv-what-are-the-odds-i-can-outrun-the-cops/122526.md?page=1)