Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2016/11/07/police-bumper-that-deploys-a-n.html
…
3 Likes
Doesn’t seem very practical at all. It wouldn’t take much weaving to make a snag very difficult, and really, just slamming on the brakes and instituting a collision would seem likely to damage the chase vehicle more than the target. There’s a reason why cars in demolition derbys drive backward. And if the perp locks the rear brakes in causing the collision then I don’t think this thing will be wrapping around the tires.
10 Likes
Wow, I got so pumped up I had to go take a poop.
Thanks BB!
3 Likes
NEW from Uncle Al’s the Grappler
Grappler - To hit 6, 1d+3 damage to tires only, 3DP. One Shot, Front Mount Only, Point Blank range only. Mounted outside of armor, takes collision damage before Armor. Cost $1000, weight 200, 0 space.
19 Likes
What? This seems like a solution in search of a problem. The police already shoot the tires, since they’re black.
29 Likes
so… mud flaps would protect you pretty thoroughly from this device, no?
2 Likes
The real protective effect comes from this being a stupid, braindamage-level idea.
3 Likes
all these innovative new “law enforcement” technologies remind me of reading Star Wars Technical Manuals-- specifically the chapters on Slaver weapons and tactics.
5 Likes
No more stuff. We need to gather up all the weapons, helmets, body armor, automatic weapons, military vehicles and other weird unnecessary equipment. The only thing I feel comfortable issuing are donuts.
12 Likes
I’m not sure that concern fits into their calculus, as police cars are only slightly less expendable than dark skinned people are.
1 Like
5 Likes
officer-involved-shooting enthusiasts need not fear:
There’s plenty of room here to claim “(s)he (had-a) / (went-for-my) gun”
1 Like
I wasn’t thinking of the deterrent effect so much as coolant loss forcing the police cruiser to give up the chase. Of course you can’t outrun the radio, something that those who try to drive away from the police don’t seem to realize.
1 Like
Totally believable right up to the point where when the guy ran they didn’t just shoot him.
3 Likes
My son is a cop. (And I can say yes, he’s one of the good ones.) He’s in charge of the fleet for his department, and also special weapons and tactics. He took one look at this video and said, “Nope. No way. The circumstances would have to be perfect, and there’s way too much chance of something going terribly wrong on so many levels. If they installed this on any of our vehicles, I would refuse to even try to use it. It’s just another thing that departments who have too much money to spend will go for, because of the ‘cool’ factor”.
19 Likes
I guess the next countermeasure in this arms race will be to outfit the rear axles with line cutters (AKA, Wire Strike Protection Systems like they have for helicopters, but outfitted for vehicles.)
Same system could be handy for military and off-roaders when dealing with barbed wire obstructions.
2 Likes
Why yes they are…
–although they were to counter piano wire strung across roads at the driver’s neck height rather than barbed wire.
5 Likes
Hmm. I was about to say that 6 seems a bit too accurate, but then realized that this probably is before adjustment for being a tire shot. (Although since it’s limited to point blank range, that’s kind of a wash, isn’t it?)
1 Like
This looks like a Mythbusters segment they left on the editing room floor.
1 Like
It is. The tire modifier will be a wash with the point blank modifier. Speed modifier may have an impact as well. But I was trying to make it at least somewhat useful.
Doesn’t matter, the new rules set will see it all reset anyway.
