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  • Author Author: Catwell
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Police may soon use EMP technology to disable drivers

Catwell

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Remember from "The Dark Knight Rises," Batman used an EMP gun to stop cars? It's about to be real... (via TDKR Trailer)

 

Police chases are not very common, despite what we see in our media. However, when one does happen in real life it can be extremely dangerous and cause large amounts of damage to properties. Current methods for stopping a runaway driver consist of cop cars swarming around them to trap them, using spike strips to blow out their tires, or waiting until the driver pulls a bad move and takes himself out. Either of these are not the best methods for stopping someone and usually result in injuries and damage to anything unfortunate enough to get in the way.

 

Police in Europe are looking into looking electromagnetic technology to disable vehicles. The technology would work similar to an EMP used by the military. However, where EMPs work by frying electronic circuits, the technology being developed would work by temporarily disrupting the electronics. Currently, a European Commission- funded consortium is developing such a device as well as electronics firm E2V. In fact, E2V of the UK has recently run successful tests using their technology. It consists of using a 350 kilogram aperture antenna mounted on an SUV to beam microwaves pulses at vehicles.

 

Additionally, Europe has been funding another project known as SAVELEC (Safe Control of Noncooperative Vehicles Through Electromagnetic Means). This project looks to exploit vulnerabilities in microchips on car's computers. For example, one prototype in development works by constantly resetting a car's ECU making it useless. SAVLEC still has lots of work to be done with the project but they are expecting to have a working prototype by 2016.

 

Both of the projects will work by temporarily disabling electronics, but both will still have to face the same safety concerns. If trying to stop a speeding vehicle, they must stop it in a manner that is more safe than current means. Temporarily disabling electronics can lead to lots of different outcomes, not all of them so good. Brakes locking up, steering disabled, or both can lead to fatal accidents. Overall if this technology can work it will be great for cops. But then again, it will probably only be a matter of time before the getaway drivers have their own preventative measures.

 

C

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Parents Comment Children
  • in reply to Problemchild

    Hi John,

     

    My father was a race car driver.  I spent most of my childhood around race tracks, drivers, fast cars, safety issues, and yes, I even saw several people die because they underestimated the skills need to drive at high speed.

    I have observed a lot of peoples driving styles.  They allow too many trivial things to distract them from the needs of safe driving.

    Between cell phones, texting, talking, listening to loud music, eating, smoking, drinking and other distractions, most people are a hazard at 35 Mph, let alone at 85Mph.

     

    At even 65Mph, you need to dedicate your entire attention to driving.  You need to keep a solid feel for how your vehicle is responding to road and weather conditions.

    At those speed, things happen very fast, so any inattention to detail can be and usually is fatal.

    I don't mind people killing themselves, but I greatly object to them trying to take me with them.

     

    Just because you can drive 85Mph does not indicate that you should or are qualified to do so.  Any fool can push the accelerator to reach that speed, but few understand the increase in danger of the moving vehicle.  The energy dissipation E= mv^2/2 tells the tale.  Your energy goes up by the square of the speed.

     

    In addition to just the skill and experience, I would draw attention to the condition of most highways.  There are very few roads that are in good enough repair to drive safely at those speeds.

     

    So take a look around at the people driving around you.  If everyone is 100% focused on driving I would be greatly surprised.  That observation alone should scare you.

     

    Just my opinion,

     

    DAB