Police Device Breaks Off Fleeing Car's Axle

Thanks for recovering my stolen car...

Well obviously the owner can recover its full value from the thief and there is no way that the thief would be judgment proof and that the whole thing will drag on for years.
Also, in the US, it is incredibly unlikely someone needs their car to go to work anyway, and they have great workers' rights and the owner can't be just fired on the spot "for cause" for this.
/s
I'd feel a lot better knowing the thief got caught though, rather than finding it burnt out on the side of the road.
- The police burned down my house and shot all my pets but I'm just glad they arrested the thief even if he was let back out before I was even able to wipe up the blood.

Great news! We've recovered your stolen vehicle.

It brought the chase to an end with no injuries, that's definitely a win.
- It is well known that police chases far too often unnecessarily escalate situations, causing them to be more dangerous in the first place.
  How many police chases are for non-violent offenses?
  Simply not worth it from these largely untrained, out of control, trigger-happy, power-fetishists.
  Also a lot of police maneuvers go bad. Just because this one turned out okay doesn't make this okay everywhere. They are lucky it didn't snap or cause the car to careen off some other direction.

Give it 5 years and cops will just phone in your license plate number and the manufacturer will turn your car off. Or, more realistically, lock the doors and self-drive you to the nearest police station.

Joke's on them; I drive a 20-year-old car (350Z Roadster Touring 6MT in Daytona Blue)
- Well... might be that the joke is on you, as the thieves would target your car in that hypothetical.
- Goddamn, incredible boomer energy here.
Might be substantially safer. A forced deceleration is extremely dangerous and potentially deadly to all parties and bystanders.

Amazing piece of kit those, and a lot safer than a Pit maneuver or spike strips.

I'm sure they'll figure out how to use it to kill a disproportionate amount of brown people. Just give them time.
- And dogs
- In before it gets used to drag people.
You know what is even safer?
Not engaging in a high speed chase.
- when possible yeah, getting the license plate is a good idea.
  but there are times where it's better to engage in a chase, and this is better than a pit
- They stole a car. I'd rather see him arrested.
You know an even safer one?
Track them via existing cameras and from the air. Then you dont need to chase them.
- Yeah, the existing cameras on US back roads, and a helicopter that costs a few grand an hour to run.
  Great idea.
- if there's a helicopter following someone they're still gonna run. I don't see how your idea is any better than what already happens.
- Instead of launching a tether they could just stick a tracker to the car and follow them at a leisurely pace.

pretty sure that's a front wheel drive, wanted to see them trying to continue dragging the chasis

- Bad car!
- Here, you can see an example of the phenomenon that inspired Tron's famous light bikes.
- Seriously, though, this and the jute runner in the hallway. Mm-mmm.

Finland was streets ahead back in 1996

Oh, you had kids in the back seat. Sorry, that's on you.
You're not making streets ahead a thing
- Coined and minted! Been there, coined that! "Streets ahead" is verbal... wildfire!
- It happened decades ago
Damn I'm probably flying to Oulo next summer, remind me to get full coverage insurance on my rental
- I think it's cheaper to not flee from the cops
Vlad the Impaler made this

Dumbass should have just used a knife to cut the rope. Now their car is totaled and they have a felony charge.

Edit: sigh* /s

I can't tell if this is ragebait or you just really don't understand how high speed chases work
- Ragebait is not the term used for something that makes you feel angry because you are not sure if the person is being serious or not.
- Or, you know, pulling a knife while fleeing from the police.
  I think they're genuine though.
Are you seriously suggesting getting out of your car with a knife in your hand in this situation?
What the fuck is wrong with the users of this platform?
- FWIW, I don't use /s because I feel like it defeats the point of using sarcasm.
In all my years of Lemmy, Reddit, various forums, AIM, IRC, etc., I don't think I've felt a typed sigh more than that one.
For real that person should have got out and cut that strap with their oversized ribbon cutting ceremony scissors. Completely serious, not sarcastic.

Never trust a fart

Now you tell me...

The device being able to lose tension is very scary. You need all drivers to be in control at all times without sudden jerk.

There's a reason you use chains over straps to pull stuck vehicles out whenever you can. The tension can build and launch hooks or even the hitch back at the other vehicle. It's not even that rare of an occurrence.
Use chains when possible and wrap it around the frame, not hitch when possible.

The cops pulled you off? Oh my god

This kills the vehicle

How was it attached?

The police car has a long pier-thing just out of shot below the hood. The rope would sit on that until triggered to tangle on the axle.
As for how it's triggered, dunno.

I think you'll find that it was the driver that pulled it off, not the cop, the cop was just chilling.

Witness me!