Police in the European Union are allegedly hard at work developing a remote-stopping system that would allow authorities to disable a vehicle at a moment’s notice, according to a report from AutoExpress. It’s being developed by the European Network of Law Enforcement Technology Services.
The system is being developed in order to prevent high-speed chases, with a leaked report from ENLETS saying, “Criminal offenders will take risks to escape after a crime. In most cases the police are unable to chase the criminal due to a lack of efficient means to stop the vehicle safely.” It’s hoped that the system will be on the road as early as 2020.
Now, from a safety standpoint, bringing a car to a halt by flipping a switch or clicking a mouse certainly seems preferable to actions that put officers or other motorists in danger. Still, it strikes us rather heavy handed to install such a system in every vehicle when only a very small number are involved in high-speed pursuits.
What do you think? What would your reaction be to a system like this in the United States? Post your views in Comments.