Police Lights, the policeman's friend

You have seen police chases in action movies and reality shows. You may have even seen them in your own neighborhood. You see a car running at high speeds and a police cruiser following behind with police car lights on. It is highly noticeable. The led flashing blue lights, the squealing tires and the roaring engines. But what is involved in a high speed chase. This article will explain it all in detail.

The main piece of equipment in a police chase is obviously the car. Police departments use cars with higher horsepower which is helpful in high speed chases. Alternators in police cars normally crank out up to 130 amps. This is used to run police lights, sirens and scanners. Flashing lights and roaring sirens alert civilians that a police car is approaching at high speeds. The police lights came about in the 1930’s and were originally mounted on fenders. By the 1970’s, the lights were mounted on police car roofs.

There are several ways for police to disable a car before a chase even occurs. The first is spike strips. These are placed across the road and when a car drives over the strips, the tires deflate. Another tactic is a road block. This is where several cars are parked across the road to block the car from passing.

A police chase starts when a cop sees a car driving at a high speed. He follows the car but doesn’t turn on his lights or siren just yet. He calls in the license plate to see if they car is stolen or if the car owner has outstanding warrants. If this is the case, the cop flips on his lights and sirens and pulls the driver over. At this point, the driver speeds up instead of pulling over. The officer makes a decision at this point whether or not to pursue the chase. Factors such as weather, road conditions, time of day and the nature of the offense all determine whether to pursue the chase.

A common myth about police chases is that it is illegal for a police officer to drive above the speed limit and disobey traffic signs unless the lights and sirens are on. In fact, police officers can legally pursue at high speeds even if they don't turn on lights and sirens.