Police Car Chases Could Be Shorter In Future With The Grappler Bumper

Leonard Stock has invented the 'Police Grappler Bumper' (PGB), which he claims is a much safer and controlled way of bringing a fleeing car to a stop. What the PGB essentially does is use a grappler to lock the rear tyre and axle, which in turn brings the vehicle in pursuit to a controlled stop.

The PGB is a Y-shaped yoke attached to the front bumper of the police pursuit vehicle, which carries tow rope-like webbing. The yoke flips down as the police vehicle gets close enough for the webbing to snag the rear wheel of the fleeing car. Once the web is entangled, the wheel locks and the police vehicle brakes hard and drags the runaway car to a halt.

The Police Grappler Bumper promises to limit the chase and crashes

Around 40 per cent of police chases in the US end with a crash and the PGB just might be an effective way to stop them. Inventor, Leonard Stock got the idea of the Police Grappler Bumper from extensively watching police chases and says to have thoroughly tested the system on a number of cars.

That said, the PGB is yet to be officially introduced on police pursuit vehicles in the United States, while Stock is yet to confirm an independent sale of his invention. In the meanwhile, he is providing live demonstrations to the interested agencies.

The Police Grappler Bumper promises a controlled stop

Going by the demonstration video, the PGB does look promising, but not flawless. The video claims to have tested vehicles at speeds up to 65 mph (104 km/h) and there is no clarity if there are chances of a rollover due to the sudden stop. Then, there is also the financial feasibility that remains in question for police departments to bear the cost.

Nevertheless, if the Police Grappler Bumper does come into use, we could see much shorter police chases in the future. Would it be still exciting? You bet!

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)