PIT maneuver
Encyclopedia
The PIT maneuver is a method by which one car pursuing another can force the pursued vehicle to abruptly turn sideways to the direction of travel, causing the driver to lose control and stop. The backronym
"PIT" has a number of different meanings, depending on the agency using it or school teaching it. The most common meanings are Precision Immobilization Technique, Pursuit Immobilization Technique, Pursuit Intervention Technique, Push It Tough, Parallel Immobilization Technique, and Precision Intervention Tactic. In each case, the meaning is clear, no matter how the acronym is explained. Other names for the same maneuver are Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI), tactical ramming, legal intervention, and fishtailing
. This technique is typically used by law enforcement officers as a safer alternative with which to bring car chase
s to conclusion. Other methods of terminating a pursuit include TPAC and the use of Spikes
(also known by various trade names such as Stop Sticks or Stinger). A PIT maneuver is not effective against medium and heavy trucks and will instead cause serious damage to the police car/SUV
attempting it.
. Tom Milner, a BSR co-owner at the time, brought the technique from Germany, where it was in use by the German Police
. The technique was translated from a German book titled The Hunter and the Hunted. PIT gained popularity during the 1990s, and the technique was refined so as to reduce the violent ramming called for by earlier variations. A variation was already in use by the U.S. Secret Service
since 1965 for VIP protection during motorcades.
The PIT maneuver was adapted from Stock Car racing
, where drivers would bump a competitor to take them out, giving rise to the term, "takeout". This maneuver is illegal in Stock Car racing because it is very dangerous. The high speed involved in auto racing makes it much easier for drivers to take out another car with a less substantial bump than at lower speeds. When employing the PIT maneuver, the speed of the two cars involved will determine how far the car will travel once it is bumped. Partially for this reason, the higher the speed, the more unpredictable and dangerous the PIT maneuver becomes. This is just one of the very important factors a Police Officer
must consider before implementing the PIT maneuver. A Police Officer is trained to wait until conditions are right before attempting a PIT maneuver to avoid the use of deadly force. Speeds must be lower and the "landing site" for the bumped vehicle must be clear of danger.
The Bump & Run
technique used in Auto Racing is strongly related to the Police PIT maneuver and may predate it.
The first US law enforcement agency to teach PIT as a technique to halt fleeing vehicles was the Fairfax County Police Department
in Virginia
, which modified the parameters for initiating and executing the technique for police use. Terry Pearson and Joseph McDowell were the first law enforcement officers to incorporate the technique into training. Terry Pearson named it the "Precision Immobilization Technique" or P.I.T.
Police departments throughout the United States
including the San Bernardino County Sheriffs
in California
have come to believe that, when executed properly, PIT is an intermediate force option that can safely end a pursuit. Police vehicles often have reinforced bumpers to support this technique.
The PIT begins when the pursuing vehicle pulls alongside the fleeing vehicle so that the portion of the pursuer's vehicle forward of the front wheels is aligned with the portion of the target vehicle behind the back wheels. The pursuer gently makes contact with the target's side, then steers sharply into the target. As soon as the fleeing vehicle's rear tires lose traction and start to skid, the pursuer brakes quickly while continuing to turn in the same direction until clear of the target. The target will turn in the opposite direction, in front of the pursuer, and will either spin out, or abruptly exit the roadway.
Typically, another police car will tail the PIT unit to proceed with the arrest, while the PIT unit recovers its own control and completely stops the car.
Advanced Defensive Driving
Courses taught to VIP protection personnel
would train drivers other advanced vehicle control techniques, such as using J-turn
s as a way of controlling the spinout resulting from a successful PIT maneuver being performed. All this assumes that the road surface is in optimal condition; a wet road surface
could make all attempts at recovery pointless.
The PIT is especially hazardous when the vehicles' bumpers are of significantly different heights, or against target vehicles with a high center of gravity such as van
s or SUVs.
Some suggest that due to the utilization of electronic control systems on modern vehicles, the policies of using PIT maneuvers might need some more consideration.
The PIT maneuver is not permitted during police pursuits in the United Kingdom
.
Tactical Pursuit And Containment (TPAC) is a term used by police in the United Kingdom
, and describes training for managing and terminating police pursuits. TPAC embodies several methods of stopping fleeing vehicles, including rolling roadblocks, use of Stinger spike strips, and the "box and stop" containment method. TPAC is most effective on separated carriageways (such as motorways) where the path of the suspect is limited. It is not suited to roads with frequent intersections, those with two-way traffic on a single carriageway, or highways where the suspect may escape by means of a U-turn across the median strip.
Once a fleeing driver is contained on a motorway, a rolling block is initiated ahead of the pursuit. When the pursuit reaches the slowed traffic, the suspect can either attempt to pass the traffic or stay behind it. If the suspect chooses to stay behind the traffic, communication between the pursuing vehicles and the blocking vehicle(s) will lead to the block coming to a standstill, and the vehicle is surrounded and occupants detained. If the fleeing driver chooses to pass the traffic, usually on the hard shoulder, the pursuing vehicles follow it. Once past the traffic, the police vehicles can box in the suspect's vehicle and bring it to a controlled stop through coordinated braking, utilizing the sterile area in front of the blocking vehicle(s) to do so without endangering other road users.
In the UK, TPAC is specialist training given to advanced police drivers. As with the PIT technique, consideration has to be given to the size, weight and center of gravity of the fleeing vehicle. The most commonly used UK police vehicle for TPAC (as of 2007) seems to be the Volvo T-5 V70 Estate, which has found widespread acceptance throughout UK Police forces as a traffic policing vehicle.
Backronym
A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
"PIT" has a number of different meanings, depending on the agency using it or school teaching it. The most common meanings are Precision Immobilization Technique, Pursuit Immobilization Technique, Pursuit Intervention Technique, Push It Tough, Parallel Immobilization Technique, and Precision Intervention Tactic. In each case, the meaning is clear, no matter how the acronym is explained. Other names for the same maneuver are Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI), tactical ramming, legal intervention, and fishtailing
Fishtailing
Fishtailing is a vehicle handling problem which occurs when the rear wheels lose traction, resulting in oversteer. This can be caused by low friction surfaces...
. This technique is typically used by law enforcement officers as a safer alternative with which to bring car chase
Car chase
A car chase is the vehicular pursuit of a suspect by law enforcement officers. Car chases are often captured on film and broadcast due to the availability of video footage recorded by police cars and police and media helicopters participating in the chase...
s to conclusion. Other methods of terminating a pursuit include TPAC and the use of Spikes
Spike strip
A spike strip is a device used to impede or stop the movement of wheeled vehicles by puncturing their tires...
(also known by various trade names such as Stop Sticks or Stinger). A PIT maneuver is not effective against medium and heavy trucks and will instead cause serious damage to the police car/SUV
Police car
A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...
attempting it.
History
The PIT was originally popularized in the 1970s by BSR Incorporated, an advanced driver training school in Summit Point, West VirginiaSummit Point, West Virginia
Summit Point is an unincorporated community in Jefferson County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It lies along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at the intersection of West Virginia Secondary Route 1 and Summit Point Pike. According to the 2000 census, the Summit Point community has a population...
. Tom Milner, a BSR co-owner at the time, brought the technique from Germany, where it was in use by the German Police
Law enforcement in Germany
Law enforcement in Germany is constitutionally vested solely with the states, which is one of the main features of the German political system. Therefore, unlike France, Italy, the United States, Canada or many other countries, Germany has no federal police force comparable to the Italian...
. The technique was translated from a German book titled The Hunter and the Hunted. PIT gained popularity during the 1990s, and the technique was refined so as to reduce the violent ramming called for by earlier variations. A variation was already in use by the U.S. Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
since 1965 for VIP protection during motorcades.
The PIT maneuver was adapted from Stock Car racing
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
, where drivers would bump a competitor to take them out, giving rise to the term, "takeout". This maneuver is illegal in Stock Car racing because it is very dangerous. The high speed involved in auto racing makes it much easier for drivers to take out another car with a less substantial bump than at lower speeds. When employing the PIT maneuver, the speed of the two cars involved will determine how far the car will travel once it is bumped. Partially for this reason, the higher the speed, the more unpredictable and dangerous the PIT maneuver becomes. This is just one of the very important factors a Police Officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
must consider before implementing the PIT maneuver. A Police Officer is trained to wait until conditions are right before attempting a PIT maneuver to avoid the use of deadly force. Speeds must be lower and the "landing site" for the bumped vehicle must be clear of danger.
The Bump & Run
Bump and run (auto racing)
Bump and run is a technique for passing used in stock car racing, related to the police PIT maneuver. Bump and run is never intentionally used in open-wheel racing due to the extremely high speeds and relative fragility of open-wheel race cars....
technique used in Auto Racing is strongly related to the Police PIT maneuver and may predate it.
The first US law enforcement agency to teach PIT as a technique to halt fleeing vehicles was the Fairfax County Police Department
Fairfax County Police Department
The Fairfax County Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency, located in northern Virginia. The FCPD services a population of 1,081,726 citizens within of Fairfax County, Virginia....
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, which modified the parameters for initiating and executing the technique for police use. Terry Pearson and Joseph McDowell were the first law enforcement officers to incorporate the technique into training. Terry Pearson named it the "Precision Immobilization Technique" or P.I.T.
Police departments throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
including the San Bernardino County Sheriffs
San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department serves San Bernardino County, California, which is geographically the largest county in the lower 48 states. SBSD provides law enforcement services to the unincorporated areas of the county and contract law enforcement services to 14 of the county's...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
have come to believe that, when executed properly, PIT is an intermediate force option that can safely end a pursuit. Police vehicles often have reinforced bumpers to support this technique.
Procedure
Typically, another police car will tail the PIT unit to proceed with the arrest, while the PIT unit recovers its own control and completely stops the car.
Avoidance maneuvers
While steering into the skid (away from the pursuing vehicle) will reduce its effect, the fact that the pursuing car is continuing to push the rear of the target sideways virtually ensures loss of control of the targeted vehicle. By moving forward out of position, or by staying squarely in front of the PIT unit the lead vehicle can disallow the PIT unit from gaining proper positioning to conduct the maneuver. Alternatively, rapid deceleration will, of course, force the PIT unit to overshoot the required positionin.Advanced Defensive Driving
Defensive driving
The standard Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operations, ANSI/ASSE Z15.1, defines defensive driving as "driving to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others." This definition is taken from the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course...
Courses taught to VIP protection personnel
VIP Protection Unit
The VIP Protection Unit otherwise known as G4 is a branch of the Hong Kong Police Force. The original name had been given to the unit since it is the 4th division of the former Royal Hong Kong Police Force's Special Branch division...
would train drivers other advanced vehicle control techniques, such as using J-turn
J-turn
A J-turn is a driving maneuver used to reverse a backwards-traveling vehicle so as to continue driving in the same direction, but with the vehicle pointed forward. The J-turn is also called "moonshiner's turn", based on the evasive driving tactics used by bootleggers. A J-turn differs from a...
s as a way of controlling the spinout resulting from a successful PIT maneuver being performed. All this assumes that the road surface is in optimal condition; a wet road surface
Hydroplaning (road vehicle)
Aquaplaning or hydroplaning by the tires of a road vehicle, aircraft or sometimes roller coaster occurs when a layer of water builds between the rubber tires of the vehicle and the road surface, leading to the loss of traction and thus preventing the vehicle from responding to control inputs such...
could make all attempts at recovery pointless.
Policies
The PIT is not applicable in every situation, and many factors affect the usefulness of the technique. Many of these factors relate to safety concerns: typical police policy recommends that an officer not to attempt the PIT at speeds greater than 35 miles per hour (55 kilometers per hour), and requires careful choice of location, considering all possible effects on other traffic and pedestrians. Because of the police department's potential liability for the injury or death of not only of the occupants of the target vehicle, but also bystanders, most departments limit its use to only the most high-risk scenarios. Most departments specify that the PIT should only be used to stop pursuits that are immediately dangerous and ongoing. When possible, a minimum of three pursuers should be present when a PIT is executed: one as the PIT vehicle and two following at a greater distance to react to the results.The PIT is especially hazardous when the vehicles' bumpers are of significantly different heights, or against target vehicles with a high center of gravity such as van
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
s or SUVs.
Some suggest that due to the utilization of electronic control systems on modern vehicles, the policies of using PIT maneuvers might need some more consideration.
The PIT maneuver is not permitted during police pursuits in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
TPAC
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and describes training for managing and terminating police pursuits. TPAC embodies several methods of stopping fleeing vehicles, including rolling roadblocks, use of Stinger spike strips, and the "box and stop" containment method. TPAC is most effective on separated carriageways (such as motorways) where the path of the suspect is limited. It is not suited to roads with frequent intersections, those with two-way traffic on a single carriageway, or highways where the suspect may escape by means of a U-turn across the median strip.
Once a fleeing driver is contained on a motorway, a rolling block is initiated ahead of the pursuit. When the pursuit reaches the slowed traffic, the suspect can either attempt to pass the traffic or stay behind it. If the suspect chooses to stay behind the traffic, communication between the pursuing vehicles and the blocking vehicle(s) will lead to the block coming to a standstill, and the vehicle is surrounded and occupants detained. If the fleeing driver chooses to pass the traffic, usually on the hard shoulder, the pursuing vehicles follow it. Once past the traffic, the police vehicles can box in the suspect's vehicle and bring it to a controlled stop through coordinated braking, utilizing the sterile area in front of the blocking vehicle(s) to do so without endangering other road users.
In the UK, TPAC is specialist training given to advanced police drivers. As with the PIT technique, consideration has to be given to the size, weight and center of gravity of the fleeing vehicle. The most commonly used UK police vehicle for TPAC (as of 2007) seems to be the Volvo T-5 V70 Estate, which has found widespread acceptance throughout UK Police forces as a traffic policing vehicle.
