Safe-Stop Technology Can Shut Down A Car Engine Using A Radio Pulse

A British company has created a new security device that can disable the engine of a car by blasting it with electromagnetic waves. These waves effectively confuse the vehicle’s electronic systems causing the engine to stall and coast to a stop.

This makes it an ideal non-lethal weapon for stopping vehicles at roadblocks, or an alternative to more aggressive tools such as spike strips. One of the many issues with spike strips is that they’re too dangerous to use against motorbikes and since the Safe-Stop will work on almost any modern engine, it’s easy to understand why police forces are showing an interest in this new device.

Deputy Chief Constable Andy Holt, of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), who has evaluated the tech, said the machine had “potential, but it’s very early days yet”.

The device is effectively a small radar transmitter, the pule from the unit couples into the wiring of the car, which in turn disrupts the electronic systems and stalls the engine. There are some fears that it would also effect safety features such as steering and breaking, but one can only assume these potential issues can we weighed against the potential benefits.

It is early days just yet, but the technology could be fitted to police cars, road barriers and areas that require high security.

Thank you BBC for providing us with this information.

Image courtesy of BBC.