A "Crash" Course on the PIT Maneuver: 2016 Writers’ Police Academy
Now that everyone has had the opportunity to catch their breath and decompress from an action-packed and extremely exhausting weekend at the 2016 Writers’ Police Academy, let’s take a brief moment to examine one of the sessions—PIT.
PIT (Pursuit Immobilization Technique or Precision Immobilization Technique, among other titles used) is a method used by police to end pursuits before a fleeing driver causes a crash or escapes custody. The technique is quite simple in theory—a pursuing car (the police) forces a fleeing car (the bad guy) to loose traction, spin, and then come to a stop. Officers are then typically able to take the driver and passengers into custody.
To help bring better realism to fiction, WPA/NWTC instructor Colleen Belongea first explained the technique to writers.
“There’s a very short window of opportunity here for the “sweet spot.” ~ Colleen Belongea, WPA/NWTC instructor speaking of the location on the target vehicle where contact should be made during the PIT.
Once the tactic was thoroughly explained, Colleen had the writers take turns behind the wheel on a closed course to test their driving skills. The end result for bestselling author and WPA keynote speaker Tami Hoag was, well, see for yourself …
* Top photo – Tami Hoag about to experience a thrilling ride with instructor Colleen Belongea.