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.

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“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.

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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.