The PIT maneuver (precision immobilization technique) or TVI (tactical vehicle intervention) is a pursuit tactic in which a pursuing vehicle forces a fleeing vehicle to turn sideways abruptly, causing the driver to lose control and stop. It was developed by BSR Inc. and first used by the Fairfax County Police Department in Virginia, United States. Other interpretations of the acronym "PIT" include pursuit immobilization technique, pursuit intervention technique, parallel immobilization technique, and precision intervention tactic. The technique is also known as tactical ramming, legal intervention, and fishtailing.
The technique is used by law enforcement officers to bring car chases to a conclusion. Other methods of stopping a fugitive vehicle include the use of spike strips, or the use of tactical pursuit and containment (see below).
History
The PIT maneuver was adapted from the bump and run technique used in stock car racing, where a driver would bump a competitor in the rear bumper to cause the other car to lose traction and swerve away from the racing line. The PIT maneuver differs from the bump and run in that the car is bumped from the side near a rear wheel, causing the vehicle in front to spin out. It is illegal to perform this maneuver intentionally 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.
The PIT originated in West Virginia during the late 1980s to halt fleeing vehicles as "tactical vehicle interception (T.V.I.)." The first U.S. law enforcement agency to teach PIT was the Fairfax County Police Department in Virginia, which modified the technique's parameters for initiation and execution in police tactics. Terry Pearson and Joseph McDowell were the first law enforcement officers to incorporate the technique into officer training. Terry Pearson named it the "Precision Immobilization Technique" or P.I.T.
A publication of the United States National Institute of Justice wrote in 1996: Known initially as "tactical ramming" or "legal intervention", this maneuver was more fully developed and popularized more than a decade ago by BSR Inc., the Summit Point, West Virginia, advanced driver training center, as tactical vehicle interception (TVI), a formal training technique for law enforcement.
Police departments throughout the United States consider the PIT maneuver as an intermediate force option that can safely end a pursuit.
Procedure
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. The pursuer must also accelerate or its bumper will slide off the target vehicle. As soon as the fleeing vehicle's rear tires lose traction and start to skid, the pursuer continues to turn in the same direction until clear of the target. This is more of a committed lane change than an actual turn. The target will turn in the opposite direction, in front of the pursuer, and will spin out. The PIT may be done from either side, but consideration must be given to where both cars will end up. 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. The PIT does not immediately immobilize the suspect vehicle; to prevent further flight, two police cars need to pin the suspect between them, front and rear.
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 positioning.