What is the PIT maneuver and when do police officers use it?
Police officers use a variety of tools and tactics to enforce the law on American roads and highways. However, even with air units and specific driving maneuvers on the table, few acronyms generate the sort of buzz that the “PIT” maneuver does. So, just what is a police PIT maneuver, also known as a TVI?
A PIT maneuver, or TVI, is a technique for stopping a chase using some vehicle-to-vehicle contact
Police officers have to engage in pursuits from time to time. To stop these chases, officers can use tools and tactics like spike strips or roadblocks. While effective, there is a tactic for nearly every situation. One such tactic is the PIT, or “precision immobilization technique.”
The PIT maneuver, also known as a “tactical vehicle intervention (TVI),” involves using a patrol vehicle to prompt a loss of traction and stability in a suspect vehicle. To execute such a maneuver, officers approach a suspect vehicle and do their best to match its speed.
Of course, before an officer attempts such a maneuver, they likely require command approval before attempting a PIT. Also, an officer likely won’t use a potentially dangerous maneuver like a PIT unless a fleeing vehicle is itself dangerous to public safety.
After that, an LEO will line up with a suspect vehicle and prepare to make contact with its rear quarter panel. Following the preparation, the officer will make contact with the rear quarter panel and apply a bit of inward steering to disrupt the fleeing vehicle from its direction of travel. Ideally, the maneuver will cause the suspect vehicle to spin out and stop.
Still, in some cases, the target vehicle will recover from the intervention maneuver, per Police1. In those situations, the chase will likely resume, with officers planning another maneuver or an alternative interdiction.
However, the maneuver sometimes results in a vehicle crash or worse: bystander injuries. As such, police officers often seek alternatives to end potentially dangerous pursuits. For instance, many state and local law enforcement agencies may use spike strips, or a “tire deflation device,” to puncture a suspect’s tires and slow them to a stop.
