New stick stops young driver in his tracks

By Sarah Schwager
A NEW police weapon was used during a high-speed pursuit in Cranbourne last week when a learner driver clocked 170 km/h.
In a first for the region, the speeding motorist was caught after police used a tyre-deflation device known as ‘stop sticks’ to prevent the man from getting away.
Senior Sergeant Ken Dunlop from the Regional Traffic Tasking Unit (RTTU) said the device was introduced in December, but this was the first time it had been used and it had proved very successful.
A Springvale South man was detected driving 100 km/h in an 80 km/h zone along Thompsons Road in Cranbourne on Tuesday, 25 April.
Sen Sgt Dunlop said police attempted to intercept the man, who then turned left into the South Gippsland Highway and accelerated away.
He said another police car stationed further along the highway took up position to deploy the stop sticks.
The device is made up of a thin plastic hollow tube of about three to four metres long with a series of multi-directional spikes, which break off when they enter the tyre.
The punctures cause a controlled release of air, and it takes the car about 10 to 15 seconds to stop.
Sen Sgt Dunlop said the device was one of the many options police could use to intercept cars in a pursuit.
“It is a very effective device if you can deploy them,” he said. “It is also very easy to deploy.”
He said as more members from the RTTU were trained to use the stop sticks, they would be used more often in police pursuits.
An 18-year-old Springvale South man was charged on summons with manner dangerous, exceeding the prescribed alcohol limit and other related traffic offences.