Wow! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3opDcpPxllE&NR=1
Seen that many times, good driver. This is my favorite video when I first saw it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D9zw0M0YCk&feature=related
Someone spinning on a smooth highway that wide is not impressive. Why did he let himself get spun 3 times and nearly flipped off of an overpass? If the car wasn't pointing forward after the spin would it be so impressive? A car will only spin so much when tapped from behind, that's why all three spins look the same and it doesn't take any skill at all. As for the car whipping around any car can do that. 20 miles per hour in reverse, turn the wheel 1/4 turn in one direction sharply and then whip the wheel in the other direction 3/4 turn and drive off. Simple and easy.
Isn't it unbelievably dangerous and irresponsible by the police to spin a car around on a crowded highway? What if he lost control and crashed into a van with a soccer mom and her 7 kids?
It didn't look that crowded and when he was spinning it looked fairly wide open. Also getting clipped in the rear wouldn't be so bad and a car loses a ton of speed when all 4 wheels are locked up, like when a car is spinning.
It's the tactics of spinning cars while there's any traffic around that makes me wonder. The point is to make him lose control of his car, and that's never good if other cars are around...
The point of the PIT is to end the chase, spinning the car on a road so wide usually doesn't do anything to stop the chase, unless like the ending the car goes wide and hits something. Proper PIT's should make the car stop and stay stopped, like turning the car into a ditch or lamp post. That car was going so fast that any move by the police to stop itr was dangerous, a spike strip may have been a slightly better option but that takes time to lay down, you also have to know where the car will be in 5 minutes and that's a long time when chasing someone. Direction change comes quickly without warning and also if the police lay down a spike strip, they have to get out of the way quickly or risk being struck. Like I said the freeway was mostly clear and I don't think the police took much flack for the termination of the chase as long as they were allowed to chase at that speed. The ending was a bit horrifying, if that car went over the edge that would have been awful.
As for the car whipping around any car can do that. 20 miles per hour in reverse, turn the wheel 1/4 turn in one direction sharply and then mash the throttle whip the wheel in the other direction 3/4 turn and drive off.
Yes, I forgot to mention that and too much throttle for too long can make you over shoot the 180 degrees.