The Stinger is an anti
Joyriding device employed by many
Police forces. It consists
of a number of metal spikes on an extending base, and is designed to safely slow and stop
Joyriders or other car thieves by piercing their tyres.
The Stinger starts in a compact form (for easy storage and transport) but extends to a few feet long when 'deployed'.
Deployment is achieved by flinging it accurately across the road. Considerable practice is required to
correctly deploy the Stinger. Throw it wrong, and the spikes will end up laying along the
road surface rather than pointing correctly upwards. Having thrown the Stinger correctly across the road in front of an approaching (stolen) car,
the police officer must then retract the Stinger before his/her colleagues, the pursuing police officers,
drive over it and pierce their own tyres.
The spikes which constitute the effective weaponry of the Stinger are actually hollow tubes, which are
cunningly designed to break away from the base of the device. This results in fast Joyrider tyre deflation.
According to the manufacturer, Federal Signal Corporation, the average car tyre will deflate in 10 to 20 seconds, resulting in a safer chase.