Video: Watch FL Deputies Use This Maneuver To Stop Wrong-Way Driver

OLDSMAR, FL — While residents may have heard about the Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver used by law enforcement to halt drivers who are putting the public at risk, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is sharing a dash camera video showing deputies performing the maneuver.

On Aug. 25 just after 1 a.m., deputies spotted a car driven by a 78-year-old woman heading east in the westbound lanes of State Road 580 in Oldsmar.

After multiple attempts to get the driver to pull over, deputies successfully stopped the vehicle using the PIT maneuver and took the driver into custody.

According to the Department of Justice, a PIT maneuver is a technique used by law enforcement personnel to force a fleeing vehicle to abruptly turn 180 degrees, causing the vehicle to stall and stop.

In a study by the National Institute of Justice, vehicle pursuits by law enforcement results in more than 6,000 fatal crashes in the United States from 1996 to 2015 with about 30 percent of the fatalities being bystanders.

As a result, law enforcement agencies have developed strict policies on when to pursue a vehicle.

According to the institute, law enforcement officers have only moments to weigh whether the danger of pursuing the speeding vehicle is a greater risk to the public than allowing the reckless or fleeing driver to continue on without a pursuit.

Law enforcement agencies agree that wrong-way drivers, many of whom are under the influence of alcohol and drugs and aren't aware they're going the wrong way, pose too great a risk of a fatal accident with oncoming traffic.

The PIT maneuver allows law enforcement to quickly stop a wrong-way vehicle by using a patrol car to make contact with the rear quarter panel of the wrong-way vehicle causing a controlled spinout, making it easier to forcibly stop the vehicle.