November appears to be the month for announcing inventions that can prevent and capture criminals. Last week ‘One for the Weekend’ reported on a bike lock that could make you vomit; this week it has been announced that a car lasso has been invented.
Wait..what? A car lasso? American police officers have invented ‘The Grappler’ which is a huge nylon net that can supposedly be attached to a car whilst on the move. The idea of ‘The Grappler’ is to advantage police during car chases, as when attached to a vehicle, the lasso causes the car to slow down and abruptly stop.
In the last thirty five years in the US, over ten thousand people have died in car chases, both those in the car and innocent bystanders. This is a serious issue in America, and in the UK where around 2,000 are injured each year as a result of police pursuits. If used correctly, ‘The Grappler’ could potentially prevent thousands of deaths and injuries, as well as making police chases more efficient.
When can we be expecting ‘The Grappler’ to be in use? Whilst the invention is up and running, police say that it will need a further eight years of testing to make sure that it passes safety procedures and poses limited risk to the public. Whilst this may seem like a very long time, it is reassuring to know that police are fully testing their products.
For more weird, interesting or humorous stories, head to the Label website and check out ‘One for the Weekend’!
– Written by Ellie MacKenzie
