Editing Car chase (section)

===Risks and legal considerations===
[[File:36th & Aldrich Fatal Car Crash, North Minneapolis.jpg|thumb|The aftermath of a fatal collision between a suspect and another vehicle following a pursuit in [[Minneapolis]], [[Minnesota]] in 2019]]
High-speed car chases are recognized as a [[road safety]] problem, as vehicles not involved in the pursuit, [[pedestrian]]s or [[street furniture]] may be hit by the elusive driver, who will often violate a number of traffic laws, often repeatedly, in their attempt to escape, or by the pursuing police cars. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that 40 people a year are killed in road traffic incidents involving police, most as a result of a police pursuit.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/news/pr180907_rti.htm |title=IPCC publishes major study on police road traffic incidents |website=Independent Police Complaints Commission |date=18 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124022341/http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/news/pr180907_rti.htm |archive-date=2009-01-24 |url-status=unfit}}</ref> In the United States, chase-related deaths range between 300 and 400 people per year.<ref name="npr">{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2015/07/23/425598535/even-if-a-car-chase-will-help-police-nab-a-suspect-some-don-t |title=In Hot Pursuit Of Public Safety, Police Consider Fewer Car Chases|author=Bridgit Bowden |date=July 23, 2015 |work=All Things Considered |publisher=NPR |type=Transcript}}</ref>

The February [[2005 Macquarie Fields riots]] occurred in [[Sydney, Australia]] after a local driver crashed a stolen vehicle into a tree, killing his two passengers following a high-speed police pursuit. The death of university student Clea Rose following a police chase in Canberra sparked major recriminations over police pursuit policies.

In 2007, the [[United States Supreme Court]] held in ''[[Scott v. Harris]]'' (550 U.S. 372) that a "police officer's attempt to terminate a dangerous high-speed car chase that threatens the lives of innocent bystanders does not violate the [[Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fourth Amendment]], even when it places the fleeing motorist at risk of serious injury or death."

In most [[common law]] jurisdictions, the [[fireman's rule]] prevents police officers injured in such pursuits from filing civil lawsuits for monetary damages against the fleeing suspects, because such injuries are supposed to be an inherent risk of the job. Public outrage at such immunity has resulted in statutory exceptions. One example is [[California Civil Code]] Section 1714.9 (enacted 1982), which reinstates liability where the suspect knew or should have known that the police were present.

Policy on what circumstances justify a high-speed pursuit differ by jurisdiction. Some safety advocates want to restrict risky chases to violent felonies.<ref name="npr" /> Another option is to use technology to end or avoid the need for such chases. For example, vehicles can be tracked by aircraft or GPS tagging devices like StarChase, allowing police agencies to reliably intercept suspects using stationary blockades, lower-speed vehicles, or when the vehicle is parked.

A 2023 [[United States Department of Justice]] report recommends that police should only initiate a chase only if a violent crime has been committed and the suspect poses an imminent threat to commit another violent crime due to the dangers posed by high speed pursuits. The report also recommends policies that discourage or prohibit pursuits if the suspect is riding a motorcycle.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-22 |title=New federal report urges police to limit unnecessary pursuits |url=https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/federal-report-urges-police-limit-car-chase-pursuit-seeking-solutions/275-7e9a07d6-8fc3-43f4-9784-f0466d16b72d |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=wcnc.com |language=en-US}}</ref>