What Does A Stop Stick Do To Tires & Can They Be Reused?

A long police chase can be one of the most unpredictable events on the road and it can lead to major property damage as well as serious personal injury. But one device being used by law enforcement to help stop these dangerous high-speed pursuits is the Stop Stick; this device is designed to let the air out of a tire without causing the kind of sudden blowout that could make a vehicle uncontrollable.

The Stop Stick has a spike-and-quill assembly that penetrates the rubber of a tire on contact. The spike tip then separates from the quill as the tire continues to roll, leaving an opening that allows air to escape. The result is a controlled release of air that typically causes the tire on a passenger vehicle to deflate in around 20 to 30 seconds. Each three-foot Stop Stick has 36 quills arranged in three rows, giving it several points of contact with the tire.

Once a Stop Stick has been used, however, it cannot be reused. That's because any Stop Stick that has been hit by a vehicle is no longer considered fully functional and should be replaced. Users also cannot attempt to repair, dismantle, or open the device, meaning a damaged stick is not something that is easily fixed and put back into service. That said, if a deployed Stop Stick did not come into contact with a vehicle, it can be reused, but only after it's been fully inspected for damage.

The Stop Stick is lightweight at only 1.1 pounds and contains 36 spikes, with each one measuring 2 5/8 inches. These spikes are multi-directional, which means the stick doesn't have to land a certain way for the device to properly deploy. The Stop Stick also does not use wires, remote controls, or other electronic equipment in order to operate. The Stop Stick is safe for officers to handle because it's inside of a plastic housing which keeps the sharp spikes covered until it's deployed.

Multiple Stop Sticks can be grouped together for deployment, with the manufacturer offering 9-foot sleeves that hold three sticks and 12-foot sleeves that hold four. Stop Stick also offers a storage rack for several sticks that can be mounted in a trunk. Additionally, the Stop Stick system includes a cord reel that allows officers to retrieve the device after deployment. That cord is rated for up to 80 feet of length and a 150-pound test load.

According to the manufacturer, its devices have been involved in nearly 63,000 documented successful hits reported by law enforcement and customers across the U.S. and around the world. The company also says that its products have been deployed in more than 500,000 vehicles. A 2007 assessment conducted for the Department of Homeland Security found that experts rated the Stop Stick higher than other tire-deflation systems tested for spike effectiveness and overall system effectiveness.