Automotive
How hollow-quill tire deflation devices function during police pursuits
Tire deflation tools like Stop Sticks release air gradually to avoid explosive blowouts, but manual deployment poses risks for officers.
The short version
- Stop Sticks and similar products use internal hollow steel quills to vent tire air gradually rather than triggering sudden blowouts during police pursuits.
- The deployment requires law enforcement officers to manually position and retrieve the linked devices near active traffic lanes.
- Memorial fund data shows that dozens of officers have been killed while deploying tire deflation equipment over recent decades.
Key facts
- Stop Sticks contain 36 hollow, Teflon-coated steel quills inside a three-foot triangular polymer housing designed to puncture tires and slowly vent air.[Jalopnik]
- The hollow-quill mechanism acts like a relief valve to prevent high-speed blowouts and is shared by other competing tire-deflation devices.[Jalopnik]
- Up to four units can be connected to cover 12 feet of roadway, deployed and retracted from the roadside using a cord and reel mechanism.[Jalopnik]
- Data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund indicates 42 police officers were killed in the line of duty while deploying Stop Sticks between 1996 and 2022.[Jalopnik]