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Bold new plan for police pursuits:
Constable Peter McAulay, 24, was hit early [on the morning of Sept. 27] after setting up road spikes to try and stop two teenagers in an allegedly stolen vehicle. A 16-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl have been charged with attempted murder after Constable McAulay was rushed to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital with serious head injuries and broken bones and fractures.
After the horrific crash, Queensland Police Union President Ian Leavers is calling for remote vehicle immobilisers to become mandatory in new cars.
"I started in 2012. I have written to three successive prime ministers but it is now time for action, bipartisan support. With remote engine immobilisers there will never be a need for a police pursuit," Mr Leavers told Today. "The primary situation is to protect lives and property. It can improve safety. It is a great thing. It is a no-brainer. We need to change the Australian design regulation. Within five to 10 years there will never be another police pursuit. We will be able to disable any stolen car at any point in time and ensure safety. It is commonsense."
The proposed engine immobilisers wouldn't just be able to stop a car in its tracks, police would also be able to track vehicles through GPS.
(Score: 2) by insanumingenium on Thursday October 04 2018, @03:40PM (3 children)
We call it a trunk not because they are a box with a lid, but because they initially were literally trunks strapped to the back of vehicles, such a useful idea it became standard to simply built into the bodywork.
Here is an example you can still buy new for the purpose [snydersantiqueauto.com]
(Score: 2) by fyngyrz on Thursday October 04 2018, @10:09PM (2 children)
Yep. It's like a trunk, and it's used like a trunk, and we used to carry trunks around just as you describe (and well before motor vehicles did it, too... check out stagecoaches, personal coaches, etc.) Perfectly apt description.
Then there's shipment (sent by truck) and cargo (sent by ship.)
Slim chance... fat chance... same.
Vegetarians eat vegetables. Humanitarians eat... humans?
I love English. It's such a mess. :)
(Score: 4, Funny) by Reziac on Friday October 05 2018, @06:51AM
"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."
--James D. Nicoll
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by insanumingenium on Friday October 05 2018, @03:14PM
Which always makes me think of the perhaps cliched quote (I believe it is attributed to James Nicoll, but frankly I am not certain of its parentage at this point).
"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."