Force/Mass Car Stopping STEM Project
The first car was invented in the late 1800’s and ever since then the safety of the occupants has been evolving and becoming more advanced. Go to this website and check out the timeline of transportation safety systems.
The safety features within vehicles has changed significantly over the past 100 years. All of these features are on the vehicle itself. However, there are sometimes when we need to stop a car or truck that is out of control or refuses to stop. Police have been trying to find the most efficient way to do this for years. Once of the main tools used by law enforcement is the spike strip.
https://www.chiefsupply.com/phoenix-intl-magnum-spike-strip-tire-deflation-device.html
The spike strip is deployed to puncture the tires of a vehicle during a police chase. The issue with spike stips is that when a car is traveling at a high rate of speed and the tires are punctured the car can lose control and crash injuring the occupants of the car.
There are many other situations when we need to stop vehicles. Military bases, certain businesses, or border crossings are great examples. At these types of locations the vehicle would be traveling through a toll both or gate. There are no police to give chase. Therefore, the method to stop the car has to be at a specific location and cannot move or chase the car. Some of the devices used today are pictured below.
Gate: The toll gate is the oldest tool used to top vehicles at a gate or toll booth. The gate is cheap, easy to install and move, and works most of the time. The problem with a gate system like the one below is that a car can easily crash through it.
(Insert picture of security gate)
Another tool used is a raised metal ramp. This device is installed in the roadway beyond the gate. If a car stops at the gate and is allowed to pass, the gate will raise and the ramp will drop into the road so the car can safely proceed. If the car doesn’t stop at the gate it will hit the metal ramp and crash or flip.The ramp is too steep for the car to simply “jump” and continue moving forward.
www.midlandbarrier.co.uk
The final example also raises out of the ground. This type of devices uses concrete or metal pillars that are dropped down when a car is cleared to safely pass. However, if a car crashes through the gate it will crash into these pillars. These pillars are very strong and will not bend or break. However, if a car crashes it will damage the car and injure the occupants of the car.
