Police vehicle pursuits emphasize a central tension between law enforcement imperatives and public safety. While modern policies emphasize balancing apprehension needs against risks of continuation, little is known about whether public intuitions mirror this framework. We address this gap using a nationally representative conjoint experiment ( N = 3,334) that varied eleven contextual factors across randomized pursuit scenarios. Respondents rated perceived risk, indicated whether pursuits should be terminated, and made forced-choice tradeoffs. Across all outcomes, high-risk situational factors (e.g., high speeds, adverse weather, heavy traffic, urban settings, etc.) increased perceived danger and termination support, while more serious underlying offenses, particularly violent felonies, reduced it. These patterns align with the proportional balancing logic embedded in contemporary policy and training. Findings suggest restrictive, risk-sensitive pursuit policies are broadly consistent with public expectations, though tolerance for risk in violent felony cases may limit support for outright prohibitions.
Researchers surveyed over 3,000 Americans to understand when the public thinks police should call off high-speed chases, finding that people generally support ending pursuits when conditions become dangerous (high speeds, bad weather, heavy traffic) but are more willing to accept risks when violent criminals are being chased. These findings suggest that current police policies emphasizing risk-based decision-making align well with public expectations about when chases should continue versus when they should be stopped. Understanding public attitudes on police chases is important because these pursuits can result in serious injuries or deaths to officers, suspects, and innocent bystanders.
(AI-generated summary, v1, January 2026)
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