Saturday, July 28, 2007

Have US televised police car chases gone too far?

Two TV helicopters have collided in Arizona, USA, while covering a police chase.

It was a very tragic accident that involved the deaths of four people. I don't wish to make light of it.

But is there a lesson here? Five helicopters were videoing one pick-up truck which was being chased by police.

...All for the entertainment of television viewers, some of whom pay to be paged whenever a pursuit is being shown.

If you want an emblem to typify the insanity of American television, then this is it. I don't think there is any suggestion that the driver of the pick-up truck involved was the USA's Number Wanted Man. He was no O J Simpson.

So is it worth up to five helicopter crews covering such chases, risking, and in this case causing, deaths?

And does the televising of such chases actually encourage the exhibitionist tendencies of alleged criminals so that they drive just that little more recklessly for the cameras?

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