A Spike Strip (commonly known as a Stinger) is a piece of equipment used by police to puncture the tires of a vehicle, attempting to slow it down and make it difficult to control during chases. The Spike Strip only appears in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as a law enforcement device, where officers deploy them from the roadside after a 3-star wanted level. Even though they are supposed to make pursuits tricky, evading the spikes is easy if driving fast enough, as the police deploy them once the player is close enough to the officer.
They make an appearance in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, in the mission 'Puncture Wounds', where the player must drive a Tampa, which has been modified to deploy Stingers, to stop an erratic driver and steal their vehicle. They are also used in the Driving School test 'Pop and Control'.
Trivia
- Rhinos are the only road vehicle unaffected by the spikes, as its tires are pop-proof.
- Even if the player is fleeing in an aircraft, the police would still deploy spikes on the roads below.
- In GTA: San Andreas, if only one tire hits the spike, all tires will be popped.