UK police is showing interest in futuristic gadget that would disables suspect vehicles without involving high speed chases:

At the flick of a switch, a radio wave zapper directs a beam of radio waves –from a roof-mounted antenna, which has a range of about 50 metres– at the suspect’s car and makes it stall, then stop. The systems targets computer chips, now used in most cars to control the fuel injection and engine firing systems, and use them against the driver: by knocking these out the car cannot be driven.
Home Office scientists are testing the system but still want to know more about the effect of the device on non-suspect cars in the area. And, of course, it does not work on vehicles built before on-board computers were standard.

A super-strong spiked net , already being used by the military , which wraps itself around a car’s wheels and punctures its tyres is another device attracting a good deal of attention.
The X-Net can be laid across a road in the way of an oncoming vehicle to bring it to a complete standstill, typically within 75 metres.

Systems allowing a car to be immobilised and tracked by mobile phones are being developed for the owners’ benefit, but the technology could also help police.
A project would allow a stolen car to be stopped by cutting off its fuel supply via mobile phone. It can also limit the number of engine revolutions, thereby restricting the vehicle’s speed.
Steering is not affected and police would be directed to where the car was left via satellite tracking systems.

From BBC News.