Police in Britain and the United States will soon be able to stop a fleeing car with the help of a high intensity radio beam that disables the vehicle.

David Giri, who left his position as a physics professor at the University of California in Berkeley to set up a company called ProTech, developed the vehicle-stopping system for the U.S. Marine Corps and the Los Angeles Police Department.

When the radio waves hit the targeted car, they induce surges of electricity in its electronics, upsetting the fuel injection and engine firing signals. The range of the beam is about 50 yards, The Guardian reported.

The device fits in a car trunk and consists of a battery and a bank of capacitors that can store an electrical charge. Flicking a switch on the dashboard sends a burst of electricity into an antenna mounted on the roof of the car.

It works on most cars built in the past 10 years, because their engines are controlled by computer chips, said Giri, who said a prototype is due to be ready by next summer.

Police forces in Britain have also ordered tests on the new system.