A new police guideline introduced in 2016 and rubber-stamped by the ACT government put strict rules around how and when a road pursuit of an offender could take place.

The police association believes the policy change has given the "green light" to people committing dangerous traffic offences such as driving at high speeds, driving on the wrong side of the road and through red traffic lights in the knowledge they can do so with impunity and not be chased by police.

Under the guideline, property or traffic offences, or the confirmation of a stolen car are not sufficient reason for police to chase the offender.

However, police members have consistently warned that stolen cars are used in the commission of many serious offences and effectively letting the thieves drive away sends a message out to the criminal community that police are going "soft" on these offences.

Police now have been forced to adopt the risky tactic of deploying road spikes ahead of stolen cars in an attempt to stop them.

This was the exact scenario on Monday afternoon on Tilyard Drive in Flynn when the driver deliberately aimed at the police officer.

Fortunately, the experienced traffic officer stepped away at just the right time and the car struck him a glancing blow. He suffered minor injuries.

Road spikes are teflon-coated steel spokes and quills encased in a triangular bag, with a strap. Police throw the bag out onto the roadway in front of a car to puncture the tyres.

The federal police association, which represents about 1000 sworn officers and civilian staff working in the ACT, said this incident is the latest in several and it had been contacted by a number of officers in recent weeks who say that drivers of stolen or fleeing cars are now deliberately aiming their cars at police to escape.

"Canberra isn't the only jurisdiction facing this issue. In other parts of the country, we've heard of police are being targeted by drivers because of a soft approach to chasing offenders and unsupportive legislation," Australian Federal Police Association president Angela Smith said.

"We've recently had police officers rammed and struck by cars in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania and now here in the ACT.

"The actions of these drivers, who deliberately ram police vehicle or drive at police officers is extremely dangerous, it really is a life-threatening situation for the officers.

"Current legislation is inadequate in addressing the seriousness of the offence. Offenders know the police policy regarding pursuits and they just drive away, usually at speed, knowing that police can’t intervene.

"In Canberra this week an officer was struck after deploying stop sticks and it’s pure luck that the officer wasn’t seriously injured or killed."

Ms Smith has urged the ACT to follow the example set by Victoria where the government introduced tough legislation to help protect police and emergency services workers from the risk of a deliberate attack using a vehicle.

In Victoria, a statutory two-year minimum jail term is imposed if an on-duty police officer or emergency worker is injured by an offender who has intentionally exposed the worker to risk by driving, with up to 20 years as a maximum sentence.

Under the aggravated offences, offenders cannot be sentenced to a community correction order or other community-based order unless there are special circumstances. There is also a presumption against bail for the new offences.

When the new laws were announced, Victoria's police minister Lisa Neville said: “Anyone who uses their vehicle as a weapon against our police officers deserves to feel the full force of the law – and that’s exactly what these new laws deliver.”

In 2011, the Greens' Shane Rattenbury produced a community discussion paper around police car chases in which it said in the previous seven years seven people have died in connection with police chases, even though police were exonerated in most of the cases.

One of the most high profile cases was that of Canberra teenager Clea Rose, who was struck and killed by a stolen car in the city in 2005. The driver of that stolen car was 15 years old at the time and has subsequently been involved in multiple offences.

In March 2010, four people were killed on Canberra Avenue when a stolen car rammed into another vehicle at an intersection.

No criticism was made of police involvement but the Coroner Peter Dingwall urged consideration be given to the mandatory installation of immobiliser devices on cars that were likely to be the targets of theft as this would reduce a "great many more deaths involving stolen cars".