First, I want to say that my early comment about shooting at tyres was in the context of shooting at people; it was a step down in the violence, not a step up.

Second, even if you can't stop the vehicle, it can be useful to mark it so that anyone who sees it will notice its passing, and any police will likely investigate. It may also be noticed if taken to a garage for repairs. It can be better than nothing.

As I understand it, abducted children rarely survive the first 24 hours anyway. If the kidnapper does have to abandon the car in a hurry, they may not have time to kill the child. I appreciate your point about them not being rational, but it's still worth noting that there isn't much for them to gain by killing it. They've been seen by adults at the abduction, they probably used their own car and in any case will probably have left forensic evidence in it. Leave it alive will tend to distract anyone chasing them, and of course will look better in court.

Agreed; and I'm not saying DO act.