Police Techniques
Did you know that more than 30% of traffic violations that are given are done in error? Faulty radar guns, laser guns, and other faulty techniques can cause you to receive a ticket that you should not receive. What makes matters worse; most people who receive traffic tickets pay their fine and never think twice about it.
There are many situations and causes of a faulty radar reading, including:
Interference. One of the most common forms of a faulty reading for radar guns and laser guns is interference. Radar guns use the electromagnetic spectrum to help them gauge the speed of a vehicle. Problems arise with interference when the electromagnetic spectrum has multiple forms of energy happening at once. Air conditioners in police cars and power lines overhead are common forms of interference.
Cosine Error. A correct reading on police equipment comes with experience. A cosine error on radar guns, typically happen with inexperience. These faulty readings usually occur due to the angle in which the police care is sitting or moving.
Shadowing. If a police officer is attempting to determine the speed while moving, a shadowing effect is common. This occurs when the officer passes behind a moving object, like a tractor-trailer. Radar guns will pick up the moving truck as the background instead of the real background, causing a faulty reading.
Two other common techniques used by police to detect speeders are pacing and aircraft speed detection.
Pacing provides one of the most common basis for speeding ticket. Unlike radar guns or laser guns, pacing requires the police officer to follow you and determine your speed using their own speedometer. For pacing to be accurate, the officer needs to maintain the same distance between their car and your car. This needs to occur long enough for the officer to achieve an accurate reading.
Problems typically arise with pacing if the officer follows you around curves or up or down hills, or if the pace is interrupted by a stop sign. Pacing is one of the least accurate forms of speed measurement, especially if the officer paces you but maintains a great distance between his and your car.
Aircraft speed detection is used to determine your car’s speed between one marking and another one. The pilot of the aircraft uses a stopwatch (one word) to determine your speed. If an aircraft determines you are speeding, an officer on the ground will be waiting to pull you over.
Don't assume that because an officer has used speed measuring technology, you cannot successfully fight your speeding ticket. To the contrary, thousands of Washington speeding tickets are dismissed each year due to inaccurate readings and other errors. Radar guns, laser guns and other forms of speed measurement are not foolproof.
If you simply pay your traffic ticket, you are admitting to a violation that you may not have committed or that you could have beaten in court.
Michael D. Sheehan specializes in traffic laws and has helped thousands of people, just like you, successfully contest their speeding ticket. He has over a decade's experience in convincing judges of the inaccuracy of radar readings, as well as other forms of speed measurement.
Call Mr. Sheehan and let him help you fight your speeding ticket.