true blue in wake county's blog

speed trapping and radar

 abuse

A favorite of law enforcement officers all over the state, and a not so favorite for the ones who get caught:

"I didn't realize I was driving that fast sir."

"What? No way, your radar is wrong"

"Deputy, I really had to pee...did you expect me to wet my pants?"

"I'm on my way to the hospital, its an emergency"

"Trooper, may I see the radar please"

"What about the guy in front of me that was doing at least 80, but you stopped me instead"

 "Ummm revoke my license on the spot? You can't do that" (yes we can)

We hear it all.  Some politely accept the fact that speed kills and they were indeed exceeding the limit. Works for me - here's your WARNING ticket, now slow down please.  Others - are content to argue and argue and argue and in some cases - argue themselves out of the ticket and into a nice pair of trinkets. Not something I was expecting to accomplish but hey, whose counting.

Are speed traps legal in the state? yup....can we run radar from a residential driveway in a neighborhood that we recieve a wide level of speeding complaints? Sure can....Do we actually even NEED radar to stop a person for speeding and issue either a verbal warning or a state citation? Nope. Wanna know a really sneaky trick we bad cops play? Here's a freebie - I'll back my car between the vehicles on display at car dealerships and run radar....you never even see me.  I'm dastardly like that. 

Although I myself prefer radar, I don't necessarily need it, per supreme court rulings. yes, I know - radar is not infallible, its only as accurate as the user, the cop will lie and use the radar as an "excuse" blah blah blah.  Heres the facts folks:

     No, we cannot "tamper" with the radar in order to raise the speed that you were going just so we can write specifically "you" a ticket.

     Yes, the radar does have its "moments" as far as accuracy - if in doubt, I don't stop the car.  25% of all radar tickets are in error. The most noticeable and common mistakes include shadowing, RFI interference, cosine error and mechanical interference. We as officers all understand this.

     Under NC training standards, officers are not simply handed a Crown Vic equipped with Eagle 2's and told to go forth and multiply. We attend a pretty comprehensive 40hr course with strict training standards that employs use of radar and estimation within 4 mph without radar.

Now, I'm going to really burst your bubble.  You know those really expensive Cobra's and K band radar detectors (among others) that you spend all that money on so you can speed on our freeways?  they dont work!! But *sigh* it does give you that sense of "security" huh....

Passive jammers and active jammers are designed on the theory that when an officer shoots your car with either a radar signal or laser the signal the radar/laser is reflected back to the officers device, with an added FM chirp.

The problem with this theory, if you are further away then three feet from the  radar signal, the reflected signal from your expensive detector is not strong enough to jam. There's more but I won't reveal it all here.

In short - with what I have in my unit - when your chirp goes off, I've already got you. Aint it great!!! My system uses your jam as a reflect and sends the signal back you - after I have acheived a "lock".  Theoritically, I use your own detection signal against you.

My advice? Just slow down...whats the hurry? The movie is not going anywhere, the sale will advertise again, its better to get poked in the eye for being late for work instead of never arriving again.

Enforcement of NC statute 20-16.1 is mainly what I try to focus on. That is the mandatory suspension of driver's license upon conviction of excessive speeding, exceeding by more than 15 miles per hour the speed limit, either within or outside the corporate limits of a municipality, if you were also driving at a speed in excess of 55 miles per hour at the time of the offense, or driving at a speed in excess of 80 miles per hour at the time of the offense. These are the so-called "real money" tickets.  Speeds that no doubt can get you or others around you killed quick. 

Do I care if the speed limit is 55 and you are doing 60? no, get real....I'm more interested in the speed demons and lead foots that are legitimately hauling azz. 

When you get up in the mornings and running a little late, gotta stop by daycare before the late fee kicks in - if you see the lone patrol cruiser sitting at the crest of the hill in the center of the grass - slow down because you never know....

Had a bad experience with a cop running radar and there is just NO WAY (in your mind) you were doing what he/she said you were - post it......

TRU

Filed under: Crime