Got a speeding ticket, just how does a cops radar gun work?

[Stallion]

I got pulled over for "supposidly" doing 52 in a 35 and at a price of $152 I'm going to go to court to try and get it dropped/cut. But just how does a radar gun work. Does it have to be pointed dirrectly at one car to get a good reading? What if there is a group of 3-4 cars, how does the cop know which car is the one doing the number on the read out.

I know I was speeding but I don't think I was going as fast as he said and there was a group of 4 cars that all pulled up on him at about the same time so I was wondering how he knows it was me who wasspeeding the most or did he just pull me over because I was the first one to pass by him while everyone else was slamming on their brakes.

 

[StageLeft]

He knows through experience. How fast do you honestly think you were going? Sounds like you just admitted guilt. Pay the ticket

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I am sure there are sites that detail it for you, however Skoorb is right. If you were in a group, he is permitted to tag one of the cars even if he does not know precisely how fast YOU were going. To argue contrarywise before a court is merely postponing the inevitable. The best you could hope for is to find the gun wasn't calibrated according to protocol. Good luck with that though.

 

[Stallion]

I know I was going at least 45 but he made it sound like he knew exactly how fast I was going when to me it looked like he had to be guessing I was the one doing 52. I know I'll have to pay but I would much rather pay less. Plus I haven't had a ticket in over 11 years.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: Stallion
I know I was going at least 45 but he made it sound like he knew exactly how fast I was going when to me it looked like he had to be guessing I was the one doing 52. I know I'll have to pay but I would much rather pay less. Plus I haven't had a ticket in over 11 years.

Depending where you live, you may be able to get them to reduce the fine/points. Kind of iffy though. I suppose it could not hurt to try, but there are usually court costs associated with fighting it. Still depending on your situation, it might be worth it. You could say you were not the fastest car in the pack, and point to your driving record. 11 years without incident certainly merrits consideration (unless you happen to be Saddam- couldn't resist that one )

 

[Stallion]

How many tickets can you have on your record before your insurance goes up Does it go up with the first one. I don't remember... I have had at least 7-8 speeding tickets when I was younger. 4 of them were on my record at one time. Expensive..

I'm more worried about the insurance then anything. I figured I might be able to wiggle my way out of it.

And I don't get the Saddam reference.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

LOL, don't worry about the Saddam thing.

It all depends on your state, and the particular weight it puts on violations, a question I cannot answer. They do not stay on your record forever, and yours is clean. I got one for speeding a few years ago (which was funny because I wasnt speeding at the time) and it did not hurt me. If you are given just a few points, I would not think you would get hit hard if at all.

 

[Johnnie]

good reading

 

[LordThing]

You sure it was radar? If he was using laser, he would be able to pinpoint you exactly.

 

[Stallion]

He said he had me on a radar going 52. He was facing the same way as me so that means if he was pointing the radar gun at the cars coing down the road he had to be doing so over his shoulder which to me would seem a little awkward sitting in a car. If he wasfacing us he might be able to point it at just one car but at 11:30 at night and our cars coming from behind him would make it seem like he had a hard time telling just who was going fastest.

 

[FishTankX]

Originally posted by: Hayabusarider

Originally posted by: Stallion
I know I was going at least 45 but he made it sound like he knew exactly how fast I was going when to me it looked like he had to be guessing I was the one doing 52. I know I'll have to pay but I would much rather pay less. Plus I haven't had a ticket in over 11 years.

Depending where you live, you may be able to get them to reduce the fine/points. Kind of iffy though. I suppose it could not hurt to try, but there are usually court costs associated with fighting it. Still depending on your situation, it might be worth it. You could say you were not the fastest car in the pack, and point to your driving record. 11 years without incident certainly merrits consideration (unless you happen to be Saddam- couldn't resist that one )

He meant that 11 years without any trace of an offence on the record certainley merrits rethinking the charge, unless you happen to be saddam and the U.S. thinks your a threat regardless of what reccord you have.

 

[jaydee]

Don't radars use the Doppler effect principle? Send out waves and see how long it takes for them to get back.

 

[jaydee]

Originally posted by: FishTankX

Originally posted by: Hayabusarider

Originally posted by: Stallion
I know I was going at least 45 but he made it sound like he knew exactly how fast I was going when to me it looked like he had to be guessing I was the one doing 52. I know I'll have to pay but I would much rather pay less. Plus I haven't had a ticket in over 11 years.

Depending where you live, you may be able to get them to reduce the fine/points. Kind of iffy though. I suppose it could not hurt to try, but there are usually court costs associated with fighting it. Still depending on your situation, it might be worth it. You could say you were not the fastest car in the pack, and point to your driving record. 11 years without incident certainly merrits consideration (unless you happen to be Saddam- couldn't resist that one )

He meant that 11 years without any trace of an offence on the record certainley merrits rethinking the charge, unless you happen to be saddam and the U.S. thinks your a threat regardless of what record you have.

I've been told that (in NY anyway), speeding ticket fines go to the state government, while lesser offenses (equipment malfunction, parking violations), the local town government pockets the fines. Of course, the hearing is held within the town that the ticket was issued and the judge is most likely from that town which is why is easy to get it reduced to a parking ticket most times.

 

[Wolverine27]

Originally posted by: jaydee
Don't radars use the Doppler effect principle? Send out waves and see how long it takes for them to get back.

Yes.

 

[Wolverine27]

Originally posted by: Stallion
How many tickets can you have on your record before your insurance goes up Does it go up with the first one. I don't remember... I have had at least 7-8 speeding tickets when I was younger. 4 of them were on my record at one time. Expensive..

I'm more worried about the insurance then anything. I figured I might be able to wiggle my way out of it.

And I don't get the Saddam reference.

I think you'll have a chance at reducing the fine...but I doubt you'll be able to totally avoid the ticket.

Good luck.

 

[Zombie]

Go to court and pay the minimum fine instead of $152. Chances of getting the ticket dropped look very slim.

 

[ScottMac]

With radar, one set of signals are sent, the time to return gives a distance (the round-trip time of the signal).

A second (third, fourth ...) set of signals also provide distance. The difference of the distances over a precise period of time tells the radar system / processor how much time it took you to travel that distance, then it displays the speed to the cop.

The whole process to lock in your speed takes a couple milliseconds - far less time than it takes to get you foot to the brake and start slowing down. Usually by the time you utter "Oh Sh!t," you are already measured and locked in.

Radar detectors only have to measure the one-way signal, so they provide (generally, varies with manufacturer) approximately double the distance to the effective range of the radar.

Laser is basically the same system, just with light.

FWIW

Scott

 

[stonecold3169]

Well, I can only speak going from new york state procedure, but here goes.

First of all, you said he was facing the same way as you. Here in NY, cops can have both front and rear radar, and it's mounted on the car itself, so he could have gotten you. Also, I know here on the interstates they use helicopters and the such to help assist in catching speeders, although I've never seen one out at night.

As far as reductions go, here you can file a reduction once every 3 years. The reduction won't lower your fine, although it DOES change the place that gets it (for speeding the community usually gets it, with a reduction it goes to the state). The reduction simply changes it to a stationary ticket, so that you don't get any points on your license and also it won't show on your record at all. Sorta like a parking ticket with a big fine.

Good luck!

 

[piku]

How does it work? Very well, apparently.

 

[rahvin]

In answer to your question that no one else has answered. Radar cannot pick a car out of a pack, it simply locks the highest speed vehicle. Laser can pick a specific car.

 

[Toasthead]

yer busted. He doesnt care which car it was, if all the cars in the group were going about the same speed then theres nothing you can do.

 

[mdbound]

I think that you are busted unfortunately....cars in a pack are prime targets for cops and most people fall for that trap as they think they are safe. If you are going to drive fast, drive fast by yourself or with some guy behind you, and not with traffic or weaving through traffic.

However, the problem with radar is the Angle of Incidence. If the radar gun is perpendicular to the target (90 degrees), then the return speed will be zero (the car is NOT travelling toward or away from the radar gun). What this means from a practical sense is that even small angle variations will reduce the reported "speed". So, unless the cop gets you straight on, the speed that shows up on his radar gun is less that what you are actually travelling. Of course, they know this, but they can't say, "I clocked you at 69 in a 70 zone" when they know that you were probably going like 78.

Anyway, just something to keep in mind.

Oh, also, Radar is also "light"...it's just a different frequency on the electromagnetic spectrum. "Laser" just happens to be more focused and more precise (hence laser), vs. old fashioned radar which sends out a broad pulse.

MD.