If youre speeding, and a cop passes you on the other side of the road, can he get your speed?

[BD2003]

I've always wondered this. I speed. I just can't do 30 on these roads. So if I get caught, thats my bad, and I deserve it - I choose to take that chance.

Anyways...if I'm driving down one lane, and a cop is coming past the other lane, can he still hit you with a radar/laser while youre BOTH moving? Or does he need to be stationary?

And another obvious question - if laser is line of sight, wtf use is a laser detector? If you detect it, you've already been gunned, no?

 

[MercenaryForHire]

IANAL

1) He has to be stationary if you're going opposite ways. If you're going the same way, he can pace you off his speedo.
2) Laser can refract or scatter off passing vehicles, that's what it's trying to pick up

- M4H

 

[BriGy86]

i don't know if the cop used a laser gun, but my mom did get a cop that drove through the median and pulled her over

 

[mad0maxx]

Usually that happens when they have another cop hiding somewhere and tagged her with the laser gun... happens all the time where I live

 

[Ramma2]

Yeah, I've been hit with the radar gun as we were passing and got pulled over.

 

[tweakmm]

Yes, they can clock you.

Laser detectors are best used in conjunction with laser jammers.
Luckily my state doesn't use lasers so it's not a problem I have to worry about.

 

[acemcmac]

Yes. Many cop cars have forward and rear facing radar. In many states the cop must be stationary to legally use the radar, but in many, they don't.

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: tweakmm
Yes, they can clock you.

Laser detectors are best used in conjunction with laser jammers.
Luckily my state doesn't use lasers so it's not a problem I have to worry about.

Laser jammers are nonsense. Detectors are hit and miss at best.

If the OP is really worried about it, he should invest in a good radar detector (V1, sti driver or 8500 x50)

 

[j00fek]

paint your car with the b-1 bomber paint

 

[Cuhulainn]

Yup. They definitely have moving radar. Works on oncoming traffic. My wallet can attest to it.

 

[jtvang125]

I've seen this many times on a 2 lane highway (one going, one coming). CHP coming other direction slows down and pulls over, bust a U turn and come back and pull over the speeding car. I don't know exactly what they used but they will do it if needed.

 

[spidey07]

Of course they can.

Have you ever been in a cruiser? They have radar pointed all over the place. I've been in one cruiser that would point an arrow at the fastest car on the road with deadly accuracy. No matter if they were in the other lane or not.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: jtvang125
I've seen this many times on a 2 lane highway (one going, one coming). CHP coming other direction slows down and pulls over, bust a U turn and come back and pull over the speeding car. I don't know exactly what they used but they will do it if needed.

Probably happens on the 5 a lot? Heh. Thank goodness I live in a well populated area that they can't just bust a u-turn like that without crashing into the divider.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: acemcmac
Yes. Many cop cars have forward and rear facing radar. In many states the cop must be stationary to legally use the radar, but in many, they don't.

So does that mean he clocks me AFTER I pass him? So if I were to slow down before I passed him, I'd be safe?

I'm pretty sure they use lasers around here. How accurate are the detectors anyway? I've always felt if it wasn't going to save me near 100%, I'd be better of spending the money on a speeding ticket.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Yes. They have radar detectors that can differentiate your speed from thier own. From any direction.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Of course they can.

Have you ever been in a cruiser? They have radar pointed all over the place. I've been in one cruiser that would point an arrow at the fastest car on the road with deadly accuracy. No matter if they were in the other lane or not.

Thankfully, no, I've never been in a cruiser.

 

[scott916]

Definitely. A friend of mine told me he was in a CHP cruiser once when his car broke down on the freeway and the radar had a separate readout for each of the three lanes. I can also tell you I've been busted by a cop coming the other direction, and he clocked me at the right speed.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: BD2003

Thankfully, no, I've never been in a cruiser.

heh, it was pretty neat. I blew a timing chain on the way to work and an officer pulled over. He said he'd give me a ride to work. So on the way I grilled him on how all his gadgetry worked.

Other times I've been in a cruiser it wasn't in the front seat though.

 

[sswingle]

Another vote for yes. It merely calculates from the speed the cop is going.

 

[BD2003]

Good to know then. I've been pulled over twice. Once a looong time ago - he was stationary. Once more recently, but he let me off. He heard my car tearing down the street - THAT is what a 8k redline REALLY gets you. He got out of his car and ran over and stood still to clock me...so technically stationary. The only time I've ever seen them get someone while moving was when they were in the same direction and he was following behind.

And there have been many a time when it'd be night, and I couldn't tell the cops from regular cars. Then I zoom by at 50 in a 30, realize its the po-po, and wonder why they don't just turn around and nab me. Then again, EVERYONE does 50 on these roads, even the cops. It's funny when you see a cop pull onto one of these roads - obviously, no one in their right mind is going to speed in front of the cop. So he tailgates the shiet out of them, traffic backs up, and the guy ain't budging. You can see the frustration as the cruiser swerves left and right, trying to get around him.

Funny thing is, one time, same situation, the cop is tailgating the hell out of this SUV. So he speeds up, to about 45. The cop pulls him over.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Yes, they can get your speed. It's as simple as subtracting his speed from your combined speeds which is what the radar gun will capture. It may even do this automatically now.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
1) He has to be stationary if you're going opposite ways. If you're going the same way, he can pace you off his speedo.

That's not true. Moving radar works by measuring the speed of the oncoming car, measuring the speed of the cop car (by bouncing off of the pavement in front of him, IIRC), and subtracting the one from the other.

 

[KLin]

that's how I got my last speeding ticket 3 years ago. I was doing about 70 on a country road that's 55. He was tucked in behind a pickup truck heading the opposite way, and when I saw him it was too late. He u-turned, and I had me a speeding ticket.

 

[Tommouse]

Laser can only used while stationary. Thank freeeaking gawd, I have lasered a bunch of times now, all thankfully I was obeying the speed limit ... at that time. The ah heck was hiding at in a little valley between two hills so there was little chance of detecting him via line of sight, or his laser hitting other cars. So needless to say don't speed to bad over the top of a hill, as they will blast you on the other side.

The NY troopers use Ka, so that is a big red flag. When I detect one of those just hop over into the next lane and do 5 over. They can nail you going the other way with radar, although I saw many troopers coming the other way in traffic and never picked up any reading on my detector. So they aren't scanning on the time it seems.

For reference I have a Escort Passport x50 ... if that?s of any use to anyone

decent site for radar info
http://www.radarbusters.com/support/product-tests/4.asp