Understanding Radar Equipment
by Brandon C. Hall
With the advent of the radar gun the police are able to determine a motorist's speed effectively and efficiently. They just point and shoot and in that split second they can tell how fast over the limit you were speeding.
Radar guns are a huge convenience for police. They clock the speed precisely, and it gives them the ability to determine from a fair distance away who is speeding and who is obeying that traffic law.
If you are stopped by a policeman or woman who has used their radar gun to record your speed, all hope is not lost. There are steps that you can take once the ticket has been issued that may result in you beating the speeding ticket.
Radar guns are machines. Machines malfunction. This is the key point when you decide to plead not guilty and forego the fine to appear in court. Depending on the size of your fine and its impact on not only your driving record but insurance premiums, this might be a worthwhile defense to pursue.
There are steps you need to take before your court date to validate your claim of "not guilty." Some jurisdictions will make available information related to law enforcement. The information that you are concerned about is the radar or laser equipment that the police are using. If this is public information, you'll need to get documentation regarding the make of the radar gun, the city or county's maintenance record, if possible the maintenance record on the radar gun that was used the day you received your speeding citation. There is also documentation on the training of officers in the use of radar guns. It is worthwhile to try and obtain this information in regards to the officer who issued your ticket. Experience might play a part in your defense; that being his or her experience with the equipment.
Being prepared is paramount when taking this into court. People make mistakes and although trying to argue that the officer was pointing the radar gun at the car next to you and not yours probably won't work, knowing the equipment and how it operates will be a huge benefit to you.
When you do appear in court, the officer who issued you the speeding citation will be present as well. If your defense is with the machinery, he will be expected to answer questions regarding his or her handling of the radar gun. Some of these questions might include when the radar gun last went through maintenance, if there has been any error with the gun in the past or since your ticket was issued. Also the manner in which the police officer handles the gun and records the speed will be addressed. It puts much of the onus of proof on the officer and the piece of equipment that recorded your speed. If the judge feels that there is reasonable doubt you might win your case and save yourself the fine.
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