http://speedtrap.org/

heres an idea, dont speed!

dont speed? wheres the fun in that?

going 80 on an Interstate is way different than going 50 in a residential area.

To me, those who speed near homes and kids are the ones who really should be ticketed.

Here, here! I admit, I speed on the highway, but I will stick to the set speed limit on al residential streets. I see it like this, God forbid you hit someone's child! And never, ever, EVER pass a school bus that has its lights on!

hehe, good luck using their advice!

And I quote:

Sorry, but it doesn't take me 3 seconds to clock someone. My radar unit typically returns a reading in far less than a second. The author is also assuming that the officer would necessarrily have to start clocking you from close range, which is not at all accurate. I write tickets for 1/2 - 3/4 mile out all the time. That distance also reduces the cosine error.

In addition to that, there is nothing saying that the radar reading is a one time only reading. Once activated, it is continous until the operator (officer) shuts it off or returns the unit to standby. This means that the officer can observe the indicated change in your speed as you drive by, even though you actual speed may stay the same. Thus, the officer can testify that the cosine error was observed, and proves that the unit was working as intended. It also proves that your actual speed was higher than your indicated speed, at which point you are assured a conviction.

Just goes to show, don't believe everything you read on the internet.

Not that I've ever used a radar gun, but I'm a physics student, soon to be a physics minor. Only if you are travelling directly at the (stationary) radar gun will it give your true speed reading. This cosine error (if I'm understanding correctly that it refers to the error produced by varying angles) will only give a lower speed than the car is actually traveling. For example, if you are clocked going exactly perpendicular to the radar, it will show a speed of zero, because you are not moving in reference to the radar. So even if you are clocked close the officer, it can be proven with simple physics that you were going even faster than the gun showed.

Food for thought I guess.

The cosine effect always benefits the violator. I don't see it as a very good defense in court. LOL

Sandman333,

Just curious....is there any minimum overage you generally don't pull people over for.

Say for example someone was going 8-9miles over. Would you persue them or would you wait for something a bit more. I know that I've passed cops sitting on the side of the highway several time going say 8-10mph over the speed limit and they didn't pull me over!

Always wondered if there was a minimum overage or something?

In defensive driving, they've told me 7. I'm sure it varies when you're on the highway and in the city, etc. My buddy got pulled over for doing 76 on the Interstate (75mph limit), and I know people that have just gotten warnings doing 15 over in the city. So I'm sure it's all relative.

Yes, but that is up to the individual officer. Generally, on the highway (55+ MPH zone) I won't pull someone over for speeding until they are doing 10+ over. At 15 over they get a ticket no matter what. In town, with speed limits of 20 - 30 MPH, 5 MPH over is the limit, anything over that is subject to stopping and ticketing. That might seem harsh, but you have to look at the speed % over the limit, and you will see what I mean.

I wonder about the cosine error. Since the officer is bringing the speed as determined by the radar gun as evidence, I suspect some might be convinced to dismiss it because of cosine error, regardless of who it favors.

It may be sufficient to prove that the gun is inaccurate, regardless of who it favors.

Of course there are other ways of backing that up, such as the officers training to judge speed by observing the vehicle and such.

Such is the quirks of our legal system. For a criminal offense, even a misdemenor such a speeding, the burden of proof is always on the prosecution, all the defendant has to do is present enough doubt to prevent conviction.

However, I suspect in traffic court, you will simply anger the judge

TB
Not a fan of speeding tickets, as I feel there are far worse traffic offenses that go un-challenged, but I do understand why it is the way it is.

Why not just come to Canada? (Miles....KM....do the math) I find that you'z dudes (eh) from the good ole' US of Eh..,....er "A" seem to let loose and speed past us Canucks on our glistening highways. It's like a prebuscent teen who's experienced their first beer....a person seeing Star Wars for the first time....a Republican buying knee pads...

The ones in my area that are listed are so obvious that you'd be a moron if you didn't see it coming.

In terms of speeding, don't forget that the officer can also write you up for speeding if he has to get behind you doing X mph. Example: you drive past doing 75 in a 55. He pulls out and does 75 then flicks on his lights. On the ticket, he will mark "MATCHED" or something similar. The helicopter/aircraft ones are the worst. No radar gun can pick it up (because they usually use VASCAR) and you rarely see it coming.

HEHEHEHEH, When i was heading to Montreal on 401 i think we were doing 90mph plus the whole way there and didn't see one cop!!!

In Florida, before any officer recieves his/her certification to operate radar, they must demonstrate the ability to estimate speeds both from a stationary and moving position.

Once called to testify in a infraction hearing for speed, they can present their certification and thus prove that they can visually estimate speeds. Actually, the visual tracking is a crucial element in proving a speed case. It just adds another strike against the defendant, and backs up the radar reading. Same thing with the audio doppler shift that the officer hears.

Radar is a wonderful thing, but Laser and Aircraft are so much better.

Also, speeding is not a misdemeanor. It is merely an infraction, at least in FL.

I've driven through canada like 3 times now to get to MI and every time, all the "canucks" are driving 90mph!!!
pisses me off to watch them all whiz by like that while I'm doing the slow ass speed limit.

I use speeding tickets as a means of criminal investigation.

...a Democrat buying Cigars and KY?

Go to Mexico, where the speedlimit on the open road isn't readily enforced.

Get a radar u will be happy of what i was told by 2 cops i know. There is a quota so u will get fukked over. I live in NY long island area.... laser is deadly once it hits you. But it needs a clear path metal or signs will disturb it. If radar hits your wind shield wipers it will mess up ya readings. Buy a spary that goes over ya licens plate it will disrupt a reading.. just a few tips to avoid tix

Go to Mexico, where the speedlimit on the open road isn't readily enforced.[/QB][/QUOTE] And if they did try, I'm sure their old VW beetles couldn't really catch you.

This is only for lasers, which are used in very few departments, though you can buy laser scramblers if the cops use lasers readily in your area. True radar scramblers do NOT exist.

Here in my part of GA they won't touch you for 10 over and most of the time not for 14 over either but once u hit 15 over u get pulled over. The only way u get pulled over for 10 over is if your music is REALLY loud or ur a ricer. We had cops come to our school and tell us this. Kinda funny cause when he asked who speeds everyone looked at me. Makes ya wonder, huh?
><>David<><

And if they did try, I'm sure their old VW beetles couldn't really catch you.[/QB][/QUOTE]
They have newer cars.

I thought the best part of the site was the speed trap list, it listed several about columbus, oh that I see Highway Patrol officers sitting at all the time...

http://www.speedtrap.org/speedtraps/stetlist.htm

1. Try not to get pulled over, i.e. keep an eye out for cops.
2. Be able to talk the cop out of giving you a ticket.
3. If that doesn't work, be able to talk the judge out of it in court.

1-3 is bound to work.