🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Jul13.153234.11197@rsg1.er.usgs.gov> ssnyder@sunai.er.usgs.gov (Steve Snyder) writes:

>(James Treworgy) writes:
>>[radar story]

>First, how heavy was the traffic? Were there any large trucks behind
>you? The Trooper needs to prove that it was YOUR vehicle that he clocked,
>and if there were any large vehicles behind yours, then the radar could
>track that vehicle instead. A radar beam will lock onto the "strongest 
>signal", not necessarily the closest one, so the radar can pick out a
>van, truck or another car behind you. Also, a radar beam spreads out like 
[rest deleted] 

Ummm...I believe this to be incorrect.  I remember hearing of a case
that set a precedent that the assumption is that the radar locks onto
the lead car and reads its speed.  Now, I'd go grab a lawyer and fight
the ticket if it really means that much...in many cases it is in terms
of increased insurance cost.

Two angles of attack is to make sure that the radar gun in question
was calibrated within the required interval and to see if another case
(also in Washington State I think) still holds.  There is a case where
the actual radar gun brand must be proven to work correctly according
to the doppler radar principle.  In the Washington case the city was
required to produce an expert witness to testify that the gun was
correctly designed and manufactured.  Since they failed to do so the
case got dismissed.  Now...whether that applies in VA is up to your
lawyer to figure out.

Personally I'd ignore all the idiots who have been badgering you.
First off I get the impression that like me if you had a ticket that
had your speed correct you'd treat it as a fair loss and pay the fine
(I tend to go for the hearing simply to try to get the points
reduced...but fair is fair).  The idea is that when an unfair ticket
comes along you fight it with everything you have...

As far as the 55 limit goes...it's a stupid law that cost fuel, lives
and is simply a way for the state to generate revenue.  It costs fuel
as quite a few of the modern cars have optimal fuel efficiency above
55.  It costs lives because the majority of the people go 65 anyway
and since it is speed differential that causes accidents so some idiot
going 50-55 really hoses traffic patterns.  The states love the law
because they can simply increase enforcement when they need more money
and of course insurance companies with their huge lobbies love it
because they can raise our rates for no real safety reason.

BTW: For the person who suggested complaining to the road engineers
most of the interstates were built with the idea that cars would go
70.  Most engineers probably would tell you that higher speed limits
are safer.  Instead complain to your reps and get the idiotic 55 law
repealed.  More important join one of the groups (that Dave Hsu
pointed out) to help lobby for that change.

>   Good Luck.

Ditto.
 
>   Steve 

Nigel
--
Nigel Tzeng
.sig under construction