Speed Traps

Thread Starter

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
Does police radar/lidar show simply the closing speed to the cruiser or does it correct for the angle of approach?

We have a stretch of highway in Cleveland (I-480 from Hopkins to the Turnpike) that is notorious for having speed traps. I have noticed that when the officer(s) is/are on the left berm/median, they usually set up where the road turns gently to the right. If they set up on the right berm, they are usually either hidden by a bridge support or where the road turns left. In other words, they seem to set up to get a more head-on shot. It could also just be that those locations have the highest yields and the selection is not intentionally based on that hypothesis.

John
 

Kermit2

Joined Feb 5, 2010
4,162
There was no adjustment for that on hand held units a few years ago. But this could have changed by now. Ten years is a Long Time in electronics development terms. Hand held Doppler units simply worked with the return echo and were not capable of discriminating an angle of approach for the cars being aimed at. Hence the desire to get a 'head on' picture with it's corresponding maximum doppler shift. Rolling units (Highway patrol mostly) are equiped with a radar that subtracts the police cars instantaneous speed from the echos read out, so they could 'shoot' you while traveling on the opposite side of the road.

Laser type units capabilities are unknown to me
 

debe

Joined Sep 21, 2010
1,389
Hi John, Here in Autralia they setup speed traps for best financial gain & its huge. Here its subcontracted out aswell as police, a patrol car coming towards you can get you as well. DeBe
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
Does police radar/lidar show simply the closing speed to the cruiser or does it correct for the angle of approach?

We have a stretch of highway in Cleveland (I-480 from Hopkins to the Turnpike) that is notorious for having speed traps. I have noticed that when the officer(s) is/are on the left berm/median, they usually set up where the road turns gently to the right. If they set up on the right berm, they are usually either hidden by a bridge support or where the road turns left. In other words, they seem to set up to get a more head-on shot. It could also just be that those locations have the highest yields and the selection is not intentionally based on that hypothesis.

John
I know it can check your speed with them driving in the opposite lane so I would imagine it accounts for angles and such. As for speed traps I've seen em all. I've seen :

1. Cops leaning over a broken down car sniping people driving by
2. Bike cops hiding behind their bike zappping people.
3. In Maine one time before a huge phish show they had 5 cops hiding on the over pass, then they all jumped up at once and nailed like 10-15 cars at a time in the middle of no where. Then they had about 20 cop cars a mile north to pull everyone over.
4. We have a st called Bayshore in Tampa, you can google street it, and is known for speeding and jogging bouncy girls running by the water. I've seen em even pretend to be a girl jogger tieing her shoes zapping people.

Their not supposed to be able to turn their running lights off on the side of the road but they do. And its just their word vs yours.
 
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Thread Starter

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
In the early 1960's, when Arizona and California were fighting over water rights to the Colorado River, if you had California plates you got nailed. I had CA plates and had to drive the gauntlet through AZ (60 mph speed limit in the middle of nowhere) to get to school. That was 49 years ago. I hope to make it to at least 50 before I get nailed again.

Since turning 60, I drive in the middle lane with my right blinker on. Maybe that will help. ;)

John
 

Markd77

Joined Sep 7, 2009
2,806
So in this thread you are giving advice on how to avoid speeding tickets but in the other thread you are against a possible copyright infringement...
Can't have it both ways. [winking smiley]
 

JoeJester

Joined Apr 26, 2005
4,390
Avoiding speeding tickets is easy .... don't speed.

As far as the electronics and the failings of law enforcement detection equipment, you already probably know that alot of PD's set their speeding alarm for a much higher revene generator .... I mean speed. After all, most states fines increase with the higher speed.

There was this one time, Labor Day weekend, driving to Manistee, MI on 115, where there was a great deal of cooperation between the State, County, and City, law enforcement offices to catch speeders. I happen to notice a gap up ahead and there was a passing lane. Can you believe they issued a ticket for doing 75 in a 55 zone?

Nolo contende ... the only plea for dancin' to the music when the piper asks for his fee.
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
Avoiding speeding tickets is easy .... don't speed.

As far as the electronics and the failings of law enforcement detection equipment, you already probably know that alot of PD's set their speeding alarm for a much higher revene generator .... I mean speed. After all, most states fines increase with the higher speed.

There was this one time, Labor Day weekend, driving to Manistee, MI on 115, where there was a great deal of cooperation between the State, County, and City, law enforcement offices to catch speeders. I happen to notice a gap up ahead and there was a passing lane. Can you believe they issued a ticket for doing 75 in a 55 zone?

Nolo contende ... the only plea for dancin' to the music when the piper asks for his fee.

We have a similar effect in FL. You can go 130mph into FL, but you can't go 76mph out of FL without getting pulled over. Because of the great money in drug seizures they pretty much ignore people coming into FL and just concentrate all their efforts of people heading north. Still though seeing drug seizures my whole life in FL never prepared me for life in Memphis on I-40. Right outside the city on the east side we had the Gustopo unit. There were about 6 black SUV's that would pull people over about 10 miles out of downtown Memphis and just rip their cars apart, on a daily basis. I used to follow the dead and phish so I've been pulled over and harassed numerous times. I've had my carpet torn up numerous times, you name it they've done it. But in Memphis they literally pull you over, a couple black SUV's pull up, then they pull and engine lift out of the SUV's and start dissassembling the cars right on I-40. Wheels off on jacks, engine out, the works.... All I could think is my god, theres no drugs in this entire state why are you guys searching everyone so bad?
 

Thread Starter

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
Actually, my question was generated by innocent curiosity. My driving record attests to the fact that I am either very lucky or stay within reason of the speed limit (knock on wood ;)). I do not and have never owned any sort of radar/lidar detector.

Related to the direction this thread has taken, local news reported earlier this week about a judge in Germany who dismissed a whole slew of speeding tickets that were issued on the premise of safety. Basically, he said the premise was fraudulent, the real reason was revenue generation, and so the tickets were tossed out.

Taking that one step further an American legislator proposed selling time-limited licenses to people who wanted to speed. Of course, they would have to meet certain, stricter standards (right, like teachers in Detroit schools). I guess, the more one was willing to pay, the faster they might go. He proposed some sort of upper limit like 85 mph. It is easy to see where that mentality would take us. First the law. Then, the state maximum speed limit would be lowered to 25 mph, and everyone effectively would have to pay to drive.

For the thinkers in our crowd, what is the difference between a license to do something and a fine for having done it?

John
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Avoiding speeding tickets is easy .... don't speed.

As far as the electronics and the failings of law enforcement detection equipment, you already probably know that alot of PD's set their speeding alarm for a much higher revene generator .... I mean speed. After all, most states fines increase with the higher speed.

There was this one time, Labor Day weekend, driving to Manistee, MI on 115, where there was a great deal of cooperation between the State, County, and City, law enforcement offices to catch speeders. I happen to notice a gap up ahead and there was a passing lane. Can you believe they issued a ticket for doing 75 in a 55 zone?

Nolo contende ... the only plea for dancin' to the music when the piper asks for his fee.
I see you have been lucky enough to avoid some of the speed traps in some of the small towns across this land, where speed is a frame of mind, and is what the local law enforcement said it was. His town, his income (powerful incentive that), his jail, his judge. Truth will not set you free, and you are going to pay either way.
 

JoeJester

Joined Apr 26, 2005
4,390
Bill,

I typically drive S&R ... safe and reasonable. Of course, my definition of S&R has no upward or lower limits, as there are alot of variables involved.

In Alaska, you can get an excessive speed ticket if you run off the road because you slid on a patch of ice. After all, your speed did not match the road conditions.
 

JoeJester

Joined Apr 26, 2005
4,390
For the thinkers in our crowd, what is the difference between a license to do something and a fine for having done it?
The price of labor to catch the speeders. The fines would have to exceed the labor costs plus the cost of the "speeder's license" to be effective.
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
What really sucks is the Highway Patrol here switched to Malibus, Impalas, and other normal looking cars, in a medium brown color with subdued markings.

Their lightbar is LED along inside top of windshield, makes it virtually impossible to spot them! Another common thing around is where the speed limit changes from 75 mph to 65mph, they have a "Radar Sign" that shows your speed right under the 65mph sign, no photos, just a public service that makes any radar detectors continually annoying.

Pretty much always get away with 5 over, so I don't push it, they have revenue collection down to an art between aircraft, and 1 car getting speeds, with other cars pulling people over down the road.
 

Roy Lewis

Joined Nov 19, 2010
0
Hello - new here. Moved to Atlanta four years ago and find that Georgia drives are a little more "lead footed" than Minnesota drivers. While the Interstates within the "perimeter", are marked 55 mph, standard speed is 70-75 mph - with few speed traps. Construction zones are another matter.
The thought of law enforcement making a "revenue stream" out of speeding and parking violations makes wonder about those in power. Atlanta city government sold it's soul to a company, Park Atlanta, for the purpose of parking enforcement. Park Atlanta has given a whole new name to aggressive enforcement as a for profit operation. When you park in metro Atlanta, be very, very careful.... Roy Lewis
 

Kermit2

Joined Feb 5, 2010
4,162
Don't get in the fast lane in Houston without doing 80mph, or you get a line of pissed off speeders and maybe even start a 'roadrage' incident. :) It's almost encouraged, and there seem to be plenty of takers with this offer. And the resulting traffic stops are right there in plain view of these drivers. Something about safety in numbers I suppose, and I have 'dived' into the fast lane at times too. Pressed that pedal to the floor for a few seconds, and let it up only when I start gaining on the car in front of me.

You picks your speed, you takes your chances ;)
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
What really sucks is the Highway Patrol here switched to Malibus, Impalas, and other normal looking cars, in a medium brown color with subdued markings.

Their lightbar is LED along inside top of windshield, makes it virtually impossible to spot them! Another common thing around is where the speed limit changes from 75 mph to 65mph, they have a "Radar Sign" that shows your speed right under the 65mph sign, no photos, just a public service that makes any radar detectors continually annoying.

Pretty much always get away with 5 over, so I don't push it, they have revenue collection down to an art between aircraft, and 1 car getting speeds, with other cars pulling people over down the road.
We have crown vics, Mustangs, and Drug Enforcement drives Porsches. In Memphis all the cops drove Chargers with 20 inch rims. I went up to a cop in memphis with my FL buds and we all gathered around the car and started laughing. Memphis has almost the worst crime rate in the nation and their cops have custom rims. It kinda fit though. It was not uncommon to see a leprechaun green glittered crown vic with gull wing doors pulled over on the side of the road. I guess the cops need to out bling the criminals.
 
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