In the state of NC do all police have to show their radar gun readouts to me when writing me up for speeding?
In the state of NC do all police have to show their radar gun readouts to me when writing me up for speeding?
Law enforcement's first priority in a traffic stop is they're safety and yours. So they're not required to show you anything. Some will sometimes I think just to drive home the point you were clocked but in all honesty, they could clock anyone and show you the gun.
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Generally no, but I think one state (Michigan?) has/had a law that required an officer to show you if asked. MPH had an accessory once that featured a battery powered removable display unit to be used with a K55 radar. It duplicated the target speed display on the main unit and had a lock button that would lock in the target speed on the remote. The officer could take the detached remote to the driver's vehicle and show them the locked speed. Later on they eliminated the ability to detach the remote, but it retained the ability to allow the officer to continue to track the vehicle in the beam on the main unit while the speed on the remote was locked in, like modern 3 window radars. MPH called this unit "ECM" and you can find quite a few of them on eBay if you look around.
To add what Eric pointed out, I don't think any agency anywhere is required to lock in your speed. So its just as likely that the display will be blank or displaying the speed of passing vehicles if the officer left the radar on.
I remember from a long time ago while on I71 in OH a state trooper pulled me and another car for speeding and was going to write us both up until I asked to see the radar. He showed me the readout on the gun and I asked which speed was on the display, mine or the other driver. I was then issued a verbal warning and let go without citation. In my stupid rationalizing I thought the trooper could not show proof so he had to let me go. Thanks for the reality check
One of my pet peeves is a cop pulling over more than one vehicle with the same reading, despite the manuals and everything they're trained telling them NOT to do so. I suppose your asking probably made him second guess his decision to cite you.Originally Posted by giovengo
Sorry, I will have to disagree with that one. The officer uses experience and training to estimate a target's speed. The speed measuring device (radar or lidar) is used to confirm that estimation. If the officer is willing to testify in court that the two or more targets were running the same speed, that none were slowing or gaining on each other, it is not improper to stop multiple vehicles. Any other vehicle besides the target used to establish the speed reading, might have cause to rebut testimony that they were not slowing, but that is the judge's job to sort out.Originally Posted by bart99gt
Say for instance that a group of 3 cars are running neck and neck at 80 mph. The safe thing for him to do is cite all three cars for 75 mph since all three targets were at least running that fast and his testimony will allow for the possibility of a variance of maybe 2 or 3 MPH difference between the vehicles at the time of the clock. There is nothing that states a speeding charge must be the exact speed registered.
All this of course hinges on department regulations and the judge of the court. I've personally seen it happen in Texas.
The ONLY law I am aware of that ever required and officer to show the driver the speed reading was in Virginia. At one time, Virginia law required that the officer show the violator his speed reading, IF he used a laser gun. For radar, they were not required to show the speed reading.
That law has since been changed, and showing a violator the laser speed reaading is no longer a requirement, although the officer can if he wants to.
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