Utah Highway Patrol - LIDAR

[OpenRoad]

When I was on my way out of SLC a couple of weeks ago, I saw a UHP vehicle stopped in a grassy area off the interstate, parked 90 degrees to traffic. His window was rolled down, and he was aiming what appeared to be a LIDAR gun. I only caught sight of him for a few seconds, as there was a semi-truck between me and the LEO. My Redline would have picked something up if this was radar - no alert. Also, UHP vehicles have on board radar so seems unlikely this would be a handheld radar gun.

I was going to double back to see him again, but I had my scanner on and heard a call for an accident 5 miles ahead, and 30 seconds later that same LEO ran past me at 100 mph with reds on going to the accident scene.

This was the first time I saw UHP with LIDAR. Has anyone else encountered this?

[OpenRoad]

In the brief time I saw him using the gun - it was my impression that he was not used to using it. I saw him pulling the gun down from the window, then looking at the controls, then back up again. Just my 5-8 second impression - like someone trying something for the first time.

[STiMULi]

Maybe he was playing with it. At too steep of an angle he would not get a good valid speed.

In the few times I have flown through Utah I have not seen them use LIDAR.

Lucky I guess.

[kf7yn]

Open Road, I don't think many UHP units have LIDAR but I'll ask my UHP buddy who works Davis County. I did run into the same thing a couple years ago on I-15 around American Fork or Lindon, UHP trooper pointed a gun at me and my RD didn't even make a peep. I assumed it was LIDAR.

[OpenRoad]

Open Road, I don't think many UHP units have LIDAR but I'll ask my UHP buddy who works Davis County. I did run into the same thing a couple years ago on I-15 around American Fork or Lindon, UHP trooper pointed a gun at me and my RD didn't even make a peep. I assumed it was LIDAR.

I saw only one UHP using it in SLC. In my brief encounter, it appeared he was "playing" with the unit. A few seconds later, he was on a code 3 call to an accident a few miles up the road. It may be they have few units and no one is trained on its use. I know that they have to be 'certified' before they can use it in issuing tickets. I drive back and forth between UT and CA often - about 20 round trips a year, and I see no LIDAR in use on my runs.

Anyway - would be interested in your UHP contact's take. Thanks for the info.

[OpenRoad]

Open Road, I don't think many UHP units have LIDAR but I'll ask my UHP buddy who works Davis County. I did run into the same thing a couple years ago on I-15 around American Fork or Lindon, UHP trooper pointed a gun at me and my RD didn't even make a peep. I assumed it was LIDAR.

And I guess since you drive to St. George often, you know the usual UHP hangouts down in Beaver County. I also go back and forth between Utah County and Las Vegas to visit family. I'm heading down that way next weekend for the Super Bowl.

You're going to LOVE the Redline. On my last trip down to Vegas, I was driving at night and encountered a UHP sitting in the center divide, just over a small rise. The Redline picked him up more than a mile, even over the rise.

[kf7yn]

My UHP buddy said most of the cars have a mounted radar unit running KA band which can be C/O or I/O. The Stalker Dual DSR is the most common. UHP does have LIDAR units as well. These are handheld units that can be checked out at the office. They work great on the Wasatch Front where there is a lot of traffic . The two most common units are the Stalker Lidar and Kustom Pro Laser III.

I would surmise since LIDAR units "can be checked out at the office" that it is not usual fare for patrol but rather as needed for certain areas, conditions, etc? I hope that answers your question. I like getting info from the horses mouth!

I can't wait to get the Redline, it will be going with me to St George next week then to Long Beach on the 14th.

[kf7yn]

My girlfriend got a ticket just north of Beaver 2 weeks ago. She was doing 91 in a 75, they wrote her up for 10 over. Could have been worse. I'm putting the Pro-78SE in her car when I get the Redline.

[OpenRoad]

My girlfriend got a ticket just north of Beaver 2 weeks ago. She was doing 91 in a 75, they wrote her up for 10 over. Could have been worse. I'm putting the Pro-78SE in her car when I get the Redline.

Well, consider her lucky then. I got tagged in September doing 96 in 75 on I-80 in the Bonneville Salt Flats, and the LEO wrote it up for 96. In California they would only do that if you bad-mouthed the cop, which of course I did not. Lucky for me it did not show up on my CA driver record for my renewal this month. (This was B.R. = Before Redline)

Maybe he was jealous that I was from California.

[OpenRoad]

My UHP buddy said most of the cars have a mounted radar unit running KA band which can be C/O or I/O. The Stalker Dual DSR is the most common. UHP does have LIDAR units as well. These are handheld units that can be checked out at the office. They work great on the Wasatch Front where there is a lot of traffic . The two most common units are the Stalker Lidar and Kustom Pro Laser III.

I would surmise since LIDAR units "can be checked out at the office" that it is not usual fare for patrol but rather as needed for certain areas, conditions, etc? I hope that answers your question. I like getting info from the horses mouth!

I can't wait to get the Redline, it will be going with me to St George next week then to Long Beach on the 14th.

That matches up with what I saw on I-215 when I was driving home to CA for Christmas break. I saw a UHP vehicle parked at 90-degrees to the roadway, in the area where it curves back North. He had his window rolled down and had what appeared to be a Kustom Pro Laser III and he was using the sights for a second, then pulled it down looking at it with a slightly puzzled look on his face. Although this all happened in just seconds, it was my impression this guy was not all that comfortable with it. A minute later he sped past me at 100 mph to an accident 5 miles north. Anyway, I guess they HAVE these units, but it does not appear they're USING them in any great numbers.

Anyway - thanks for the info. Perhaps next time you're talking to him - see if it is common practice to ticket the exact speed measured on radar. I know this is very rare for California Highway Patrol - unless you get some guy who just graduated the academy.

btw - You'll be impressed with Redline. Great for the desert, which is exactly why I bought it. On that same trip home at Christmas, I got a hit of Ka in the Salt Flats, and it ended up being a UHP unit in center divide, at 2.8 miles distance from when the Redline alerted.