Subject: Re: radar on CA freeways

From: [email-masked] (Michael Adams)
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 1995 06:12:47 GMT

Kenneth E. Long ([email-masked]) wrote:

: I was wondering the same thing.  Ever noticed how you never see the 
: "Speed enforced by radar" signs on a bonafide stretch of Freeway (tm)?  
: But, like on Highway 101, when the stretch of freeway ends to a four-lane 
: stretch with cross traffic, you'll see such a sign right after the "end 
: freeway" sign.  

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but check out Interstate 10 near 
Baker (the Baker Grade)-"Speed Enforced by Radar".  I called the Highway 
Patrol about this because I was shocked.  I was put in touch with their 
Radar evaluation team (that doesn't sound good does it).  He confirmed 
that there has never been a law banning the use of Radar, but that there 
was never a budget.  They get the units from municipalities, the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Commission, and insurance companies.

One of my basic gripes about the California Highway Patrol using radar is
that unless it is moving mode radar, the Highway Patrol is no longer
patrolling.  I saw many a time in Michigan, where the officer is sitting
there shooting radar, while some poor woman is stranded in her car just up
the road with no one to help.  Now a days, with all of the violent
criminals (e.g. gang members) there is probaly a lot more danger in being
stranded, even as a guy, than there is from someone speeding.  He did 
assure me that the CHP uses moving mode radar, and that their laser 
systems also will be moving mode with a video camera used for sighting 
the car from behind.

My question is, is this really all worth it?  The CHP seems pretty adept 
at getting speeders without any radar, and I rarely hear anyone complain 
about their ticket after being paced.  It is kind of like, "You got 
caught fair and square".

Michael Adams

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                                             [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 95 14:04:32 PDT

In article <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]> writes:

[snip]

> To my knowledge there has NEVER been a law banning the use of radar by
> the CHP.  There is a section in the CVC describing the conditions under
> which radar may be used (basically only to enforce the 85th percentile
> speed).  For decades the state legislature refused to FUND radar
> equipment for the CHP, and this could be where the confusion arose.
> Only in the late '80s did the legislature provide funding for a limited
> radar test program.  I don't believe radar has ever been funded for
> general use by the CHP.
> 

Case in point:  CHP has just now begun using radar in the county area of 
Marina Del Rey.  To do this, they did a new engineering survey, raised the 
speed limit to 40mph, put up signs...and started writing tickets.  
Apparently, they've wanted to do this for a number of years, but there was 
no funding, until now.

Brian Jones
[email-masked]