Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site pyramid.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!pyramid!cal
From: cal@pyramid.UUCP (Craig Alan Levin)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: speedometer calibration and radar
Message-ID: <219@pyramid.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 6-Mar-85 23:17:53 EST
Article-I.D.: pyramid.219
Posted: Wed Mar  6 23:17:53 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 9-Mar-85 10:48:09 EST
References: <714@inuxd.UUCP> <2722@sdcc3.UUCP>, <1225@amdahl.UUCP>
Organization: Pyramid Technology
Lines: 30

>> Stories like this make me glad the California Highway Patrol can't
>> use radar on the freeways...
>> 
>> 				   E. Orange

> The CHP *can*, has, and does use radar on the freeways.  They are
> units 'loaned' by a local agency and are rather rare, but they do exist!!!
> The legislature has always line item vetoed any appropriation for
> radar for the CHP.  No budget therefore no units... Until some
> enterprising local police loaned some to the CHP's... sigh.
> 
> E. Michael Smith  ...!{hplabs,ihnp4,amd,nsc}!amdahl!ems

Both of you are partially right!  The CHP does use radar, if
purchased for them.  But they cannot use it on the "freeways", as
defined by the State Legislature.  If they do so you may
challenge the citation as a "Speed Trap", specifically outlawed
in the days of hidden speed limit signs as one would enter a
small town.  They may use the provided radar on roads
under the jurisdiction of the government body that provided them.
Eg.  Contra Costa County provided 2 units for usage only on roads
within their county, outside of incorporated communities.  This
information was published in Road & Track a few years back.  

Additional information was given as to what constitutes a valid
radar citation in California.  To summarize, the citing authority
must provide a recent survey, taken prior to the citation, that
justifies the posted speed, based upon median speeds over a 6
month period.  If I find the time I will dig out the specific
issue from my archives.