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.