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From: neal@weitek.UUCP (Neal Bedard)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Re: What is VASCAR?
Message-ID: <316@weitek.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Nov-85 22:36:39 EST
Article-I.D.: weitek.316
Posted: Mon Nov  4 22:36:39 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 7-Nov-85 06:25:47 EST
References: <7@druor.UUCP> <522@moncol.UUCP> <2423@sunybcs.UUCP>
Organization: Weitek Corporation, Sunnyvale
Lines: 31

In article <2423@sunybcs.UUCP>, ugzannin@sunybcs.UUCP (Adrian Zannin) writes:
> > >I'd like information on VASCAR (used by the police
> > >to record car speed).  How is it different
> > >from radar?  Is it suppose to be less error-prone?
> > 
> > VASCAR stands for Visual Average Speed Computer And Recorder.  It is
> > not radar; in fact it doesn't use microwave radiation, so radar
> > detectors are useless against it.
> 
>   If that is so, how come there is a sign around the campus here warning
> motorists that VASCAR *radar* patrol is being used?
> -- 
>      Adrian Zannin

Police malfeasance. There is a model of radar gun (Kustom KR-??) that has a
VASCAR timer/calculator built in. A police buzzword for it is `detector-proof
radar', which is falsehood, since VASCAR is nothing more than a glorified
stopwatch. The PD in question should have its knuckles rapped for that sign.

VASCAR's accuracy depends soley upon the officer visually measuring the
time interval of a vehicle passing between two observable points a known
distance apart. This introduces human factors at mamy points in the system,
and the attendant potential for error and/or abuse not present in radar.

VASCAR is the only method that your speed can be measured from an aircraft
(look for the white marks on the shoulder sometime.)

-Neal
-- 
55. It's a law we can do away with.
UUCP: {turtlevax, resonex, cae780}!weitek!neal