Laser Pacing Rader Stunt Driving # G, C- R& G" @, `8 Q3 W
Police Laser Speed Enforcement
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* @8 r: i. _3 T. ~, uHow Laser Speed Measuring Works for Speeding Tickets6 t' P7 [* V) d# K- B8 M" {( x
A laser speed measuring device measures time vs. distance and makes a mathematical calculation to give it a measurement of the speed of the vehicle, from this information the police officer writes a speeding ticket.
/ Y V, s" J$ _8 Q7 I7 W" Z, _Laser measures the time it takes a burst of infrared light to reach a car, bounce off and return back to the starting point.
, Q; ~* _0 R6 i9 r9 |. zBy multiplying this time by the speed of light, the lidar system determines how far away the object is and gives a speed reading. Unlike traditional police radar, lidar does not measure change in wave frequency or radio waves. Instead, it sends out many infrared laser bursts in a short period of time to collect multiple distances to measure the speed of the moving vehicle.
9 X. c2 o, E; k+ P( y' o7 c: qThe police officer looks through an eye piece (scope) on the instrument to view the vehicle. The officers scope will be approximately two times field of view, like a two times set of binoculars. $ y4 a. d# f# C% i' |
The police officer then targets the vehicle by placing a red dot on the vehicle within the scope. Typically the police officer will put the red dot on the front of the car. The officer then pulls a trigger on the unit, the laser unit sends out a beam of light and records approximately 13 speed readings within one second of activation by the officer.
2 a E7 W6 K$ x8 rThe speed laser compares the distance traveled by the time (Time x Distance) and gives a speed reading. The officer can, by pushing a button on the laser instrument also receive a measurement of the distance in 1/10 of a metre that the instrument recorded the vehicle speeding at.
9 ?2 m8 o5 `3 `; [These speed guns will take approximately twelve readings in less than half a second, so they are extremely accurate. With police radar the car enters the beam and signals bounce back to the receiver. The officer has to determine which vehicle was the vehicle that entered the radar beam was speeding. With laser, the police officer puts a dot from the scope on the car, the officer pulls a trigger and receives a reading instantly.5 [6 G3 q, j! }" c( I# N
The police officer can pick a car out of a crowd or group, as long as he has a "line of sight" and can put the dot from the scope of the laser on the front of the vehicle. With police radar the officer has to have line of sight to the vehicle, meaning in radar the lead vehicle or the first vehicle entering the beam is usually the speed recorded. Therefore the laser gives the operator a much more accurate determination of the vehicles speed and gives pin point accuracy of which vehicle is involved.' [$ }' F4 U% V$ T# v( J0 d/ g; }
The distance capabilities for a Laser unit at approximate up to one kilometre, normal operating range is approximate 200 to 500 metres. The accuracy is 99.9%.
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Pacing Speeding Tickets -Police Pacing Speed Enforement
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Pacing Speeding Tickets5 Z5 {7 @8 D8 H1 z/ I
Police Officers can use pacing vehicles as a way of measuring the speed of another motor vehicle and enforcing the speed limit laws. B4 J1 E1 J* a- z
The officer follows the speeding vehicle using the police car to measure the speed of the offender. The officer uses his speed in the police vehicle to match the speed of the other vehicle. When his speed is consistent he checks his speedometer and notes the speed. The officer must follow the vehicle over a measured distance at a constant speed, e.g. the officer followed behind the vehicle ten car lengths for two kilometres and the vehicle kept constant speed of 120 kilometres per hour in the posted 100 kilometre zone.: _' ]) Q$ V+ W3 |# m
OTT Legal are the experts in speeding ticket defence in Ontario. Call us at 1-888-668-8946 to discuss your speeding ticket with qualified former police officers and licensed paralegals, experts and leaders in speeding ticket defense. The court of Appeal R. v. Bland has held that if evidence is given that a mechanical device, such as a watch or a speedometer, recorded a particular time or speed which is the purpose of that instrument to record, that can by itself be prima facie evidence, which is evidence on which a court can act upon (convict) of that speed if no evidence is brought out as to the accuracy of the device.' s5 i* [; E! ^$ E
If the speed clocked is greatly excessive of the maximum allowed the court would probably convict even in the absence of tests as to the accuracy, but it might not if only small differences were involved. This means that if the police officer gives evidence that over a measured distance his speedometer recorded steadily the speed alleged, this is prima facie (evidence that if undisputed would allow the court to enter a conviction) evidence which is sufficient to establish the fact of speeding unless rebutted, that the defendant was driving at that speed. In the absence of some evidence, elicited either on cross-examination or by defense witnesses, that would suggest that the police speedometer was inaccurate, this is enough to convict.& N% L8 W% x! [/ i
In all of these cases, it is the prosecutions obligation to prove to the court that the speed-measuring device what ever it may have been was in proper working order, was tested and gave a reliable reading of the speed to the officer and the ultimately to the court.2 U9 Z' L. o* ?; W- r4 K8 Z" P
7 x7 c* q! y" C" N. D* WRadar6 c4 Q% I* O! y- J8 g6 m
The Police use radar as a tool to catch speeding vehicles.
, \. L8 `: i! Z# R! M# g! b5 PRadio is a radio wave sent from the police officer to traffic traveling down the road. The radio wave hits the moving vehicle and then is bounced back to the receiver with the police, giving a reading of the vehicles speed.8 T9 E! C& o! w5 o' d+ ?
A Radar Radio Transmitter is a device that oscillates an electrical current so the voltage goes up and down at a certain frequency. This electricity generates electromagnetic energy and when the current is oscillated the energy travels thought the air as an electromagnetic wave.+ S$ d. ~0 |1 C2 A% [0 Z1 i
A transmitter also has an amplifier that increases the intensity of the electromagnetic energy and an antenna that broadcasts it into the air. - X: h7 q3 N: V
Basically the transmitter sends out the radio wave which strikes the moving vehicle.$ g1 i& Y. J/ W+ i; F v+ _) f
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A radio receiver is just the reverse of the transmitter. The receiver picks up electromagnetic waves with an antenna and converts them back into an electrical current. A radio wave is the transmission of electromagnetic waves through space. Radar is the use of radio waves to detect and monitor various objects. The simplest function of radar is to tell you how far away an object is (distance). : ]) v6 J; r8 `, [3 Y$ q& x
To do this the radar device emits a concentrated radio wave and listens for an echo or signal back. If there is an object in the path of the radio wave like a car, it will reflect some of the electromagnetic energy and the radio wave will bounce back to the radar device. Radio waves move through the air at the speed of light, so the radar device can calculate how far way the object is based on how long it takes the radio signal to return. (time verse distance) The speed of light is normally rounded to 300,000 kilometres per second or 186,000 miles per second. ! ~7 g% M. z# e
Radar can also be used to measure the speed of an object, due to a phenomenon called Doppler shift. Like sound waves, radio waves have a certain frequency, the number of oscillations per unit of time. When the radar gun and the car are both standing still, the echo will have the same wave frequency as the original signal. Each part of the signal is reflected when it reaches the car, mirroring the original signal exactly. But when the car is moving, each part of the radio signal is reflected at a different point in space, which changes the wave pattern.
" U1 ^8 m# r: I6 [ w3 IWhen the car is moving away from the radar gun, the second segment of the signal has to travel a greater distance to reach the car than the first segment of the signal. This has the effect of "stretching out" the wave, or lowering its frequency. If the car is moving toward the radar gun, the second segment of the wave travels a shorter distance than the first segment before being reflected. As a result, the peaks and valleys of the wave get squeezed together: The frequency increases, Based on how much the frequency changes, a radar gun can calculate how quickly a car is moving toward it or away from it.
+ b" w" A! V& t4 k& }6 WIf the radar gun is used inside a moving police car, its own movement must also be factored in. For example, if the police car is going 50 miles per hour and the gun detects that the target is moving away at 20 miles per hour, the target must be driving at 70 miles per hour. This radar is called obviously, Moving Radar., V: X- L9 E8 J0 h3 t. @6 V
If the radar gun determines that the target is not moving toward or away from the police car, than the target is driving at exactly 50 miles per hour. Simply put the radar antenna sends out a signal, the signal bounces off the car back to the receiver. The control unit then measures the difference time and distance and calculates it as a speed. (Speed = Time X Distance) The range of a radar unit is anywhere up to approximately 300 metres. ) S9 N; Z0 {' F; _, D0 K
The distance is dependant upon the time of day, the weather, the amount of traffic, the type and size of vehicles involved and the individual strength of the unit. Radar will pick up the largest, strongest signal. Factors as weather, rain and snow can affect the ability of the radar unit to send and receive. So on a quiet summer night with clear skies a radar unit would pick up a lone truck traveling toward you at a much longer distance that an small car in light rain on a busy day in traffic. Another example is a motorcycle although traveling a high rate of speed is much harder to "pick out" than a normal sized car.
+ k" \& s( t+ L& K6 rAlso a fibreglass car such as a Corvette will absorb most of a radar beam until it hits the metal, engine area of the car. Radar picks up the largest, strongest, object, not always in that order.2 B2 R* F$ A6 }5 G
Radar on a multilane highway usually requires some interpretation of the readings received by the officer therefore although the officer is required to take a required course in the theory and operation of radar experience is important. Who better to fight your speeding ticket than OTT Legal Services. We are the leaders in speeding ticket defense in Ontario.
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6 O: D5 `- S/ e9 u* @# K9 s2 kStunt Driving-Racing-Speeding more than 50km/h/ i6 N! e/ l0 r5 [+ L0 e! q: N' n
Stunt Driving is defined as; Speeding more than 50km/h over the speed limit
, C+ |* c+ ^, E9 h$ q8 wDriving at a marked departure indicating a competition2 C* {8 o! z; V; k
Chasing another motor vehicle+ I; ]4 G6 x3 [* z- A
Driving a motor vehicle without due care and attention, without reasonable consideration for other persons using the highway (Careless Driving)
, K6 U: W4 G, U( ~5 }3 X! K0 dDriving in a manner that may endanger any person- O2 W1 m3 r6 U6 F
Repeatedly changing lanes in close proximity to other vehicles so as to advance through the ordinary flow of traffic while driving at a rate of speed that is a marked departure from the lawful rate of speed.
" ~8 i! s& \$ D; i0 DHaving been stopped and charged by the police for Stunt Driving / Racing the police officer can immediately suspend the drivers licence of the driver for seven (7) days. The driver cannot operate motor vehicle anywhere in the Province of Ontario.1 \, }4 T6 g9 Y" O2 K+ T
If the driver is caught by the police operating a motor vehicle they maybe arrested and charged with the offence of Drive While Suspended Highway Traffic Act of Ontario Section 53,1. The penalty for driving while under suspension is a one thousand dollar ($1000) fine, and six (6) months further licence suspension.
6 B1 |: Z% J% H& VThe motor vehicle used in the offence will be impounded by the police officer for seven (7) days. The vehicle will not be released to any person until the seven days have been completed, and includes even if the driver was not the owner of the vehicle.
# _" S3 X6 M- `The costs of the vehicle impoundment for Stunt Driving and Racing are the responsibility of the driver/owner which will be from five hundred to over one thousand dollars.
% s( L) a( p/ V1 eIn charging the driver the police officer will issue to the driver traffic ticket with a court date on it commanding the driver to appear in traffic court before a Justice of the Peace. If the driver fails to appear before the court the Justice of the Peace may issue a warrant for the driver's arrest.
$ N1 J0 D# S6 u2 [4 }At traffic court the police officer will have a prosecutor hired by the municipality to assist the officer in prosecution the case.' K5 c5 r) [- N, Q$ e
As many prosecutors are lawyers, drivers are wise to seek legal advise prior to appearing in court from OTT Legal.8 Z; I! A/ |7 E
Stunt Driving, Speeding, and Racing trials are won on legal technicalities properly presented by a person with experience and training in traffic court. Just going to court and explaining why you may have commented the offence will not get the charge dismissed. OTT Legal offers a free consultation to discuss your Stunt Driving ticket with one of our licenced representatives. Many of our licensed agents are former Ontario Provincial Police and the Toronto Police Service Police Officers who have not only the court experience but the actually experience in radar, laser and speed enforcement in Ontario. |