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Radar Evidence in Mecklenburg County Speeding Cases

Radar is an acronym that stands for radio detection and ranging. In the context of traffic tickets and reckless driving, radar is used to detect the speed of vehicles traveling on public highways.

A radar uses radio frequency technology to detect objects in its field of vision. Radar use by law enforcement as a narrow vision that focuses on objects in a small frame that is pointed on the highway, so as vehicles enter the frame, the radio frequency is able to detect the speed that that object is traveling at. Radar could be used to detect the speed of other objects, any object in the field of view, but it is used specifically for measuring vehicle speeds on the highways.

Radar detectors can be handheld devices but, more often, they are mounted on the dash on an officer’s vehicle or adjacent to the steering wheel on an officer’s vehicle so that they can have a good field of view of the highway and oncoming traffic.

Read below to learn more about radar evidence in Mecklenburg County speeding cases and how an experienced speeding ticket lawyer could help you.

How Accurate Are Radar Readings?

Radar readings are specific and accurate. They can detect speeds very accurately as long as they are within an appropriate range for the radar.

Radar evidence in Mecklenburg County speeding cases are given substantial weight in court. Courts are very familiar with officers’ knowledge and experience with radar devices. The courts are used to hearing testimony about radar devices, and radar devices have been used for many years in court.

Radar Training and Calibration

Officers are given substantial training when using radar detectors, especially in Mecklenburg County because radar detection and speed enforcement is a significant portion of law enforcement activity. Reliable, well-trained use of radar guns leads to more effective speed enforcement.

The calibration of a radar detector is proven by checking with the clerk’s office. Officers calibrate their radar guns before and after their shift by measuring the speed of their vehicle against the radar gun. They then calibrate the tuning forks used that are crucial to accurate measurements from the radar gun. Every six months, that is done through a specific process, and those calibrations or the tuning forks are filed at the clerk’s offices and must be done within six months to demonstrate reliable accuracy. If not, the radar could read an inaccurate speed.

Can Drivers Have a Personal Radar Detector?

Personal radar detectors are illegal in Virginia. An individual is allowed to possess one but they are not allowed to operate one, and anytime that they are in Mecklenburg County, they must have their radar detector removed from any power source and stored in a way that is not easily accessible while they are traveling. Consult with a knowledgeable attorney for more information.

Speeding Defenses

Intent or lack of intent could be mitigating evidence in a speeding offense, but it is not a defense against speeding. If law enforcement has measured someone’s speed in excess of the speed limit using a reliable instrument such as radar, then that is usually sufficient evidence to find them guilty of speeding. However, mitigating evidence can be presented in their favor including a lack of intent and other circumstances such as traveling with the pack or some other emergency situation that can help get the ticket reduced even if there is sufficient evidence to find them guilty.

An accomplished lawyer could review the case to determine whether there are other defenses available. For instance, the radar may not have been calibrated correctly, the officer may not have been properly trained to use one, or the officer targeted another vehicle that was not the defendant’s car.

If you have any questions about radar evidence in Mecklenburg County speeding cases and how an attorney could assist you, call today.

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