 GPs vs. radar
Hey Veil Guy:
I looked on Fors' Web site but didn't spot the story. But I'm quite familiar with the case. The manufacturer of the radar gun involved in the case called me last fall to see if I'd consider working for them as an expert witness.
Here are the facts of the case. High school student Shaun Malone was cited for 62 mph in a 45 zone. The Petaluma PD officer who wrote him has operated radar for over 6 years. He used a Decatur GHD, an inexpensive but quite good hand-held. I have one that I've logged a number of hours with.
Malone's parents had installed a GPS tracking unit in his car to monitor his driving. The system reported that at about the time of the infraction the kid was driving no more than 45 mph. At trial the defense is expected to assert that the GPS was accurate and the radar wasn't.
I wish them luck. There’s no judicial notice of GPS’ accuracy but there are 50 years of precedent radar case law. In most cases, the only way you’ll win in court against radar is to challenge the officer’s use of the device.
Apparently Mr. Fors doesn’t agree. The only story about this case where I found him mentioned was in the ExpandMyWealth shopping Web site. In the story he’s quoted about his opinions on radar’s accuracy:
Carl Fors, president of Speed Measurement Laboratories Inc., a Fort Worth, Texas-based company that specializes in radar technology, trains police around the country in the use of radar. He said it is subject to both human and technical error. In one notable example, he said an officer he observed using radar clocked a rock going 72 mph. The error was caused by the heater fan blowing air inside the officer’s car.
Excuse me? Someone who bills himself as a radar expert should know that HVAC fans never generate speeds over about 35 mph, even at their highest setting. And those phantom speeds disappear when a real target is within range.
Regardless, maybe he has greater knowledge of GPS. But I’d put my money on the radar.
Craig
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