Can an officer detect your speed while you are driving behind him?

Question

I received a ticket for speeding while driving behind an officer. I actually slowed down before i came up behind the officer. I was going approx 55 mph when he pulled over, allowed me to pass, then put his lights on. is this legit? What are my chances of winning if i contest this?

This seems sucky. If i slowed down and was driving behind him at the speed limit, why should he be allowed to ticket me when the only reason i passed him was because he pulled over? Phooey! This seems way unfair to me!

Does the fact that I never passed him until he pulled off the road mean nothing? I'm disgusted! I drive a kia spectra! not a maserati!

everyone gave good info. I was sooooo mad today. I was trying to get to work and I was furious about being pulled over by a cop i was driving BEHIND. I haven't decided if i'll contest it, but thanks for the feedback everyone...

How come I never knew that they could do this? clock you from behind? I've never ever seen this happen in my lifetime!

Answer 1

The above are good answers. Yes he can clock or pace you if you are behind him. By the time you slowed down and he pulled over, the deed was done. By then he had already determined that you were speeding.
Can you fight it in court? Absolutely. That's the great thing about our court system. Anyone can plead their case before a judge. If you do, have your case together...and as a suggestion, I'd have a lot more evidence than what you list in your question. If you go to court and plead your caseand you are found guilty it would cost no more than if you just paid the fine. If you feel that strongly about it, go for it. Good luck!

Answer 2

Yes, and at least 3 different ways.

1) He could have had a rear-facing radar unit.

2) You were coming up behind him. If he was going 55 mph and you were going 55 mph then you obviously (according to physics) would never have even seen each other because you'd both be going the same direction at the same speed. The simple fact that you came up behind him shows that you were speeding.

3) If after he pulled you over and you actual said "how could you tell that I was speeding when I was behind you", then you just admitted you were speeding. The officer only has to prove that you were speeding, not how fast you were going. If you say that you were speeding when questioned you just sealed his case.

Answer 3

Yes. The car mounted radar guns shoot forward AND back.
Next time you drive by a cop, look in the back window on the driver's side and look for a little black thing the size of a soda can. That's the radar.
Also...they can "pace" you. If he's cruising at 65 and he notices you approach, he can pretty much tell that you are speeding.
Next time you ride up on a cop, jump off the next exit and stop for a while. Maybe he'll just keep going.

Answer 4

yes it's legit and there isn't much you can do. Speed can be determined by a couple of factors: if you are behind him and he sees approaching his cruiser, he can determine how fast you were going by looking at his speed and the time it took you to catch up to him.

Secondly, the fact that you slowed down when you passed him is a pretty good indication to me you were speeding. As an example, why would you slow down when you passed him if you weren't speeding?

Your chances of winning are minimal, your only hope is that he doesn't show up for court.

Answer 5

a million. in case you think of the cop could have taken you to reformatory or license taken away why combat it? The officer and the choose will remidn you what he could have achieved somewhat in simple terms issuing the fee ticket. 2. If the cop did no longer rear end you whilst he replaced into in the back of you then you have not have been given any case and no thank you to teach it whether you probably did it is not significant because of the fact he has to get your plate and motor vehicle make/type till now pulling you over to boot as notify dispatch and make sure you at the instant are not attempting to cover something. The endangering area which you suggested is valueless whilst it includes you telling a choose or a police officer that 3. lower back going that quickly is pointless, by skill of the time a police officer sees you it is in simple terms too previous due as there radar reads as much as a mile away. If the officer observed you till now his radar picked it up ( because of the fact undergo in concepts as you're saying he has stable creative and prescient ) he can be certain your velocity and because he's state qualified his be conscious wins. 4. i myself could get excitement from this situation if i replaced into the choose because of the fact i could actual get a sturdy snigger out of it and then advantageous/droop if case is warrented. in simple terms pay the advantageous and don't attempt to act like a criminal expert

Answer 6

Yes, an officer can estimate your speed relative to his vehicle regardless of who is behind who -- the issue is relative distance and relative speed between the two vehicles.

Also, you just admitted that you were going faster before you slowed down, so you approached the officer moving faster than 55.

Answer 7

Yes. His speedometer is required to be calibrated, and all he has to do is look at how fast he is going, if you are behind him, your doing the same speed. A radar gun works for people going any direction. He/she just needs to point it at you to determine your speed.

Answer 8

Yes, he can. And speeding is speeding whether you are coming at the driver from the rear, passing or coming from the other direction....you are still speeding.

Answer 9

Yes. Many patrol cars have radar that detects the vehicles behind the unit as well as in front.

Answer 10

Common sense would tell him if he were driving the speed limit and you were approaching him from behind them you were speeding.