In pennsylvania how often do the state police radar guns need to be calibrated?

Question

I was pulled over by a state trooper earlier this week. He had me clocked at 91. I was speeding but no way was i going that fast. On the ticket it had that his Radar gun had been tested about a week earlier. Does anyone know how often the radar guns are SUPPOSED to be checked to be legally used. I dont believe his was working properly..

Answer 1

Under state law, every State Police radar unit in service must be independently tested and certified to be accurate every 60 days. The Department goes beyond the requirements of the law and requires troopers to conduct an internal calibration test and external tuning fork calibration test to confirm accuracy and proper functioning before and after each use.

See http://www.psp.state.pa.us/psp/cwp/view.asp?A=11&Q=172336

Answer 2

Yes they need to be calibrated at least twice a year. Also some agencies have officers check the unit at the beginning of the shift with a tuning fork that puts out sound waves that match a particular wave length on the radar. Take for example if the tuning fork gives off a wave length of 55mph. when it is struck and put in front of the radar antenna the radar will read 55mph.

Answer 3

Here are two strategies:

If you ticket was issued by a municipality that has 1,000 or more citizens or is located on an interstate you can beat this one.

Number one- ALWAYS PLEAD NOT GUILTY! Even if you know you are guilty. All burden of proof is on the prosecution. By pleading not guilty you will have the right to speak with a city attorney prior to speaking with the judge. At this point you can negotiate a lowered price, probation with no classes etc.. or even have it reduced to a parking ticket. Profess your innocence and politely suggest, not threatening, that you would like jury trial if it goes any farther because you are innocent.

The attorney will not want to go through the hassle and expenses of a jury trial. Plus, even if they did and you were found guilty you would be paying the same amount as the original fine plus a small jury fee. So why wouldn't you plead NOT GUILTY.



The next strategy is arround prevention:

Remember the traffic cop is out for revenue not safety.

Get a good radar/laser detector. Don't let anyone here tell you they do not work. Here is why and how they work and strategies you can use to outsmart the cops.

First, there are three basic kinds of "radar" and they fall into two categories: Laser and basic radar emissions.

Radar Emissions- Cops have two kinds of this radar in various bands. Constant on radar is when the cop car has a dash mounted radar type that constantly emits a signal. This how a cop that is driving can tell how fast you were going even with out stopping to use the "gun".

You detector will detect this type of radar nearly 100% of the time before you even see the cop. This is because the radar signal bounces over other cars, hills, etc... This type of radar is also mostly found in all Sheriff type vehicles, and smaller city or county cops. You will always defeat them with a radar detector.

The second type of "radar" is pop-radar. This type of radar emits a signal only when the cop pulls the trigger. That being said, your detector will pick this up well before you come into range of the gun. And since the cop is constantly selecting and "popping" targets, your detector will go off even if the gun is not pointed at you because the signals bounce off other vehicles. This is more commonly used by Highway patrol, larger city police, and sheriffs departments. So your detector will also defeat this.

The third type, laser, is a little more tricky but can also be defeated. Laser emits a light beam at your vehicle that is bounced straight back to the gun. In order for laser to be picked up by your detector the "light" beam must hit your detector. Since the beam bounces nearly straight back there's a good chance if your detector picks it up, its because you have just been "popped". The good news here is that the light does sometimes fragment in other directions and is picked up by your detector. The strategy here is, cops many times use a combination of radar and laser, especially when they set up predatory wolf packs. So if your detector goes off for radar, you can bet a laser is not far down the road.

You can also get devices that emit a "laser" beam back to the gun and gives a false or inconsistent reading. These can help you because it gives you time to slow down and turn it off. When the cop pops again you will be ok because his reading will be within limit.

Poke the pork before it pokes you.

Answer 4

best i can do...they are supposed to be done every day

required is calibration by tuning fork, and that difference may be important to you. If you ask about calibrating with a tuning fork, and the officer who ticketed you has not testified to doing so, it may be enough to get you off the hook.

Answer 5

Cops suck