Brunswick Speed Detection Tools

When contesting a speeding charge, a working knowledge of Brunswick speed detection tools is beneficial. Tools like radar and LIDAR are the primary method through which law enforcement gathers evidence to pursue a case. If you have been accused of reckless driving, having a working knowledge of the process of detecting speeding can help you advocate for yourself and avoid unfair charges. There are no speed cameras in Brunswick. Speed cameras are uncommon in Brunswick County, most likely because they are expensive to use.

Radar

Radar stands for Radio Detection And Ranging and is used for determining rates of speed. Compared to LIDAR, radar is a less specific tool. When a group of vehicles is traveling on a highway, the law enforcement points the radar at the vehicles coming towards them and it gives the law enforcement officer the highest speed. A radar detector detects radio waves called radar signals. Detectors are located inside local law enforcement vehicles.

The readings are not vehicle-specific. Readings are accurate, but there are limitations when there are groups of vehicles in the beam, as opposed to one vehicle. Radar readings carry a tremendous amount of weight in court. Law enforcement officers are trained in the use of radar detectors throughout their time in the academy.

In Virginia, the average law enforcement officer attends the academy for at least six months. Law enforcement officers also receive radar and speeding-specific training. In Brunswick County, as long as the officer testifies in each case that the radar was tested before and after the shift, the judge accepts that as evidence that the radar detector was properly calibrated.

Usage of Brunswick speed detection tools is restricted to local law enforcement. Drivers in Brunswick are not allowed to have personal radar detectors. People may not know that radar detectors are illegal in Virginia. Having a radar detector displayed does not necessarily show intent, but a mistake is not an excuse.

LIDAR

LIDAR stands for light detection and ranging, and is used to ascertain the speed of a vehicle. It is different from other speed detection tools in Brunswick because it is a remote sensing method that uses light and laser to measure ranges of distance and uses that information to gauge speed. LIDAR is vehicle-specific and more target-selective than radar because it focuses on the vehicle’s individual license plate. It is almost unheard of for LIDAR testimony to not be accepted.

High-Speed Pacing in Brunswick

Pacing is when an officer uses his training and experience and the naked eye to gauge the speed of a vehicle. Generally, the testimony relates to the officer’s years of training and experience, and the location, and the otherwise normal flow of traffic versus the speed that the vehicle the officer’s pacing was traveling. Sometimes, an officer follows a vehicle and travels at a certain speed and distance to estimate the rate of speed of the vehicle being paced. Pacing does not have as much weight as a radar or LIDAR case. It depends on the speed the vehicle is alleged to have been violating. The average person can easily look at a vehicle and say they were traveling significantly faster than 25 miles an hour. That estimation gets hazier at a higher speed.

Of the Brunswick speed detection tools, pacing is the one that is the most contestable.There are not many pacing-related cases in Brunswick; they are highly frowned upon. Most vehicles are equipped with some piece of technology that can more accurately ascertain a speed than the naked eye. Pacing relies about 100 percent on the officer’s ability to assume certain speeds. There is no statutory-specific amount or distance. The length of time the officer says he or she was following and pacing the vehicle lends more credibility to the pacing testament as opposed to only being able to observe the vehicle for a short period of time. If an officer does not maintain consistent speed or distance from a vehicle while tracking it, that is taken into account as to the credibility, or the weight of the testimony.