Caroline County Speed Reading Instruments
In speeding cases, officers can prove that they recorded the speed of a vehicle in two ways. The first is through radar, stationary radar or moving radar, equipped to the officer’s vehicle or with a radar gun. The second way to prove speeding is through pacing. In most situations, it is a person’s word against the officers.
Caroline County speed reading instruments are very accurate. If properly maintained and filed, the court believes what the officers say. However, there are certain issues that can come into play. However, if the radar has been properly calibrated, then it shifts to the defendant to prove one of these affirmative defenses. A capable traffic lawyer could help an individual challenge the results of the speeding instruments, and help them build their defense.
Radar Tools
Traffic radar tools are used to detect speeding in Caroline Count. It is used by local police officers and by state troopers. The weight of the radar reading is very strong. If the officers are properly calibrating the radar before and after shifts and have also filed that with the court, then it creates a presumption that a person is in fact speeding and the burden shifts to the defendant to prove that the mechanism was operating incorrectly or malfunctioning.
A person can challenge the functionality of the radar. A person can challenge the calibrations of the radar. A person can challenge the time period of the upkeep of the radar. Those are the three ways that a person is going to be able to challenge the radar. The radar calibration must be done within six months and filed with the court. If that has not been done, then the radar calibrations are not admissible in trial.
LIDAR
Lidar is light detection and ranging technology. There are defenses, but Lidar defenses are similar to those with the radar. When using Caroline County speed reading instruments, the state needs to prove that the instruments work and they do so with the proper filings in the court. Whenever anybody is clocked and the officer has their radar calibrated within the previous six months, filed with the court, and available to be reviewed, then there is a presumption that the radar is correct. The burden shifts to the defendant to show that the radar is not correct.
Pacing
Pacing is one of the Caroline County speed reading instruments that law enforcement can use to determine the speed of an individual. The individual is driving by using their own speedometer and the officer is driving alongside the offender. If the officer is pacing the individual for a certain distance or for a certain time, it can be admissible.
The number one defense in pacing cases is the amount of time and the distance in which the officer paced the individual. Similarly, a person can challenge the officer’s calibration if necessary to show that their car was reading something different than the individual driving their own vehicle.
Myths About Speed Reading Instruments
The number one myth concerning Caroline County speed reading instruments is that they are required in any speeding case. A lot of other states require radar detection in order for a speeding and reckless driving charge to be brought. However, Virginia is not one of those states. A lot of people come to Virginia believing that the only way a person can be clocked is by LIDAR or radar and that is not the case. Just because there is no radar nor instrument to clock a person’s speed does not indemnify them from any kind of speeding or reckless driving charge. If an individual wants to know more about the accuracy of speed reading instruments, and how they could impact their case, they should contact a qualified traffic lawyer that could answer their questions.
