Discussion
On the letters page of today's Daily Mail:
"...In June 2003, a police officer with a laser gun stopped me for speeding.
I immediately checked my speedometer and I wasn't speeding, but I was given a fixed penatly ticket after being shown a reading on the gun of 44mph.
I challenged the result on the basis that the device was corrupted. The officer was standing directly under a Vodafone telecommunications mast, seven paces from a 33,000 volt transformer.
On my first visit to court, when asked my reason for pleading not guilty, I explained that the transformer and mast must have made the laser give the wrong reading.
The lawyer said the Crown Prosecution Service had never been attacked from this angle before and that the implications were enourmous so asked for an adjournment.
I, meanwhile, got a second opinion from an electromagnetic interference specialist, who said that a transformer is more than capable of having an effect on any electronic device.
After six court visits and requests for adjournments on its part, I discovered that the CPS had got no further with the case, didn't want to contest it due to "lack of evidence" and it was dropped.
I was awarded costs.
All this took 16 months and an incredible waste of public funds..."
Given the fact that such interference sources are so widespread, would it be safe to say that none of these speed reading devices can be trusted?
"...In June 2003, a police officer with a laser gun stopped me for speeding.
I immediately checked my speedometer and I wasn't speeding, but I was given a fixed penatly ticket after being shown a reading on the gun of 44mph.
I challenged the result on the basis that the device was corrupted. The officer was standing directly under a Vodafone telecommunications mast, seven paces from a 33,000 volt transformer.
On my first visit to court, when asked my reason for pleading not guilty, I explained that the transformer and mast must have made the laser give the wrong reading.
The lawyer said the Crown Prosecution Service had never been attacked from this angle before and that the implications were enourmous so asked for an adjournment.
I, meanwhile, got a second opinion from an electromagnetic interference specialist, who said that a transformer is more than capable of having an effect on any electronic device.
After six court visits and requests for adjournments on its part, I discovered that the CPS had got no further with the case, didn't want to contest it due to "lack of evidence" and it was dropped.
I was awarded costs.
All this took 16 months and an incredible waste of public funds..."
Given the fact that such interference sources are so widespread, would it be safe to say that none of these speed reading devices can be trusted?
The guidelines for use of various police-operated speed measuring devices include statements about matters such as possible interference like this. Locally, a bog standard police speed trap operates right next to the local airport, with radar and whatnot within yards plus national grid lines, road furniture and all sorts of possible problems. Anybody pulled over there could well be unfairly penalised. More recently, the new police Tetra radios have been shown to interfere with speed detection and other electronic equipment. If this radio is not off or set to an appropriate mode, any speed equipment could be affected. Sadly this defence would be difficult to establish but again could lead to unfair penalties. Over to the BiB for a mixture of additional information and defensive posturing - hopefully, folks, more of the former than the latter 
james_j said:
"...In June 2003, a police officer with a laser gun stopped me for speeding.
I immediately checked my speedometer and I wasn't speeding
hahahahahahahahahahahha - well there's a shock.
"I stopped, checked my speedo, and was relieved to see I was doing zero mph so must have been right!
Nightmare said:
"...In June 2003, a police officer with a laser gun stopped me for speeding.
I immediately checked my speedometer and I wasn't speeding
hahahahahahahahahahahha - well there's a shock.
"I stopped, checked my speedo, and was relieved to see I was doing zero mph so must have been right!
Ah! But there must have been something in it as they dropped the case....
Makes you wonder just how many have been copped and paid up because they are unaware of effect on the equipment from other sources.....
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