Aaaa-ha-ha-haaaa..... I'm sorry, but I almost choked on my tea here.
Razal lives in a fine state of Pennsilvania. I am somewhat familiar with their court system and suspended state of Constitution and reason. Sorry to laugh so hard.
If you'd like, I'll translate the little essay I wrote about my last PA courtroom experience and post it here, so it's easier to understand why this comment just made my day.

 

Respectfully, wrong. Do you have some basis for that statement? AFAIK, when properly used, radar accuracy readings are in the range of 98-100% & when they're off because of the Cosine Effect, they read lower than the actual speed. There is no "10 mph theory." There is no legal reason a ticket can't be issued & prosecuted for even 1mph over the limit. Any unwritten 10 mph allowance is nothing more than a gratuitous break for the driver - it allows for speedo error, inattention, hills, etc.

Rezal - time is money. I don't know the value of your time, but if I got a no points $100 ticket where I was guilty & the cop cut me a break, I'd spend my 1/2 day doing something more productive than whining to a judge. Save driving school, probation, favors, & the histrionics for a real ticket. Many cops follow their tickets. Reread Max911's post if you travel regularly in that municipality.

 

Rezal,

Yeah, I know it stinks to "blow your record" like that, but look at it this way, you've been speeding (presumably) for these last ten years and it's only now that you get caught...I'd pay the piper and take the traffic school. My last ticket was years ago, can't remember, but "traffic school" was over the internet...piece of cake; much better than spending your day at court yada yada, IMO. And remember, in the final analysis, you WERE breaking the law, despite how we feel about the speed limits. Consider yourself lucky that you got a cop with a heart (as Dan said, he cut YOU a break! Be satisfied with that) --maybe he likes Guards Red ...I could only hope, myself.

Edward

 

Dan,

AFAIK, radar error due to cosine does result in a low reading, as you said. However, radar is quite vulnerable to other interference that causes erroneous readings. Although it was many years ago, I got a ticket for going 72 when I know I was going 65 -- the guy passing me in the next lane was probably going 72, but he wasn't driving a red Corvette...

A cop frend of mine told me that he has personally seen a "32 mph tree" -- the radar gun was pointed at a tree (firmly in the ground, not on a truck going down the road) and got a "speed" of 32 mph.

If it were me, and there were no points with this ticket, I'd pay the fine.

 

Todd
You didn't mention about heater fan interferance, or bad calibration, or whatever ...
That's why I said, "when properly used, radar accuracy readings are in the range of 98-100% ... ." My comment was directed at Carrera Mike's erroneous generalizations about radar gun inaccuracy and a resulting "10mph theory."

 

Hehehe LOL... I agree with Edward on this

Btw speeding at 50mph on a 25mph area is probably not a good idea (getting a ticket is one thing, getting involved in a nasty accident might haunt you the rest of your live). At least here in South Bay (SF Bay Area), when I see a 25mph speed limit sign, I try to obey it because I believe that they put 25mph speed limit there for some very good reasons (i.e. residential area, pedestrian crossing areas, etc.), i.e. on route 84 west heading to Hwy 1, the speed limit there varies too and the reason one section of the road has 25mph speed limit is because you're coming toward a very small town and sometimes you see people crossing the street there I bet you will not like either when people blast through your residential area, going 50mph hehehe

But then again, I've never been to PA... so maybe it's a totally different story there

 

Dan,

Exactly .

 

Dan,

The radar theory was told to me by my cop neighbor. He said that they are instructed to be lenient within +10mph by their supervisors specially when they're in multi lane roads and using their old R guns.

I mentioned that since it will factor into the judge decission for a 5MPH over speeding verdict.

That is IMHO and will be part of my decission to battle the ticket if I were in the person's shoes who received the ticket. Like I said, 5mph over, I'll reason out with the judge.

 

In Delaware the cop writes on the ticket your actual speed, then the lower speed he is writing you up for. If you challenge the ticket, it goes back up to the higher speed. So in your case if you plead guilty, you get 5 over. If you fight the ticket you would be fighting a ticket for 25 over. I was never so concerned about money, as I was about points raising my insurance rates.

Dallas

 

Kim,
I agree with your wise words. I have many friends in local law enforcement. Getting that kind of break is few and far between. We ALL speed it our nature BUT we need to take responsibility in our own actions.
God Bless,
Tom

 

I'd just pay the ticket. And be glad I'm not this guy:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...3-speed3_x.htm