As you can guess, I just got a speeding ticket on the 241 toll road. While checking my alternatives

traffic school
ticketassissan.com aproach by mail
buying a radar detector to prevent the next time

I was thinking, how does their gear work with our plastic body cars?

The cop got me with rear looking equipment while he was parked on the side of the road. Can the radar or Laser read plastic cars too or only metal cars?

thanks

mtr

 

I dont drive without my radar detector on the highway, thats where it saves you because you notice them guning for other people before they hit you and you have a chance to slow down.

I'm interested in if they can get a solid tone on a plastic or carbon bodied car. Anyone know?

 

Unfortunately, Mike, plastic cars are not immune to radar. A radar detector will help, but not if you're out front leading the pack. Good Luck if you fight.

 

Would be interesting to replace the body with all carbon fiber components and see if that did anything, a stealth C5 would be very handy lol.

 

If you have your front license plate on they aim the laser at the plate.

 

It is not the carbon fiber that makes Stelth tech work, it is the shape. there is nothing much you can do about a radar, having just spent all day Saturday in traffic school I can tell you that the 241 is a current favorte speed trap.

 

For starters, our cars are not plastic. They are only covered in plastic. Lots of aluminum and steel underneath. Even the stealth fighter jets can be picked up by radar. Not much steel in those. Radar may have a reduced range on some cars over others but still useable. I saw a program on TV once where a cop confirmed that a black Corvette with no license plate had to get much closer. than an SUV. Same with laser as dark colors will absorb more of the reflection and a sleek design will deflect more of it in other directions.

 

241 has turned into a speed trap in the last several years. The run from the 91 over the hill to Chapman they sometimes use air support with the ground units. Watchit. Don't leave home with out your detector. Especially in the vette.

 

when you go to court demand to see the service report for the radar gun, the paper work showing the cop is certified to operated it, and when was the last time it was calabrated. that should get you off.

 

The only two things that effect the radar reading are:
#1. the angle of deflection; how far off to the left or right the officer's car was parked. (..........Actually the greater the angle; the SLOWER your speed will be recorded! )
#2. the size of the object the signal is striking. The strongest signal return will be from the largest target within range.

OPTIONS:
#1. Pay the ticket
#2. Plead "not guilty" and just hope the officer doesn't appear in court. If he fails to show up, the ticket will be dismissed. If you shows, change your plea to guilty and ask for traffic school. Whatever you do, avoid the cost of a trial that you'll never win.

Good Luck.....

 

When I got a ticket the cop said these excat words to me.... Man I had a hard time getting you on the rader, all night I have got everyone at 3000 yards. I didnt get you till 1500..

I have no front plate either. which helps but in the end they will get you..

Best advice is keep your car clean with a Good wax because it absorbs and reflest light a little harder than lets say a dirty car... But they do aim for the plate cause its flat and gives the most Accurate readings..

 

If you plead not Guilty and the cop shows up at court you still have a chance to negotiate a lower charge with the DA. They would prefer not trying the case. I have done this several times in NY State.

If you want to improve your stealthiness you need to make sure metal parts on the front of the car are sloped backwards so radar energy is reflected away from the radar gun and that the car is covered in radar absorbing paint. Car and Driver did that about 20+ years ago with a 911 and got the capture distance down to less than 500 ft.
Bill

 

To be the master of the obvious, as one having both a radar detector and a laser defusers(front and rear) the only thing that really works consistently is to find some other rabbit who wants to go fast and get in his wake. If your the lead car, your going to get pinched eventually.

If your in the #2 spot, they will nail the guy in front. On long trips I always am able to find someone in a hurry who leads the way.

 

chances are even if the LEO doesnt show up they will postpone it to another night.

Best advice - plead not guilty - talk to the prosecutor and chances are they will reduce the ticket (assuming that you dont have a record of speeding already. Most of the time I see 4 points lowered to 2 points and 2 points lowered to 0.

 

In my county in California, if you demand a trial, the traffic school opton is no longer available to you. At trial, if you're found guilty (or change your plea to guilty) you pay the fine and take the points hit on your driving record.

Obviously they did this to stop the game of "hope the cop doesn't show" because too much LEO time was wasted appearing and then having the defendant switch to "gimme traffic school".

 

My suggestion is to get a good lawyer, my last ticket (10 over) was reduced to two parking tickets which was the same cost as the speeding ticket. My lawyer was able to talk to the law clerk before the trial and I waited outside. He came out and told me where to pay the fine. They only wanted my money.

A ticker will stay on you record for about 7 years and the prosecuter and your insurance company will have access to it.

 

This information is probably more "up to date", and sounds pretty logical! My information is obviously "dated" as I've been retired for a few years and the "rules" have changed dramatically!!!

 

I haven't been on that rode yet, but glad you posted it. I keep a ValentineOne in my two Corvettes...never leave home without it type thing. Its saved me lots of times and I drive a minimum of 120 miles a day roundtrip.
Radar and Laser technologies are both "Line of Sight". Don't let some officer fool you into saying he got you if you were over a hill or out of visible sight, around a corner and so on. On the highway though, keep in mind, they can get you from a very long ways away, providing there is no one else on the road. What I find interesting is how they can say they got you only but there were 15 other cars around you going both directions all the time, speaking generalities of course.
The radar gun is designed to show the highest speed or return from the pointed direction. I haven't seen the latest guns so I don't know if they will report that speed coming to them or going away from them, but they all work on the same principles... sending a signal out, it bounces off the approaching or leaving vehicle and comes back. The time difference in the pulses is measured and computed into speed. It can't see around corners or over hills. Laser or Lidar is the same but they normally use the license plates for a focus spot which is why they are made so reflective.
If you were in the wrong, pay the fine. If it wasn't you, fight it.

 

Go to online traffic school and forget about it. That is the easiest option. The last online school I did took 2 hours while I was talking to customers on the phone.

 

after the first one, its a piece of cake. i took 2 in year last year.