Transportation and Vehicle Safety: tickets, radar guns, types of radar

Question
If there are several cars speeding and a person has notice a police with a radar gun in its hand pointing does that mean the person will get a ticket?

Answer
Hello Meghan and welcome to AllExperts!

Firstly, the radar gun is only a tool to determine speed. The officer using one already has a predetermined speed in his/her mind that they are willing to take action on, and should someone exceed that speed, they will be stopped and issued a citation.

Secondly, there are two types of radar guns. The most accurate is Laser Radar, and not only can this type accurately determine speed, but can pinpoint a single car within a large group of cars. If you have exceeded the officers predetermined speed and this type of radar is being used and has targeted you, you can indeed expect to be stopped and issued a citation.

Should the officer be using the older type, while it can accurately identify speed, it cannot identify any specific car out of a group of cars. This radar gun will only identify the speed of the fastest car within the group. All the officer needs to do is visually see which car is going the fastest and that car is getting the ticket, assuming it is exceeding the officers predetermined speed that he/she will take action on.

Unless you are very savvy, it would be difficult for you to know the difference between the types of radar without a detection device in your car.

So, the short answer to your question is, not necessarily.

I hope this has helped Meghan. have a great day!

Terry