U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

GOTCHA! MEASURING SPEEDS WITH LASERS

NCJ Number
142381
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 41 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1993) Pages: 58-62
Author(s)
C Peterson
Date Published
1993
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Although speed-measuring laser devices have generated enough attention to warrant consideration of their use by police departments, questions remain as to whether lasers will survive scrutiny by the courts, how they will hold up under field conditions, and whether they cause eye safety or other health liability problems.
Abstract
Laser units are in service in 35 States, and the laser's main attractions include positive target identification, the ability to pick out one vehicle from a pack, and immunity to laser detectors (according to manufacturers). With radar increasingly under fire for its inability to clearly distinguish which vehicle's speed it is reading, many police departments are embracing the laser for its promise to provide indisputable target identification. Also, with the proliferation of divided highways separated by Jersey barriers or similar safeguards, the operation of conventional moving radar is becoming increasingly hampered in some areas. The feasibility of using lasers in both open road and urban environments is discussed, and various laser types are described.