Greenwood Village Speeding Instruments

There are a number of different radar and Lidar tools that Northern Colorado law enforcement officers can use to tell if a person is speeding. They are also trained to pace a car. If they are on a highway or a long stretch of road, and their speedometer is calibrated, they could pace a car’s speed. They can tell how fast someone else is going and pace that person’s car based on a fixed point of view. They will place their vehicle in a specific area and stay with the other driver since pacing is more accurate over longer distances.

The other thing they can do is visually estimate a car speed at any given point in time, and they are usually pretty accurate. Sometimes that depends on how much time they have to view the other driver, whether they are moving and whether their view is unobstructed. Regardless, law enforcement has a lot of tools at their disposal to determine if somebody is speeding. The penalties for a speeding ticket include points and a fine penalty. Speeding itself does not actually carry with it any sort of jail time, but reckless driving does.

It is best to speak to an experienced speeding ticket lawyer if you have been issued a citation for violating the traffic laws. Jenn and Justie at Colorado Lawyer Team could help you understand the use of Greenwood Village speeding instruments and how it could affect your case.

Common Types of Radar Tools Used to Detect Speeding

The two most common types of Greenwood Village speeding instruments are LIDAR and radar. Radar is a little bit older. Most cops in Colorado are using LIDAR right now, and its readings are given a lot of weight in the court. They are infallible, and it is difficult to overcome radar and LIDAR unless they can prove that there is a problem with the machine. Such tools are required to be calibrated on a regular basis, and the agency issuing the ticket may have to produce the logs proving proper maintenance procedures.

Accuracy of Traffic Radar Instruments

The traffic radar instruments used in Northern Colorado are pretty accurate. One of the defenses to radar gun readings in court is proving that the equipment itself is faulty, which is hard to do but has been done. It is very difficult to overcome LIDAR in Colorado. A traffic lawyer would investigate to see if the officer shot the LIDAR at the right vehicle. If there is not an unobstructed view, that is necessary for LIDAR and radar to work, and the case could be impacted. However, in proper conditions, radar itself is very accurate, and the instruments themselves are usually relatively well-calibrated.

The Use of Pacing in a Traffic Case

Pacing is what an officer does when they use their car and their own speedometer to track how fast another moving object is going. It is admissible evidence, but it is not entirely accurate. The problem with pacing is they are relying on their own vehicle speedometer on a different type of vehicle to make estimations about how fast another driver is going. Pacing can depend upon how well-maintained the police vehicle is.

Pacing requires an officer to do multiple things at once. Not only is he driving the car, but he is also maintaining the distance from the other vehicle. He will try to keep that fixed point on his own vehicle tied to a point on the other car while also checking the speedometer of his vehicle. It is not very accurate in the short-term, but the longer he tails someone, the more accurate his pacing estimate will become.

Do Drivers Need to Show Up to Court For a Speeding Ticket?

Drivers need to show up to court for a traffic ticket if they plan to fight the ticket or they missed the deadline to mail in payment for the ticket. If they are planning to plead guilty, there is usually always an option that they can do so by just mailing in the ticket and paying the fine. If they decide to mail in the ticket, they do not need to come to court. If they do not mail in the ticket and they then miss the court date, they will have a warrant issued for failure to appear.

In some circumstances, an outstanding judgment warrant (OJW) can issue like a default judgment, and it can then impact your right to drive with the DMV until you pay it.

Reckless Driving Charges

Reckless driving charges are not administered in the form of a speeding ticket in Northern Colorado. Reckless driving is a special class of offense. It is an elevated type of ticket. It is an eight-point ticket, and usually, reckless driving would require speeding plus something else. Speeding plus weaving through traffic, speeding plus tailgating, or speeding plus illegal lane changes. Speeding and any of those things that can get them in hot water with reckless driving.

How a Speeding Ticket Attorney Could Help

Since the penalties for a speeding ticket include heavy fines and points on a license, it is best to call Justie and Jenn at Colorado Lawyer Team. They could help you fight your ticket. They could investigate the stop and the use of Greenwood Village speeding instruments. With their help, you may be able to avoid or mitigate the consequences of a traffic citation.

Call today to learn more about how a speeding ticket attorney could help your case.