Lidar: The Speed Enforcement Weapon of Choice
Numerous police departments are using lidar (light detection and ranging) laser technology to catch speeders. Officers are finding that the ability for lidar to focus on a particular vehicle and determine its speed with great accuracy to be useful when patrolling congested roadways.
Though lidar units cost about $4,000 each and require more extensive training than radar, police departments quickly recoup their investments, as officers spend less time in court and do not have to calibrate the device each time it is used.
Lidar has also increased the number of guilty pleas and guilty verdicts, with some officers noting that judges do not ask as many questions about accuracy when they find out lidar was involved. The latest lidar units are as small as binoculars and provide photo evidence of speed violations.
However, law enforcement experts stress that lidar should be used in conjunction with–not as a replacement for–radar, as radar covers greater distances and allows officers to monitor the speed of vehicles in numerous lanes on both sides of the road.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) from Law Enforcement Technology (10/06), Vol. 33, No. 10, P. 70; Solomon, Lisa.
