How to Fight a Laser Speeding Ticket

You can successfully beat a laser speeding ticket in court. To successfully challenge a laser speeding ticket in court, you must understand the working of a laser gun.

Working of a Laser Gun

To determine the speed of a vehicle on the road, the police officer will point the laser gun in the direction of the vehicle and press the trigger releasing bursts of infra red lights. The lights strike the vehicle and are reflected back. The distance of the vehicle is determined by the time taken for the infra red lights to strike the vehicle and return back. The difference in the distances between the bursts is used to determine the speed of the vehicle.

Accuracy of Laser

Laser guns tend to be very accurate. The Marksman LTI 20.20 which is used by police in most states across the nation has an accuracy of 1 mph for speeds up to 60 mph. It's accuracy is within 3% for speeds over 60 mph. Despite the claims of the police and the manufacturers, lasers guns have their own weaknesses. There are factors that can affect their reading. As the distance between the laser gun and the target increases, the beam width increases. As the beam width increases, the chance of the laser striking another vehicle or object increases.

Beyond Reasonable Doubt

The prosecution must prove that the laser reading is accurate beyond reasonable doubt. If you can prove the existence of any factor that affects the laser gun reading, then you will succeed in creating doubts about the accuracy of the reading. Weather is an important factor that can affect the laser reading. Fog, clouds and rain can severely affect the accuracy of the laser. Lasers require a reflective surface. So the surface of the target vehicle must be reflective for the laser to give an accurate reading. The officer must be trained to use the laser gun. If the officer does not have proper training in the use of the gun, then the laser reading cannot be relied on as evidence against you. Another factor that can affect the accuracy of the reading is the maintenance of the laser gun. Ask the prosecution to produce the maintenance record of the laser gun. Besides maintenance records, you should also ask the prosecution to produce the log book of the laser gun. This is help in determining if the laser gun was properly calibrated before use. If it is not calibrated properly before use, it will affect the readings.

Getting Legal Help

Consult with an experienced traffic violation attorney if you have been issued a laser speeding ticket. The attorney can help you fight the laser speeding ticket in court.