View Single Post
  #33 (permalink)  
Old 06-10-2010, 11:45 PM
bobcowan's Avatar
bobcowan bobcowan is offline
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Cobra Make, Engine: Backdraft, supercharged Coyote
Posts: 2,445
Not Ranked     
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SPF2245 View Post
Just for the non-cops, most radar schools are ~40 hours of math and in my class the final certification was 20 controlled speed verifications with a +/- 5mph (ie the suspect vehicle was moving at 50mph and you had to be within 45-55. Then you had to also have a distance you make the estimate. We had to get 18 out of 20 correct to pass the class. Along with that, we had 100 practice runs during the week...by the end we'd be making estimates +/- 2mph with near 100% accuracy.

The reason this exsists is due to the radar can not tell you which car is traveling at the speed indicated so you use the radar to verify your visual estimate. It's really not hard to do this accurately.
What you just said is that your margin for error is 10%. And, you're 90% accurate nearly 100% of the time.

Now think about that. What if you went to the bank to cash your pay check, and they had an acceptable margin for error of 10%. And then not all the time. Would you accept that? What about your plumber? Auto mechanic? Stock broker?

Heck, what if the timing lights at the local drag strip had a margin for error of 10%? Would you accept that?

So now we're talking about an event that significantly affects peoples wallets (fines, court costs, lost work, insurance rates), and we're supposed to be OK with that?

Don't worry. Next time you're in my office, you'll get the correct prescription. Within 10%. Most of the time. But you're OK with that, right?
Reply With Quote