CHP question

[gimme]

This past few weeks I have seen something odd. When driving home on the fwy (dark/night) I have seen CHP sitting on the shoulder opposing traffic blacked out. Not all on the same freeway. Why would they do this? Is it a way of them saying "i'm on break"? I may be under the impression that they should have their lights on when parked on the side of the road regardless.

Sorry, been irking me for a bit

[GUNNTZ]

Waiting for some fool to come blowing by them. They do the same thing in several rural highways near me. They are technically not concealed, "I.E. SPEED TRAP", so this excuse won't hold up in court.

[gimme]

i wasn't inquiring for a court excuse. I literally drive the speed limit in my 89bhp car But it still doesn't make sense to me. why point AT traffic and have to do a 180 to get INTO traffic. They have radars in their back window.

i know, I'm too analytical

[Triad]

Ever been rear ended by a vehicle doing 90, while your stationary?


I hear it hurts. Better the "Devil you can see than the one you can't"

[cacop]

Waiting for some fool to come blowing by them. They do the same thing in several rural highways near me. They are technically not concealed, "I.E. SPEED TRAP", so this excuse won't hold up in court.

That's not the definition of a speed trap I know.

As for facing the opposite direction I suspect it might be part of their attempt to reduce officer fatalities when off to the side of the road. A few years back they had a lot of them killed in one year. Almost all of them were killed in or around their vehicles when parked on the side of the road. I suspect they might prefer to have their airbags deploy in a crash vs. whiplash. Besides if it looks like a drunk is tracking towards them turning on headlights would get a drunk's attention. They might actually not hit the CHP car. It probably only works well when the traffic is light at night.

[gimme]

Ever been rear ended by a vehicle doing 90, while your stationary?


I hear it hurts. Better the "Devil you can see than the one you can't"

That's not the definition of a speed trap I know.

As for facing the opposite direction I suspect it might be part of their attempt to reduce officer fatalities when off to the side of the road. A few years back they had a lot of them killed in one year. Almost all of them were killed in or around their vehicles when parked on the side of the road. I suspect they might prefer to have their airbags deploy in a crash vs. whiplash. Besides if it looks like a drunk is tracking towards them turning on headlights would get a drunk's attention. They might actually not hit the CHP car. It probably only works well when the traffic is light at night.

and those answers make a world of sense to me. never even had tht pass my mind. much appreciated, fellas

[Elwood_Blues]

Besides if it looks like a drunk is tracking towards them turning on headlights would get a drunk's attention. They might actually not hit the CHP car.

I'm not sure about that one. I read that people usually hit whatever their vision is fixated on. When people panic, they usually look at what's in front of them (guard rail on the curve, tree, car, etc.) and hit it, instead of looking where they want to/should go.

[Wildeman_13]

I'm not sure about that one. I read that people usually hit whatever their vision is fixated on. When people panic, they usually look at what's in front of them (guard rail on the curve, tree, car, etc.) and hit it, instead of looking where they want to/should go.

And this is why sitting on the side of the road with traffic was getting cops hurt/killed. People would see them and fixate on them driving their cars right into them. Or something to that effect. People do stupid things when they see LEOs of any flavor.

[BigDogatPlay]

Facing traffic off the shoulder and blacked out... proof again that it's best to never turn your back to the racetrack. A good friend got medically retired from CHP after being hit by a car in broad daylight on the shoulder at a crash scene has was investigating. The freeway can be a scary place and getting as far away from it, but keeping it in view, is a good thing.

Radar detectors.... if it goes off, you've almost certainly already been had. And if they are using LIDAR forget about it. In Marin County they will sit off at a bus pad at 90 degrees to the freeway (the northbound side at Alameda del Prado is prime for it) and shoot LIDAR as cars come down the hill.

[GUNNTZ]

That's not the definition of a speed trap I know.

As for facing the opposite direction I suspect it might be part of their attempt to reduce officer fatalities when off to the side of the road. A few years back they had a lot of them killed in one year. Almost all of them were killed in or around their vehicles when parked on the side of the road. I suspect they might prefer to have their airbags deploy in a crash vs. whiplash. Besides if it looks like a drunk is tracking towards them turning on headlights would get a drunk's attention. They might actually not hit the CHP car. It probably only works well when the traffic is light at night.

Makes enough sense to get hit where you have the most structure, but a head on shoving the block into the passenger compartment doesn't seem wise either. Essential brick wall and 65+ MPH vehicle = major pain or death for either occupant.

Here's the definition of a speed trap and I understand what it is/how it's setup. Just so you know I didn't say it was a trap:

speed trap, noun 
speed traps, plural

An area of road in which hidden police detect vehicles exceeding a speed limit, typically by radar

Facing traffic off the shoulder and blacked out... proof again that it's best to never turn your back to the racetrack. A good friend got medically retired from CHP after being hit by a car in broad daylight on the shoulder at a crash scene has was investigating. The freeway can be a scary place and getting as far away from it, but keeping it in view, is a good thing.

Radar detectors.... if it goes off, you've almost certainly already been had. And if they are using LIDAR forget about it. In Marin County they will sit off at a bus pad at 90 degrees to the freeway (the northbound side at Alameda del Prado is prime for it) and shoot LIDAR as cars come down the hill.

If you buy 50 dollar electronics quality, these might be the results. Anything top tear will detect radar one mile out, lidar is still a mixed bag. Really if you keep the speed down it'll keep the lights out of your rear view, unless you own a Bugatti Veyron

[TurboChrisB]

That's the truth there....My father, my brother and I all have Valentine one's. I have two...been using them for 10+ years and they WORK. Alerted me a mile or more out more times then I can count....mostly out of state tho as I don't see that much radar in CA....but out of state they use it on the freeways everywhere...saved me 4 times in 3 days driving from FL to CA once...somethings just not right when you can't drive at 85 in the middle of nowhere....

If you buy 50 dollar electronics quality, these might be the results. Anything top tear will detect radar one mile out, lidar is still a mixed bag.

[IrishJoe3]

If you buy 50 dollar electronics quality, these might be the results. Anything top tear will detect radar one mile out, lidar is still a mixed bag. Really if you keep the speed down it'll keep the lights out of your rear view, unless you own a Bugatti Veyron

But the best radar detector won't keep you safe from instant-on, which is how I wrote four separate speeders radar tickets last weekend who all had radar detectors.

Press hard, four copies, watch traffic as you merge back in

[cacop]

Here's the definition of a speed trap and I understand what it is/how it's setup. Just so you know I didn't say it was a trap:

speed trap, noun 
speed traps, plural

An area of road in which hidden police detect vehicles exceeding a speed limit, typically by radar

The only definition of a speed trap in a CA court that counts.

Speed Traps
40802. (a) A "speed trap" is either of the following:

(1) A particular section of a highway measured as to distance and with boundaries marked, designated, or otherwise determined in order that the speed of a vehicle may be calculated by securing the time it takes the vehicle to travel the known distance.

(2) A particular section of a highway with a prima facie speed limit that is provided by this code or by local ordinance under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 22352, or established under Section 22354, 22357, 22358, or 22358.3, if that prima facie speed limit is not justified by an engineering and traffic survey conducted within five years prior to the date of the alleged violation, and enforcement of the speed limit involves the use of radar or any other electronic device that measures the speed of moving objects. This paragraph does not apply to a local street, road, or school zone.

http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d17/vc40802.htm

The motor officer who certified me for radar would be proud I remembered.

[JS89]

But the best radar detector won't keep you safe from instant-on, which is how I wrote four separate speeders radar tickets last weekend who all had radar detectors.

Press hard, four copies, watch traffic as you merge back in

x2. The best radar detectors also won't keep you safe from visual estimations/lidar/pacing.

[SparrowHanger]

The only definition of a speed trap in a CA court that counts.

Speed Traps
40802. (a) A "speed trap" is either of the following:

(1) A particular section of a highway measured as to distance and with boundaries marked, designated, or otherwise determined in order that the speed of a vehicle may be calculated by securing the time it takes the vehicle to travel the known distance.

(2) A particular section of a highway with a prima facie speed limit that is provided by this code or by local ordinance under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 22352, or established under Section 22354, 22357, 22358, or 22358.3, if that prima facie speed limit is not justified by an engineering and traffic survey conducted within five years prior to the date of the alleged violation, and enforcement of the speed limit involves the use of radar or any other electronic device that measures the speed of moving objects. This paragraph does not apply to a local street, road, or school zone.

http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d17/vc40802.htm

The motor officer who certified me for radar would be proud I remembered.

Yep. That is the definition of a speed trap, but look at Fleming v Sup Ct and how it impacts trying to admit evidence of speeding if the officer is not in the open.