Police Use of Pacing to Convict for Speeding in NY

Speeding tickets are far and away the most issued traffic ticket by police officers.  Speeding tickets have been given out for decades and people driving in NY are still caught speeding by the dozens each day.  Police officers can use a variety of methods to detect how fast you are going including pacing, aircraft, radar and laser. 

Police officers are trained to use various types of equipment, their observation and other techniques such as pacing to detect how fast a driver is going.  Police officers use pacing quite often when they are not in a proper position to use a radar and can visually see that a driver is breaking the law.  Pacing is when a patrol vehicle is following your car at the same rate of speed and the officer checks their speedometer to see how fast you were going.  A police officer can use the pacing method to charge you with a speeding ticket in NY and you can be found guilty of the charges in court.

Usually the officer first will observe the vehicles on the road and if he/she suspects that you were speeding then the officer will pull out from his parked position and begin to speed up to catch your car.  The police officer is required to maintain a constant speed between the police vehicle and your vehicle long enough so that a reasonably accurate estimate of the speed can be made.

How Can I Fight My Speeding Ticket Where The Officer Paced My Car?

It’s quite technical and involves the ability to effectively communicate your findings in court but pacing tickets can be fought and won in court.  This means that hiring an experienced traffic defense attorney to argue your case in court will prove worthwhile.

First when an officer paces your car there are many different variables that need to be accounted for to accurately determine a speed.   The road that you are driving on can have traffic lights, curves and other obstacles that make it difficult for a police officer to pace your car.  Generally a straight road with no curves, hills or dips yields the best results for officers when pacing your car.

Also, officers are required to keep a constant distance between cars to get an accurate pace.    This means that officer must maintain an equal distance between vehicles and be as close as possible.  If you observe that the officer was farther away when beginning to pace you then it will be easier to fight your ticket and get the case dismissed.

Is Fighting a Speeding Ticket Based on Pacing a Good Idea?

Even the best prepared defense can fail. Judges usually side with the officer so if an attorney can negotiate a reduction of your speeding ticket, that might be the best option instead of rolling the dice at trial which could lead to a conviction.

Should I Consult With A Traffic Defense Attorney?

An experienced licensed attorney can help analyze the facts of your speeding ticket case and see whether conditions existed in which the officer did not use the appropriate steps to clock your speed.  An attorney can also help argue your case in front of the judge and help you prove your case.  Contact the attorneys at Rosenblum Law today for a free consultation.