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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2011
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    1

    Default Using the Cosine Effect as a Defense to a Radar Based Speeding Ticket

    My question involves a speeding ticket from the State of: Washington .
    I received a radar ticket from the following situation : The officer was at the crest, at the top of a 100' hill, and both cars were traveling. My car was on the flat, at the bottom. I know that the
    "cosine effect set-up" from the radar can affect its accuracy. I know I was not speeding. What advice do you have for me, for court ?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
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    19,901

    Default Re: Using the Cosine Effect as a Defense to a Radar Based Speeding Ticket

    If you're going to mount this sort of defense, you better have an expert witness and advisably a lawyer.

    It doesn't sound like the cosine effect has any bearing here. If I understand you correctly, you were travelling, relative to the police car, in the same direction the gun was pointed. The cosine error comes from when the cop is off to the side and you are moving at an angle to the radar "beam"

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Seattle
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    3,577

    Default Re: Using the Cosine Effect as a Defense to a Radar Based Speeding Ticket

    Plus, you do understand that the "cosine effect" FAVORS the driver, right? I mean, if you are at a 45 degree angle, for example, and the officer "clocks" you at 70, that means you were ACTUALLY going 100! The cosine effect ONLY makes your car appear to be going SLOWER to the RADAR than it actually is -- NEVER FASTER!

    Barry

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    38,867

    Default Re: Using the Cosine Effect as a Defense to a Radar Based Speeding Ticket

    Quote Quoting blewis
    View Post
    Plus, you do understand that the "cosine effect" FAVORS the driver, right? I mean, if you are at a 45 degree angle, for example, and the officer "clocks" you at 70, that means you were ACTUALLY going 100! The cosine effect ONLY makes your car appear to be going SLOWER to the RADAR than it actually is -- NEVER FASTER!

    Barry
    I wonder if anybody has ever tried to utilize such a defense and ended up convincing the court they were guilty of (as an example) 100 when they were clocked and ticketed at 70.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    3,577

    Default Re: Using the Cosine Effect as a Defense to a Radar Based Speeding Ticket

    I watched a guy try to use the argument once, simply to prove that there WAS some error. WA's "speed trap" law has a provision that states that devices are "limited to devices or observations with a maximum error of not to exceed five percent using the lapsed time during which such vehicle travels between such limits." He argued that the cosine effect produced an error greater than 5% in his situation. The judge pointed out that RADAR does NOT use the "lapsed time" method of calculating speed -- GUILTY!

    Barry

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    CT & IL
    Posts
    5,273

    Default Re: Using the Cosine Effect as a Defense to a Radar Based Speeding Ticket

    A person could use it to attack its accuracy though .. and just not bring up the fact that it favors the driver ...

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