In PA, radar guns are still a no no. But is that changing?
Officers nationwide use radar guns to enforce speed limits and catch drivers who may be breaking the law. Nationwide—except in Pennsylvania, where local police officers are banned from using the technology, making it the only municipality nationwide that has such limits. The technology in Pennsylvania is strictly reserved for state troopers.
But that may be changing according to a new article from The Inquirer. Now, a bill that would allow local police the right to use radar technology has advanced through the state legislature—whether or not it will pass is still up for debate.
Decades of objections to radar guns
Even though police associations have long touted the benefits of radar guns—namely, making it easier to enforce the law and potentially save lives—Pennsylvania residents still have their doubts. Chief among them is that the radar guns will be used in “speed traps,” as a way to drive up revenue through fines and speeding tickets.
Some residents who are vehemently anti-radar gun maintain the line that their usage is merely to expand the state coffers. If not, some ask, why not simply give speeders point on their license and skip the fines?
What radar guns could mean in potential DUI cases
If radars are introduced, it could give police officers yet another reason to pull over drivers, and the penalties of a speeding ticket could be added to an already expensive DUI process. While drivers may be pulled over on the presumption of speeding, officers may ask you to submit to a DUI test if they suspect inebriation.
In any case, drivers who may be facing drunk driving charges should not go forward without the assistance of an attorney.