Speeding is unlawful in Birmingham and across the whole state. While speeding is usually only a civil infraction garnering fines and points on a license instead of criminal penalties, those consequences are no less serious. Law enforcement in Birmingham, Michigan, use many techniques to catch people driving over the speed limit.
Although most people think of police catching speeding drivers with the use of a radar or lidar device, officers will often use a method called pacing to determine if a driver is in violation. Every responsible driver should know the rules of the road, and how police enforce those rules in order to protect their rights and avoid penalty. If you have been given a speeding ticket, hiring an experienced speeding attorney can clarify how pacing in Birmingham speeding cases may be used and what it means for your ticket.
Defining Pacing as a Method of Detection in Speeding CasesPacing is when an officer follows a suspect in the police cruiser. The officer will monitor their own speed while keeping pace with the suspect vehicle. If the officer must speed to maintain the same distance in relation to the other vehicle, then they will likely pull the driver over for a speeding ticket.
A common issue with the htpacing method of speeding detection is that officers sometimes do not get accurate readings. If an officer is gaining on the vehicle they are following, their speed will be higher than the vehicle maintaining a steady pace in front of them. When the officer has this higher reading, they may perceive a speeding violation when there was no infraction.
Officers are human and consequently prone to error. If an officer has not been trained properly in using the pacing method. Many officers will attempt to catch the vehicle they suspect which may give a false positive.
Camera footage from cruisers or bodycams may allow an attorney to fight charges based off of pacing in Birmingham speeding cases. Pacing evidence is not as strong as radar evidence in proving fault.
Pacing as Evidence and Defenses Against this EvidencePacing is admissible evidence of speeding in Birmingham Courts. Just like radar evidence or speeding camera evidence, pacing is commonly accepted as proof of speeding when presented through officer testimony.
Some defenses regarding pacing in speeding cases include determining whether or not the officer was pacing appropriately or if the vehicle was in adequate condition to provide accurate evidence. If the officer is not pacing appropriately, the evidence may be dismissed at that point. Furthermore, there could be maintenance issues with the officer’s vehicle meaning that if the speedometer is not properly calibrated or the tires are at a less than ideal and controlled pressure, readings may be altered. If the legitimacy of a reading is in question, attorneys may use video to analyze and verify results when an officer uses pacing in Birmingham speeding cases.
A Lawyer May be Able to Fight Your Speeding TicketIf an officer used pacing in your Birmingham speeding case, you may be incorrectly ticketed. There are many factors that could make a reading incorrect. If you have received a speeding ticket from an officer that was pacing your vehicle, call an experienced speeding attorney today for help with your case.