sab@houti.UUCP (06/22/83)
Maybe the California police have a motive for encouraging everyone to get radar detectors. They could slow traffic by placing UNMANNED transmitters in strategic locations. Scott
tomk@orca.UUCP (06/23/83)
The State of Washington tried to put together a plan to use unmanned
"radar" transmitters to slow radar detector equipped traffic. The plan
fell apart after the FCC would not give their blessing. It seems
that transmitters of any kind without 'a useful purpose' are forbidden
in all cases. amen! (at least that's the reason I recall from a newspaper
article several years ago)
- Tom Kloos, Tektronix, Inc. ECS, Wilsonville, Oregon
uucp: {ucbvax,decvax,chico,pur-ee,ihnss}!teklabs!tekecs!tomk
or {ucbvax,decvax,uw-beaver}!tektronix!tekecs!tomk
CSnet: tekecs!tomk@tek
ARPA: tekecs!tomk.tek@rand-relay grw@fortune.UUCP (06/23/83)
RE: the idea of placing unmanned radar stations to slow down
traffic: Why not? It's a variation of an old CHP ploy. Back in
the old days, when California had a lot more money to burn, when
a highway patrol car was replaced, it was put on the side of a
highway with a manakin in it, to slow down traffic. Honest!
-Glenndave@rocksvax.UUCP (06/23/83)
The FCC said it is illegal to have drone radar transmitters. The state
of Washington was doing just that for a while with little solar powered
transmitters. By the way they changed the philosophy of the drone with
a billboard sized radar, that says something like, "Drive safely, your
speed nn" would be calculated by radar and displayed on the billboard.
I kind of like that approach. Wonder if any Washington people could
elaborate on that program, I saw this on TV last year I believe.
Dave Sewhuk (Arpa: Sewhuk.HENR@PARC-MAXC.ARPA)
(uucp: {rochester, allegra, amd70}!rocksvax!dave)berry@fortune.UUCP (06/24/83)
#R:houti:-31100:fortune:1500016:000:140 fortune!berry Jun 23 16:27:00 1983 RE: unmanned radar. I heard a rumor that La. is already doing such things. Ie. putting diminutive radar transmitters in road signs, etc.
emma@uw-june.UUCP (06/24/83)
I've seen a drone-with-a-billboard, located in Montana. Boy, that was a shock. I've wondered if that sign is responsible for many rear-end collisions. -Joe P.
fowler@uw-beaver.UUCP (06/24/83)
There have been several instances of police deliberately setting up dummy radar traps that I know of: 1) Official policies of keeping the radar on, even when the cops are eating lunch, etc. 2) The policy of the RCMP in B.C. (circa '77) of announcing where their radar traps are for the day. (The rationale is that they didn't want to be accused of cruelly ambushing anyone who cares enough to find out where they are. The morning traffic reports on some radio stations would tell you exactly where these alleged speed traps are. Of course the RCMP wouldn't lie, but on the other hand, they don't actually have to stay at that spot all day. I never saw any sign of radar at the announced locations. 3) The practice of at least one highway patrol organization (between B.C and California, inclusive. I forgot where I saw it) stripping the guts out of a trashed-out patrol car, putting a dummy (other than one of their regular officers) in the driver's seat, and towing it to a likely speed trap location. The one I saw even had a phony radar horn made out of what looked like tar paper and held on with a piece of scrap lumber. The fun comes when they remove the hulk a week later and put a real patrol car there. 4) In conjunction with 3), I heard mention of very cheap radar frequency transmitters (no receiver, just a transmitter) that can be scattered around the highways, especially around danger spots. Again, the idea is that you (an alert, radar detecting speeder) will detect the signal and slow down (at least initially). To make it effective, the dummy transmitters are also used as the sites for real radar traps. I'm not sure whether this has been actually used, but the devices have been manufactured.
mam@rabbit.UUCP (06/26/83)
On Route 80 somewhere in Nebraska or Iowa, there is a similar sign on a bridge. It says "Your speed is xx". I would doubt its effectiveness considering the average speed of motorists in that part of the world. It is the only place that I have ever seen such a sign.
kevenb@tekid.UUCP (06/27/83)
I've driven past the drone sign on I-80. It's very interesting to see your MPH read out in big numbers. We were so impressed, that we turned around and went back to see it again. These were my wilder days, and I was driving a VERY fast firebird. Naturally, we wanted to see just how high the reading could get......
filed01@abnjh.UUCP (06/29/83)
In Europe automatic signs which indicate your speed if it is over
the limit considered safe near curves, bridges or exits are fairly
common. I have not seen them used excpet where a potentially
dangerous situation exists. They are not used on clear strtches of road.
European drivershave good lane discipline if there is more than one
lane. On two lane roads they will pass under near suicidal
conditions however.
Their driving skill on the average may be greater than North Americans.
Their overall accident rate is not as great, but their fatal accident
rate is twice ours.amyh@fluke.UUCP (06/30/83)
A friend of mine designed a large part of the drone radar sign outside
of Bozeman MT; it was built under state funding (if I remember right).
Anyway, it was up for a short time, and the customer came back asking
for modifications. It seems the local overgrown kids were taking their
cars out just to see how fast they could go. So, now if you're over
the speed limit, it doen't display speed at all, just "slow down" or
some such message.
Amy Heidner John Fluke Mfg {microsoft|lbl-csam|uw-beaver}!fluke!amyhfaunt@hplabs.UUCP (07/04/83)
Its been a couple of years since I was back there, but the freeway section out of Dulles toward DC had one of these. It seemed to be broken most of the time, however.