Can a police officer give you a speeding ticket based on the car in front of you?
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Can a police officer give you a speeding ticket based on the car in front of you?
I was driving on the interstate behind a long line of cars, when I saw a police car on the side of the road. Everyone in front of me continued going their same speed but since I could not move over to the next lane because of so much traffic, I slowed down like I thought you were suppose to when you saw a car on the side of the road and the police officer stepped out and stopped me. He said I was speeding, but he based it on the cars in front of me. Can he do this?
Asked on September 13, 2017 under General Practice, Louisiana
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
Yes, they can. The law does not specify any given or particular means that must be used to "clock" your speed. It can be done by radar/lidar; by pacing you in a police car; by police aircraft looking at how fast you pass certain markings or landmarks; or by comparing your speed to that of another car, whose speed they know--so if they clocked a car in front of you with, say, radar, and saw that you were going the same speed as the other car, they would know your speed, too.
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