Trucking is an unforgiving profession with its deadlines, long hours and traffic nightmares. The last thing you need is a police officer, armed with a radar gun, pulling you over for speeding.
In the short term, a traffic stop is annoying; it interrupts your delivery schedule. In the long term, points on your commercial driver’s license pose a serious threat to your livelihood. It is in your interests to challenge the speeding ticket with some basic questions.
Was the radar gun in working condition?
Radar guns measure the speed of your truck through radio waves. A newer technology, Light Detection and Ranging, uses lasers. The devices calculate your speed by bouncing a signal off your truck.
In either case, the instruments are sensitive police enforcement tools. They need maintenance, regular calibrations and adjustments. You can ask police to produce records proving the device was in good working order. If police are unable to do so, you can cast doubt on the reliability of the evidence against you.
Did the officer know how to work the gun?
Proper use of a radar gun or LIDAR also calls for police training and certification. If the officer who wrote your ticket lacks the expertise, you can argue operator error. A few simple questions can undermine the testimony of an officer. For example, did he or she use a tuning fork to calibrate the radar gun?
Your goals are avoiding a speeding fine and keeping your driving record as clean as possible. With the right strategy, you can protect your CDL and your way of making a living.
Have you done everything to defend your CDL?
While none of these arguments guarantee you will beat a speeding charge, you have rights. Among them is challenging evidence and testimony.
It is important to remember that you do not have to prove your innocence. You only have to raise doubts about the case against you.
