When a police officer "paces" you, it means they are using their own vehicle's speedometer to estimate your speed by maintaining a consistent distance behind your car. This is a common and legally recognized method for speed detection, especially when electronic tools are unavailable.
Understanding Police Pacing
Pacing is a long-standing technique in law enforcement used to determine a vehicle's speed. Instead of relying on radar or lidar guns, an officer directly observes and matches the speed of the vehicle they suspect is exceeding the limit. It's an observational and empirical method that leverages the police vehicle's own calibrated speedometer.
How Pacing Works
The process of pacing involves a few key steps:
- Positioning: The officer positions their patrol vehicle behind the target vehicle, ensuring a clear line of sight and safe following distance.
- Consistent Distance: The officer then attempts to maintain a consistent distance behind your car for a reasonable period and distance. This allows them to accurately match your speed.
- Speed Matching: While maintaining this consistent distance, the officer adjusts their own speed to match that of your vehicle.
- Speed Measurement: The officer then reads the speed displayed on their police car's speedometer. This reading serves as the estimated speed of your vehicle.
- Observation Period: For accuracy and legal validity, the pacing generally needs to occur over a sufficient distance, allowing the officer to confirm the matched speed.
Why Officers Use Pacing
Police officers resort to pacing for several practical reasons, particularly when modern electronic speed detection tools aren't an option:
- Absence of Electronic Tools: Pacing is commonly used when radar or other electronic speed detection tools are not available or feasible. This could be due to the officer not having the equipment, or the specific road conditions making their use difficult.
- Equipment Malfunction: If an officer's radar or lidar unit is malfunctioning or out of service, pacing provides a reliable alternative for speed enforcement.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Pacing requires no specialized, expensive equipment beyond a standard patrol vehicle with a working speedometer, making it accessible for all officers.
- Traffic Conditions: In certain heavy traffic conditions or specific road layouts, getting an accurate radar reading can be challenging. Pacing allows an officer to visually assess and confirm speed more effectively in such scenarios.
- Supplement to Other Methods: Sometimes, pacing can be used in conjunction with other observations to strengthen a speed violation claim.
Is Pacing Legal for Issuing Citations?
Yes, pacing is a legally permissible method for police officers to estimate a vehicle's speed and issue a speeding citation. Courts generally accept pacing as valid evidence of speeding, provided the officer testifies to the proper execution of the technique.
To ensure accuracy and uphold the validity of pacing evidence, police departments typically enforce strict protocols:
- Calibrated Speedometers: Police vehicle speedometers are regularly checked and calibrated to ensure their accuracy. This calibration is crucial for the reliability of the pacing method.
- Officer Training: Officers receive specific training on how to properly pace a vehicle, including how to maintain consistent distances and observe for a sufficient duration.
- Officer Testimony: In court, an officer can testify to their training, the calibration of their speedometer, and the specific details of how they paced your vehicle.
While less technologically advanced than radar, pacing remains a fundamental and effective tool in a police officer's arsenal for enforcing speed limits.
