GPS Data Used To Disprove Radar Gun In Speeding Trial

from the not-so-fast dept

Over the past couple months, we've pointed to the misuses of technology to enforce traffic laws, particularly red light cameras which often end up causing more accidents or allow municipalities to decrease the yellow light time and increase ticket revenue. Last fall we noted the case of a teenager who was challenging another technological traffic enforcement: radar guns -- and he was using a different technology to do so: his GPS system. Now, the 18-year old driver has successfully contested that speeding ticket which he was issued for allegedly traveling 62 mph in a 45 mph zone.

Luckily for the teen, his car had an advanced GPS system which not only provided directions but measured velocity to "within 1 mph." After receiving a trial and bringing a GPS expert to testify to the accuracy of the device, the $190 ticket has been dismissed. What is not clear is why the police officer's radar gun output was more than 1/3 inflated (though this is hardly an isolated incident). Also, as a number of people have pointed out, similar GPS data, if widespread, could also come to serve as critical evidence in convicting traffic law violators instead of providing a check on state authority.

Kevin Donovan is an expert at the Insight Community. To get insight and analysis from Kevin Donovan and other experts on challenges your company faces, click here.

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GPS Tracking: Drivers' New Best Friend?

from the the-honorable-judge-garmin-presiding dept

For most teenagers, getting their driver's license is a rite of passage that marks a newfound freedom. The idea of having their driving monitored using GPS tracking devices would seemingly make a teenager more surly than a NYC Taxi Driver. At least one teen might feel differently if he is successfully able to challenge a speeding ticket using data from the GPS tracking system installed in his car that ostensibly shows the car moving at the speed limit within 100 feet of where he was clocked speeding. Drivers have long been at the mercy of the court when pleading their innocence to charges of a traffic violation. As the article notes, the courts have been for the most part merciless, with the he-said of the ticketing cop and his radar gun being upheld in most cases over the she-said of the driver. Technology used by the police to nab traffic offenders is usually taken at face value, despte cases where it is obviously flawed.

GPS tracking systems in personal vehicles could restore some balance towards drivers falsely accused of speeding, but first the courts will have to both understand how the technology works (nontrivial, perhaps) and also satisfy themselves that the data is true and accurate. The courts will no doubt want a say in how GPS tracking services record, secure, and authenticate their data before weighing them heavily as evidence. Existing service providers may step up to this challenge and offer "traffic court certified" service at a premium. Perhaps those drivers whose GPS tracking systems have earned them a discount on their car insurance will wind up reinvesting a few of those dollars into service that might some day get them off the hook in court.

Daniel DiPasquo is an expert at the Insight Community. To get insight and analysis from Daniel DiPasquo and other experts on challenges your company faces, click here.

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