Pennsylvania Senate advances local police radar bill

The Pennsylvania Senate approved SB 509 by a 49-1 vote. The measure was advanced by Sen. Greg Rothman, R-Mechanicsburg. The bill would allow local police to use speed radar. It now goes to the House. If the House approves it, it goes to the governor.

Today, only state troopers may use radar to check speed in Pennsylvania. Local officers have relied on other speed checks, including measuring travel time between two points.

The bill would restrict when radar can be used in a case. As a general rule, a driver would not be convicted based on radar for going under 10 mph above the posted limit.

On roads where the posted limit is higher than 55 mph, the cutoff would be 6 mph above the limit. For a 65 mph road, a 70 mph reading would generally not be enough for a conviction. The minimum would be 71 mph.

During the first 90 days, local officers would give written warnings rather than radar tickets. Radar would be allowed only in vehicles clearly marked as law enforcement.

The bill would cap the share of speeding-ticket money a department may retain. It could not keep more than the amount it collected from speed enforcement in the prior year. Amounts above that cap would go to the state Motor License Fund.

A town or city would need its own ordinance before its police could use radar. The Delaware River Port Authority would also be permitted to use the technology. Separate rules would apply in school zones and active work zones. The proposal would not alter posted speed limits. It would not allow drivers to exceed them.

Source: Land Line — https://landline.media/more-radar-more-tickets-pennsylvania-weighs-change/