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What Are the Dangers of RADAR Guns?

Radio detection and ranging devices, commonly known as RADAR guns, carry a reputation for safely and accurately assessing the speed of passing traffic. Despite this reputation, though, RADAR guns are associated with a number of dangers and considerations.

  1. Cancer

    • Because RADAR guns use radio waves and their Doppler signatures to detect speed, many users have expressed concern over the potential for use of the devices to lead to cancer. In 1991, Time magazine ran an article describing how RADAR guns may lead to cancer in the police officers that use them. That same year, Connecticut discontinued use of RADAR guns in its highway patrol division.

    Abuse

    • When an officer uses a RADAR gun to issue a citation, the resulting speeding fine can amount to hundreds of dollars. As Edmonton (Canada) Sun columnist Michael Platt pointed out in a September 2010 article, municipalities often treat RADAR-associated speeding fines as a cash cow, even though no concrete evidence associates an increased number of speeding fines with a reduction in accidents.

    Considerations

    • Despite the widespread use of RADAR guns, police must use the devices in very specific conditions to obtain an accurate speed reading. According to the law enforcement equipment retailer Michigan Police Equipment, RADAR guns have limitations that may lead to inaccurate displays.

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