CRESTVIEW — It may not ease the displeasure of receiving a speeding ticket, but now drivers rushing through Crestview know the police officer’s radar and speedometer are accurate.
Inspectors from Florida Mobile Speed Testing were in town Thursday for biannual testing and calibration of each Crestview Police Department patrol vehicle’s equipment for accuracy.
The process supports speed enforcement citations that officers issue, Lt. Andrew Schneider said.
“Everything passed,” he said.
Crestview Police spokesman Lt. Don Fountain said having all the vehicles tested at the same time makes scheduling tests easier and saves taxpayer dollars.
“We’re saving money by having them (Florida Mobile) out here once, and we have all of the vehicles on the same (testing) rotation this way,” Fountain said.
It cost $1,800 to test 35 vehicles, including speedometer on each car, plus in-vehicle mounted radar, hand-held radar units and three laser speed check units. The company waived set-up fees. Vehicles included patrol cars and investigators’ vehicles.
“Keeping track of all the radar units and calibrations is a nightmare in itself,” Fountain said. “Knowing that every six months they [testing company] are coming in helps us keep track of the equipment and vehicle testing.”
The company’s technicians test a vehicle’s speedometer by racing it on rollers, keeping the car stationary while its “speed” is read on a digital monitor and compared to the speedometer.
Next, the car’s forward and rear-facing radar are tested using frequency generators and old-fashioned tuning forks. The equipment’s sound vibrations simulate moving targets, Schneider said.
To maintain accuracy, he said, an officer administers tuning fork tests before and after his or her shift, as well as after traffic stops.
“In between when they write a ticket, they have to use the tuning fork,” Schneider said.
All tests, including calibration testing and certification by Florida Mobile and officers’ daily testing routine, are logged.
“If a driver contests the ticket, the officer will bring the log to court and show all of the calibration tests, including between stops,” Schneider said.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview police vehicles receive speedometer, radar calibration