Police withdraw speed detectors
Traffic police in Scotland have been ordered to stop using handheld speed detecting equipment amid fears it could be affected by police radio waves.
Road policing units were told to employ alternatives to the Visual Average Speed Computer and Recorder (Vascar) system until further notice.
It is thought police radios could be causing faults in the speed detectors.
The system sees an officer pressing a button as a vehicle passes between two measured points.
It has been in use for 25 years.
Strathclyde Police confirmed its officers had been asked to use alternative speed detectors while the concerns over the impact of the police radio system Airwave on the device were investigated.
Road policing units with all forces in Scotland have been advised of a potential issue ith three speed detection systems
Acpos spokesman
Ch Insp Andy Orr, of the force's road policing department, said: "There is a suggestion that the Vascar system might be affected by Airwave radio waves and the matter is currently being investigated by Strathclyde Police.
"Until such time that the matter has been fully investigated, a memo has been sent to officers asking them to use alternative speed detection equipment."
The force stressed Vascar was not the main speed detector in use - the focus was on other systems such as speed cameras and radar guns.
If fears over its accuracy proved true, it is thought that many motorists caught speeding by Vascar could try to overturn their convictions.
Vascar is a relatively basic speed measuring system operated manually by an officer.
Two landmarks are selected, such as a lamppost and a sign, and the distance between the objects is calculated. The time it takes for a vehicle to travel between the two sites is then measured.
The officer presses a button as the vehicle passes the first landmark, and again as it passes the second to determine its speed.
Road collisions
The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos) said all eight of the country's forces had been asked not to use Vascar and two other speed detection systems.
An Acpos spokesman said: "Road policing units with all forces in Scotland have been advised of a potential issue with three speed detection systems - Vascar, Police Pilot and Provida.
"They have been advised not to use them for speed detection until the issue is resolved but to continue employing other speed detection systems.
"Despite this concern, all Scottish forces will be maintaining robust speed detection activities above and beyond those carried out by the Scottish Safety Camera Partnership.
"Inappropriate speed is still a factor in road collisions throughout Scotland and motorists are advised to adhere to the law or they will face the full weight of enforcement and the courts."
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7869217.stm
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