Autoblog

A pair of Pittsburgh Revenue Officers misunderstood the rules surrounding the use of some LIDAR gear loaned to the department for testing and issued a raft of tickets that the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police now has to retract. Apparently LIDAR is only approved for use when teamed with other systems like VASCAR and ENRADD, which measure speed in different ways, and these boys in blue were using it solo. Their mistake instantly invalidates about 650 speeding fines that were issued on account of the loaned LIDAR equipment.

Pittsburgh police chief Nate Harper has apologized for the erroneous tickets, and motorists with LIDAR-only tickets were encouraged to request a court hearing. If the citation has already been paid, the unlawfully caught speeders will be reimbursed. A full refund for a speeding ticket is novel, but our sarcastic side wants to make a crack about the payouts being funded by shortening yellow lights at intersections with camera-bots. Thanks for the tip, Eddy!

[Source: WTAE, Photo: nist.gov]

The Orange County (FL) sheriff's department has cranked up its traffic enforcement efforts for the 4th of July week, and it's having a little fun along the way. A deputy dressed in full Uncle Sam regalia stood at an undisclosed location Monday (local6.com wouldn't reveal the specific whereabouts) zapping speeders with his radar gun as a team of motorcycle cops pulled the unlucky motorists over and handed out tickets. According to Local6.com, 275 citations were handed out Monday, with fines set at $80 and up. The costume follies are nothing new for the sheriff's department, which has sent out radar-wielding deputies dressed as Santa's elves, the Grinch, and Leprechauns on holidays past.

[Source: Local6.com]