Ateneo de Zamboanga University

The Jesuit University in Western Mindanao, Philippines Since 1912

Senior High School

ANALYSIS ON THE NEED OF LASER SPEED GUN FOR

BETTER MONITORING OF VIOLATIONS

Names
Fatima Mudjraida T. Hatimil
Maryam Ysabelle R. Jumdain
Prince Kenthzhar M. Omar
Mohammad Adam Muezzin U. Silven
Euwann Ameer B. De Vera)

Grade & Section

(12-STEM CLAVIUS)

Date
September 6, 2021
 Have you ever tried crossing a road, then suddenly, a fourteen-wheeler truck driving over
105 kilometers per hour beyond the speed limit, drives past you, just mere inches from running
over you? In the Philippines, there is a set speed limit for every road such as: 80 kph on national
main roads, 20 kph for barangay roads and so on and so forth. Violators would have to pay a
penalty of 2000 pesos for the first offense, up to 3000 pesos for multiple. The speed of the
vehicle can be detected through the use of a Radar Speed Gun, a device that measures the speed
of a moving object. In Cebu City, in between January and September 2019, there were 6049
individuals who’ve involved themselves in a vehicular accident. This caused the Cebu City
Transportation Office (CCTO) to procure speed guns and speed cameras alongside the new
traffic system they’re installing in the city (Letigio, 2021). To ensure the safety of the drivers and
the pedestrians, we believe that the procurement of such equipment would reduce vehicular
accidents related to speeding in the country.

Most reckless drivers attempt to enter one-way close roads and burst their speed out
disregarding people and vehicles entering, as they are aware of police officers roaming around
and they’re entering tight roads to not get caught with their unlawful impulsive behavior. This
alone can be a liability to the community. With that, the drivers are over speeding in a hurry and
it is very dangerous knowing that they are on the wrong way and most vehicles entering the road
do not expect someone getting out from the entrance.

ADVANTAGE

At the present time, implementing the Radar Speed Gun can be a big advantage in
reducing over speeding related accidents and in promoting a good community. In the news about
the speech of Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco
Gamboa, he stated that Duterte approved the police proposal to procure radar speed guns and
other gadgets during a command conference in Malacañang on Tuesday. With radar speed guns,
policemen can detect speeding vehicles on the road. Also included in the pipeline are
breathalyzers to check on drunk drivers and weighing scales for overloaded vehicles (Tumpas,
2020).
DISADVANTAGE

Radar guns are extremely sensitive to any gadget that produces frequencies or vibrations.
As law enforcement officers are always near their police vehicle when they pull you over, there
could have been interference from numerous components in the said vehicle, such as the radio,
alternator, or most likely two or more traffic radars operating in close proximity and operating at
or near the same frequency of the radar speed gun. This alone can result to false reading when
they clock your vehicle. When the International Association of Chiefs of Police tested 24 radar
models in 1983 and '84, the results showed that nearly all of the units were affected by
temperature variation, five failed accuracy tests, four had unacceptably wide beam widths and
three tended to provide inaccurate readings due to nearby police or CB radios. According to the
Department of Public Safety course, “UHF radio now in use can force radar to read various
numbers when you transmit, or just key the mike. Citizens band radio transmissions from within
the patrol vehicle can cause ghosting (false readings).” They recommend that no radio
transmissions should be made while clocking target vehicles (The Rader Shop, n.d). Another
factor that can affect the accuracy of Radar speed Guns is vehicle interference error. According
to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the auto-lock feature on radar
guns should be disabled. This feature automatically locks onto a specific vehicle and follows it
until the radar gun reads the vehicle’s speed. However, the auto-lock can lock onto the wrong
vehicle when more than one car is traveling in the sight of the radar gun (n.a, 2017).
CONCLUSION (IDEAS):
Drivers have always been thrill seekers, and most individuals would choose to drive at
high speeds if there were no limitations or speedbreakers in place and most of the time, drivers
who enter one-way roads tend to overspeed and get in the wrong direction. This is very
dangerous since most vehicles on the road do not expect to see them coming.. As a result, people
die each year as a result of road traffic crashes. Speed limits are also needed to prevent accidents
and deaths. Many of these incidents happen because of the improper driving habits of drivers.

The various advantages of radar speed signs have been widely discussed. They have
brought about positive changes in our lives, and they should be widely installed across the
country. Furthermore, it can help us identify the speed at which we are traveling and can also
help us prevent dangerous driving and accident.

Therefore, When it comes to measuring the speed of vehicles, such as cars or bikes and
etc., radar guns are one of the best and most vital tools, and they may also be employed as police
speed radars.

References
Kubosh, P. B. P. (2017, May 15). Harris County traffic TICKET LAWYERS. Paul Kubosh, Attorney at Law.
https://www.kuboshlaw.com/blog/2017/may/challenging-the-accuracy-of-the-radar-gun/

Problems and faults with police radar and police speed guns. Articles. (n.d.).
https://www.radars.com.au/articles.php/radar-gun-errors-t-8

Sawicki, D. S. (n.d.). Interference. Police Radar Interference Sources.

https://copradar.com/chapts/chapt3/ch3d8.html

Letigio, D. D. (2021, April 17). Speed limit set for Cebu City streets. Retrieved from Cebu Daily News:
https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/373392/speed-limit-set-for-cebu-city-streets-with-passed-
ordinance

Tupas, E. (2020, January 10). Duterte OKs P330 million fund for radar speed guns. Retrived from
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/01/10/1983630/duterte-oks-p330-million-fund-
radar-speed-guns