How did cops stop speeders before radar guns were invented?

CAT^

Before my time, they used black hoses across the roadway; one at the beginning of the road and one at the other end. The time taken to cross the two points was calculated against the speed limit. If you crossed the far hose sooner than the calculated time, a cop on either end of the road knew that you were speeding. I still see them in use on many state roads in Florida. Only now, DOT uses them to count traffic. Also, planes were and are still used with the same type of method. Only planes w/out radar use painted areas on the road to calculate speed. Any officer without radar can 'clock' your speed. The officer's car is calibrated to make certain that what he/she sees on the patrol car speedometer is accurate. The officer can follow you at a short distance and while keeping at the steady speed of the car before, or next to him/her, the officer only needs to check the patrol car speedometer to see how fast the civilian car is travelling.

organbuilder272

Following them in the cruiser and recording the speed indicated on the speedometer.

Bob P

They use to work in pairs over a measured 1/7th of a mile (don't ASK!!!). The first would signal the passing of a vehicle and the other would time it with a stopwatch.

Speeders would be signalled to a third cop, who would stop and apprehend the miscreant.

roadrunner

By following them and clocking their speed. It was dangerous, and rather inaccurate. Have a healthy and happy new year!

JEN

cat^ is right they measured the time it took for a veh to pass one set object to the next and calculated the speed from that

Lozy

Good old fashioned police work I guess or maybe they were not so strict on speeding before radar guns as there were less cars on the road.

ididntknodat

they would hide behind a lamp post and jump out and shout BOO!!!

swany_l

It's called the 2 second rule. Some departments still teach it, though its rarely admissable in court.

laughter_every_day

cops receive training in guaging the speed of cars by observing it as it passes between two points. Most must demonstrate their ability in training. They also can pace a speeding car. On many highways, the markers on the side of the highway are a measured distance apart so that the cop can see how fast a car passes. Then it is simple math to convert that to miles per hour.

lunchbox

I think they used either unmarked cars,following at a constant distance,with at least 2 officers present;or a marker point at A and B ith two policemen using calibrated stopwatches.

Campbell C

Good old fashioned police work I guess

rogueriverbob

follow the suspected speeding car and pace it,.....

AdelleStevens

I have been told that early police "speed traps" were set up as follows.

There would be 3 officers.
One with a flag
A second one with a stopwatch 1/4 mile from the 1st officer,
A third one to stop whe vehicle further down the road.

When an apparently speeding car passed the 1st man,he raised his flag and the second man started the stopwatch.
when the car passed the second man he stopped the timing and by multiplying the time by 4 could calculate the miles per hour of the passing car.
If the calculation proved the car to be speeding the second man raised a red flag and the 3rd officer stopped the offending vehicle.

udontneed2know

They would pace (follow at a safe distance running the same speed)the vehicle with a certified calibrated speedometer..all police cars including the ones we drive today have calibrated speedometers just for that purpose..not all police officers have radar units...

Al Mac Wheel

Actually, the radar gun does not actually stop the speeder, it just clocks the speed they doing.

Speeders are usually stopped by police cars, with or without radar gun being used.

In really serious cases, the police can put stuff on the roadway that will cause the tires to be deflated.

In some states they are not stopped. A photo is taken of car, license plates, picture of who is behind the wheel, info about where this was, when it was, speed they were doing & the photo goes in mail with ticket to registered owner of the car.

There were many ways, as technology evolved.

Some jurisdictions were able to use a small plane flying over the highway, where they could time or "clock" a vehicle passing some mile marker, that had a paint stripe on the highway ... then after the car crossed two stripes at precise times, with the distance betwen them known, it was easy to calculate the average speed of the car between those two points.

Many other systems same kind of deal.

Police could also follow suspected speeders in unmarked cars.

Police are human beings who gain experience.
You see a car going past where you are parked.
You can estimate the speed it si doing.
If it seems to be particularly fast, chase after it.

If you are doing 50 mph, and it is getting away, then it must be going faster than 50 mph, so radio ahead to another police car further down the same highway.

Sami V

There was no need to d that then!

physical

before radar guns most cars weren't even fast enough to break speed limits. So I guess it wasn't an issue.

The Keeper of the Green

Ran them down with the blue lights flashing, just like they do now.

biscuit

As an old British Village Bobby...my cycle had a three speed gear lever.

alok

With their experience and guess.

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