Sawicki said such a decision should not be left to those who make and sell the radar units. Kerry Schmidt said the department was given "support from the manufacturers that indicate the testing procedure" is no longer required. * Figures represent speeding-ticket convictions rather than tickets issued. "The tuning fork is the only one that tests the entire system all at once - from end to end," he said, noting radar devices have a two-kilometre margin of error. "I was very surprised when I heard that they had taken it out of the manual because it is a vital test," said radar specialist Donald Sawicki, who gives expert testimony in traffic-related court cases in the U.S. The test is still a legal requirement in the U.S. He said the manufacturer agreed the test was redundant and removed it from operating manuals sent to OPP, explaining it was not legally required in Canada. "The officer would give evidence that he tested it in accordance with manufacturer's instructions and technically would be perjuring himself," McNall told CBC News. He cited concerns officers were "fudging their evidence" by testifying under oath that they had correctly used tuning forks when, in fact, they often didn't do the test, misunderstood it, or couldn't find the forks, he said. radar manufacturer Decatur Electronics to take the test out of its operating manuals in 2004. John McNall, a former OPP speed-management co-ordinator, said he asked U.S. The Ontario Provincial Police dropped the tuning-fork test for radar devices more than a decade ago, in part over doubts about its necessity. While Ontario's Ministry of the Attorney General could not provide a breakdown of the types of speed-tracking devices used by police, more than six million speeding fines were issued under the province's Highway Traffic Act over the past decade. "I think a lot of people got convicted when they shouldn't have been convicted."īaker wants the tuning-fork test reinstated in Ontario and is calling for an investigation into why it was dropped by the OPP. "I honestly believe that this is a huge fraud," said Toronto lawyer Dannial Baker, referring to police-issued traffic tickets based on devices not tested with a tuning fork. In Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, some speeding tickets have been challenged in court and dismissed based on problems with tuning-fork evidence. RCMP throughout the rest of Canada also require tuning-fork use, as do the Sûreté du Quebec.Ĭanadians speeders might be getting measured differently, depending on where they’re caught, CBC News has found, as police routinely test radar equipment differently.Īn inconsistent mix of court rulings, manufacturer instructions and police standards appears to dictate whether the test is required. In Saskatchewan, the Regina Police Service stopped using tuning forks in 2009, while RCMP operating in other parts of the province still require the test at the start of each officer's shift. While the majority of jurisdictions insist police use tuning forks to ensure radar devices are properly calibrated, CBC News has learned that the Ontario Provincial Police dropped the test more than a decade ago, in part over doubts about its necessity. Radar equipment is commonly tested for accuracy using tuning forks - two-pronged metal devices which vibrate when tapped, creating a frequency that mimics a set speed. That speed should be reflected in the radar unit's reading to make sure it's working properly. If not, it's recommended the radar unit be taken out of service and not used for speed enforcement. Drivers beware: mobile photo radar gets rolling in Quebec.Fake licence plates fooling photo radar.Record year for traffic tickets causes backlog in Manitoba courts.The finding throws into question the validity of millions of fines, demerit points and higher insurance premiums that result from speeding tickets. Police forces using the same radar equipment have different testing routines. Canadian speeders might be getting measured differently, depending on where they're caught, CBC News has found.
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