Slashdot Mirror
Detecting Tailgaters With Lasers
stoolpigeon writes "Police in Arizona are using laser range finders to detect and ticket tailgaters. An officer can now measure not only the speed of passing vehicles but also how close they are to one another. The detectors described in the article are built by Laser Technology Inc., a company that provides lasers for traffic control, engineering, and even tactical/military solutions. The article mentions how tailgating is connected to many accidents and incidents of road rage; this observation fits my experience."
I moved to the "Bible Belt" recently because of a business opportunity. ugh. Well, its hard to ignore the huge number of pickup trucks and SUVS which besides being slow as hell, are impossible to see around at intersections, turning lights etc. It seems like driving for what is essentially a milk truck (SUV) and being a redneck go hand in hand and we have a huge population of rednecks. None of this really bothered me, but I did notice all the damn tailgating that goes on as well. I have a friend who has lived here much longer and I asked him what was up with all the tailgating and he told me every one of these Rednecks fancies himself as Dale Earnhardt "The Intimidator". Suddenly what I had been witnessing made perfect sense. The thing I could never figure out is if you want to drive like your in a race, why drive something that has the aerodynamics of a bard door?!?