Laser Guns - Code of Practice

shaunsweb

Have a quick question for you: Is there a code of practice that the Garda has to follow when using laser guns?

Prior to the N11 becoming the M11 last year (in fact the evening before the transition), I was driving past Junction 23 (heading South). Off in the distance I could see a vehicle pulled in to the hard shoulder and all of a sudden I got received what I can only describe as a double flash in my eye (you know the sensation you get when you look at a bulb and blink and the image is still there). Every time I blinked, I could see this image.

As I got close, I realised it was a traffic corp officer with a laser gun. I was tempted to pull in and inform him as to what had happened but then i thought the better of it. Just wondering if something similar has happened to others.

triple-M

I didnt think the laser guns had flashes on them,was it in the back of a van?

shaunsweb

No it was a laser gun being held by the Garda. Just to clarify, it was the actual laser from the gun I was hit with (hell of a shot I know) but a shot all the same. If was like a rapid double pulse that I saw

MagicSean

shaunsweb wrote: »

No it was a laser gun being held by the Garda. Just to clarify, it was the actual laser from the gun I was hit with (hell of a shot I know) but a shot all the same. If was like a rapid double pulse that I saw

They only work properly if they strike a flat enough surface, such as the reg plate. If he was aiming at your head it wouldn't give a good reading.

shaunsweb

Nice one. I like a bit of humour in the day especially after sitting for 2 sodding hours in a 13 km traffic on the N11 this morning

I don't think he was aiming at my head but if he was hoping to hit my reg. plate at the distance he fired the laser, he should be in the olympic shooting team.

MagicSean

shaunsweb wrote: »

Nice one. I like a bit of humour in the day especially after sitting for 2 sodding hours in a 13 km traffic on the N11 this morning

I don't think he was aiming at my head but if he was hoping to hit my reg. plate at the distance he fired the laser, he should be in the olympic shooting team.

The new ones have scopes.

Reloc8

Am I not right in thinking that the older 'Radar Guns' used a radio wave (invisible) ?

This means this yoke was one of the newer 'LIDAR' models, which is supposed to use a beam in the infrared, ultraviolet or 'near visible' spectrum. In other words it shouldn't look like you're making your attack run on the Death Star when your tootling along on the N11.

I'm a bit surprised to hear that you can see and be distracted by the things.

shaunsweb

They must be using the ones from Star Wars then because I definitely got hit in the eye with something (unless of course his colleague standing beside him had one of thos laser pointers)

Victor

You shouldn't have been able to see it.

Are you sure it wasn't someone goofing around with a laser pointer?

Turner

You cannot see the laser given off by the speed guns gardai use.

This is the type they use of you want to check it up.

shaunsweb

That looks to be the device but I definitely did get hit in the eye with something that emanted from there. Although I understand the comment that they are supposed to be invisible, if memory serves me correctly there are some circumstances (environmental, refraction of beam on windshield etc), where they may become visible for a moment. Only way to find out would be to ask a traffic officer very nicely to fire one at my face again and test the theory

Victor

shaunsweb wrote: »

That looks to be the device but I definitely did get hit in the eye with something that emanted from there. Although I understand the comment that they are supposed to be invisible, if memory serves me correctly there are some circumstances (environmental, refraction of beam on windshield etc), where they may become visible for a moment. Only way to find out would be to ask a traffic officer very nicely to fire one at my face again and test the theory

Alternatively one of you were travelling at least 10% of the speed of light. :pac:

I can't think of an environmental factor that would make it visible. Light is determined to be visible or not by wavelength and there is no way to change wavelength through the environment (you could change in by processing the image through say a video camera connected to a monitor). You can change observed wavelength by altering the speed of the emmiter / received, much like how the tone of a train changes as it passes.

Yes, Star Trek is wrong. The Enterprise should change colour as it goes to warp speed.

slimjimmc

When did you last get your eyes checked?
Photopsia

shaunsweb

Eyes were lasted tested approx 3 years ago in Austria and they were fine then.

Joking aside though; all I can say is that I was definitely hit in the eye by something that emanated from that particular location.