Form 61070 – Florida Radar Speed Measurement Device Certification
If you have received a speeding ticket in the state of Florida, it is essential that you fully understand your options prior to deciding to just pay the ticket and “move on.” Once you pay your speeding ticket, you have essentially pled guilty, and now have a conviction for the offense. This conviction will garner you points on your driving record (likely, three or four, depending on how fast you were going), which in turn will cause your automobile insurance premiums to increase dramatically.
A much better course of action is to speak to a knowledgeable Florida traffic ticket attorney who has the skill and experience to defend you before the judge, possibly having your ticket dismissed altogether. Should you decide to have an attorney represent you, you will need to know how the officer detected your speed. In the state of Florida, the police officer likely used radar, laser, pacing, aircraft speed detection or VASCAR.
If a radar speed measuring device was used, your attorney can ask for DHSMV Form 61070 prior to your court appearance. This form shows when and how the radar used to determine your speed was certified.
What is Tested on the Radar Device During Certification?
The manufacturer of the radar device, model number, computing unit serial number, and the serial numbers for antenna #1 and antenna #2 will be recorded on this form. The date the unit was tested will be noted, and that the device was tested as described in the Florida Administrative Code, Capter 15B-2, speed measuring devices, Rule 15B-2.009(1). The unit will be tested at simulated target speeds of : 15, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 mph for accuracy, and at simulated patrol speeds of 15, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 mph for accuracy. The tuning fork(s) serial numbers will be noted, as well as the dates the tuning forks were tested.
All radar units used in Florida are designed to operate in one or both of the following frequencies: 24.050-24.250 GHz and 33.400-36.000 GHz. The form will note whether one or both are present on the radar device used to measure your speed. Whether all controls were fully operational will be noted and if an average speed calculator is installed on the unit, that fact will also be noted. A pass/fail will show for low supply voltage alert and radio frequency interference. Florida DHSMV Form 61070 must be signed by an electronic technician, complete with the technician’s license number and home address. A witness will also sign the radar speed measuring device certification.
Radar speed measuring devices must meet criteria as stated in Chapter 3, Subpart A and Subpart B of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Technical Report. The radar must have a Doppler audio operating between 300 Hz to 4.0 KHz. The antenna beam width must not exceed 12 degrees (plus or minus 1.5 degrees for manufacturing tolerance). All vehicle-mounted radar units with external mounting antennas must be weather-resistant, and the radar unit may not incorporate a speed lock function (manual or automatic) for speeds displayed on the primary readout. The radar unit may have a secondary target speed window which is capable of manual lock-in target speed so long as that display has no effect on the continuous tracking of target and patrol speeds. The radar unit must have a control which adjusts the nominal range of acquiring and displaying the speed of a full size car between 300 and 3,000 feet. Range control is optional on a handheld radar unit. If an Average Speed Calculator is installed as a separate feature of the radar device, the ASC must be certified separately.
How an Experienced Speeding TicketAttorney Can Help
As you can see, challenging the police officer who issued your ticket on either his or her procedures or on the radar unit’s certification can be somewhat complex, yet this may be the best way to potentially have your speeding ticket dismissed. Unless you have done a significant amount of research on radar detecting speed units and are confident speaking in public, you are likely to have a much better outcome with a qualified Florida traffic attorney by your side. Our speeding ticket defense lawyers know what questions to ask the ticketing officer and have many years’ experience in the courtroom, as well as relationships with court personnel which can work in your favor as well. A speeding ticket can be much more serious than many believe, so speak with an attorney from traffic ticket defense law firm before you make a decision that can have far-reaching repercussions.
Below is Florida DHSMV Form 61070 that the police officers are required to bring to court in order to prove that their radar device was certified and functioning properly at the time of the alleged speeding offense:
