Radar Guns and Cancer

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PreserveFreedom

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Does anyone remember years ago before the dash mounted moving radar? The police used radar guns with a trigger that was hand held and pointed. (Yes alot of departments still use them.) Well when these were all anyone had, I seem to remember alot of officers getting cancer from having them in their lap all night. So now here is my question to you!

Knowing that the beam emitted by a radar gun is believed by some to cause cancer, how can it be legal to point such a device into every passing car and discharge it?

To me this sounds like an intentional risk to public health and safety. Now, please don't start flaming me. I am not anti-cop. I am not someone that is upset about getting a citation. I haven't gotten one in well over a year. I am hoping to develop a discussion on this topic that it not one sided. To me this seems like a legitimate question as you will be radar timed wether you are doing 20 over or under the limit. If travelling in front of a squad equipped with moving radar, you may have a constant beam from this device being aimed into the back of your head as well as those of your passengers. Ok now, opinions please, but remember, this is meant as a mature discussion.
 
It's a matter of degree. The emmissions given off by the guns lessen as the distance grows. In all likelyhood, you get a larger dose from microwave leakage at the local gut bomb burger joint than you would from a radar gun.



[This message has been edited by RAE (edited August 27, 2000).]
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>In all likelyhood, you get a larger dose from microwave leakage at the local gut bomb burger joint than you would from a radar gun.[/quote]

In all likelyhood... is the key. Do they know for sure if they are shortening my life by exposing me to these rays? Another note: I don't eat any any gut bomb type places. When I go out to eat I usually go to Red Lobster or a similarly healthy place with clean cooked food. In either case, if I chose to eat bad food and got sick, it would be my fault. The resteraunt wouldn't be aiming a death beam at me as I drove by would they?
 
If you are an outdoorsy type, you probably receive more radiation from the sun and cosmic rays than you would from working in a nuclear power plant or from a police radar gun aimed at your car.


[This message has been edited by bruels (edited August 27, 2000).]
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>If you are an outdoorsy type, you probably receive more radiation from the sun and cosmic rays than you would from working in a nuclear power plant or from a police radar gun aimed at your car.[/quote]
Again.....you say if and probably. What if I take the proper precautions when I go outside? Even if I don't, I know the risks of the sun and I may or may not choose to go out. What I don't get to choose is another person aiming a cancer causing device at my head.
 
It's a matter of distance and duration.

A radar pulse at 100 feet for 3 microseconds is going to net you less radiation exposure than a plane flight from Dallas to Atlanta.

Or a weekend in Denver.

LawDog
 
How many cops pulse their radar gun for 3 microseconds? Why expose the people to any radiation without consulting them first? My father used to leave his dash mounted radar equipment on all day. The only time it wasn't emitting a beam was when it was locked after clocking someone. So if he was driving behind an innocent person doing the speed limit, it was radiating constantly into their head.
 
Common radar units transmit less than 100 milliwatts of power. ANd the newer ones burst the radiatin for more efficient operation.

The effective power then falls under inverse square laws.
The following links have a fairly good explannation of this principle.
http://www.inu.net/davidstua/inv_sq.htm

http://www.cnde.iastate.edu/ncce/RT_CC/Sec.2.2/Sec.2.2.html

As far as the radioation exposure to vehicles passing by, it's probably less than the continous cycling of the weather, or appraoch radar from a local airport...
Or even less than the ion emission from a normal TV set.
Keep in mind that those electrons are being accelerated from a zero point by a 22-35KV voltage potential, and strike a coating, forcing it to emit another form of radiation.. And it wasn't until the last 20 years or so, that better glass was used in the front of those CRT's...
Computer monitors use the exact same principle, so think about that one for awhile too. Not just the excess electrons screaming through your body, but the ions produced from the HV power supply.

Another reason why laser radar is being developed, and used in the field.


[This message has been edited by Donny (edited August 27, 2000).]
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PreserveFreedom:

Again.....you say if and probably. What if I take the proper precautions when I go outside? Even if I don't, I know the risks of the sun and I may or may not choose to go out. What I don't get to choose is another person aiming a cancer causing device at my head.[/quote]

I guess you no longer use cellular phones then?

Bruce
 
Actually, I had my cellular phone turned off in March. But if I had not, it would be my choice to expose myself to the effects, not someone else's.
 
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