Who needs RADAR?

The purported rationale for giving RADAR to municipal police has been blown to smithereens with the following news:"The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today [April 27, 2023] that in 2022, statewide traffic deaths decreased to 1,179 from 1,230 in 2021."Reportable crashes were also down in 2022, amounting to the second lowest on record since 1951.With the overall decrease in traffic deaths, fatalities in several crash types reached new lows." (WTAJ News)

"These numbers indicate that Pennsylvania is rebounding from the high number of traffic crashes and fatalities seen nationwide throughout the pandemic." In statistical analysis this is known as “regression to the mean,” in other words the pandemic years were an outlier, and nothing on which to base state policy.

"Fatalities in crashes involving speeding (second lowest in more than 20 years) – 169 fatalities, down from 201 in 2021." There is no crisis of “speeders” running amok. Pennsylvania's roads are the safest they have ever been. All of this has occurred without RADAR. So why do we need RADAR?

If the Legislature still wants to give RADAR to municipal police, they should at least come clean and admit that it’s for the money, not safety.

Tell your state Representative and Senator to vote NO on Speed Trap Bill SB 459, giving RADAR and LIDAR to municipal police.