Santa Clara, California Speed Traps

I am very familiar with this speed trap as I just had a case reversed in the appellate court. This is probably the same cop as the Mission College Blvd. one already posted on this site. First, the motorcycle cop is using a Genesys VP non-directional radar gun, and when we went to court last fall I discovered that he wasn’t using it properly. It has a 2-mile beam length if not set for less (and if the full width of the beam is unobstructed), and he wasn’t setting a beam length. Moreover, the officer thinks he is qualified to testify as an expert witness on the functionality of radar and he does not comprehend California’s basic speed law. He thinks the posted speed limit is an absolute maximum, regardless of the conditions at the time. There is at least one traffic commissioner in Santa Clara County that is as confused as this officer, but he may have a better understanding of the law now that he has been reversed by the appellate court. Beyond all of this, the traffic survey is very questionable, but the appellate court didn’t rule on it since they overturned on insufficient evidence. I recommend carefully reviewing all traffic surveys completed by "GW" in Santa Clara against the Caltrans traffic manual (and note that "GW" is NOT a traffic engineer, though he does do the traffic surveys on his own).

Motorcycle cop loves to camp out at Curtis intersection across street from the park. Wide, 4-lane road but a 30mph speed limit that everyone pretty much ignores, cop has his pick of who to pull over. Never been busted but I live off of Curtis and pass him at least once a week, morning or evening commute hours most commonly.

If you are headed to the mall near Great America on Mission College going southbound, the cops will hide behind the speed limit sign on a curve, towards the entrance of the mall. Trouble is by the time you see the sign, the cops get you on their radar. Avg. speed there is 40-45. They catch the people who going for lunch in Silicon Valley.

Posted limit is 45 mph on a multi-lane expressway. Traps are sited to catch northbound traffic just as it crests the bridge over Lafayette