Pennsylvania may finally give local police radar speed enforcement
Speeding enforcement in Pennsylvania could soon see a significant change, and it won't involve speed cameras.

Mercer County, Pa. - Speeding enforcement in Pennsylvania could soon see a significant change, and it won't involve speed cameras.
Pennsylvania is the only state where local police cannot use radar guns for speed enforcement, only state police. But a bill now pending in Harrisburg could soon change that.
"Well overdue. As you know, 49 of 50 states local police use radar, and we do not," Hermitage Police Chief Eric Jewell said.
Local police have to rely on lines on the road and other non-radar methods to measure speed violators.
"Which calculates speed equals distance divided by time. Where radar is a precise speed calculation and it's very accurate," said Jewell.
Hermitage currently uses speed indicator signs in areas where speeding is a concern, to encourage voluntary compliance. The change being considered puts a limit on the amount of revenue radar citations can generate for a local department. Chief Jewell says collecting more fines is not the issue.
"No, it's purely a public safety tool," he said.
The chief said adding radar as an enforcement tool would not be a significant expense. "There would be some cost, but it's fairly insignificant," according to Jewell.
The bill authorizing radar for local police has passed the Senate and is now pending a vote by the Pennsylvania house.