NC BASIC RADAR OPERATOR COURSE QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards - Answers - Agency responsible for
developing and implementing mandatory CJ training courses
How long is the basic operator course? - Answers - minimum of 30 hours not to exceed
4 consecutive weeks
How long is the radar recert class - Answers - minimum of 6 hours not to exceed 1 week
Enrollment requirements for basic radar class - Answers - 1. be employed as LEO
2. If deputy, be in full compliance with Sheriffs Standards
3. Have endorsement of school director or agency head
4. Provide vehicle with radar you plan to seek certification on.
5. Present evidence of prior NC certification or present certification which meets, or
exceeds, NC standards
How long do you have to do your sign off and all clocks - Answers - 2 hours
Minimum written test score for basic course? Recert? - Answers - Basic: 70
Recert: 75
When can you use your radar for enforcement - Answers - After receipt of certification
What additional two things must you have for radar recert - Answers - 1. Operator
certificate
2. Provide own copy of latest radar manual
What can you fail in basic operator class? Recert class? - Answers - Basic: Either the
road test or written test
Recert: road test only. If you fail the written test you must retake the basic course
Basic goal of police work - Answers - Protect lives and property
What % of fatal crashes occur in 40 mph or less speed zones? 55 or more speed
zones? - Answers - 40 mph - 15
55 mph - 65
Overall course goal - Answers - Improve effectiveness of speed enforcement through
the proper and efficient use of SMI
Brazier V City of Philadelphia - Answers - Convicted for going faster than 7 mph
, Three elements of speed - Answers - 1. Operator
2. Vehicle
3. Road surface
Total stopping distance of a car travelling 20 mph? 40 mph? 60 mph? 80 mph? -
Answers - 20 mph - 42 feet (22 feet during reaction time, 20 feet to stop)
40 mph - 125 feet (44 feet during rxn time, 81 feet to stop)
60 mph - (66 feet during rxn time, 206 feet to stop)
80 mph - 498 (88 feet during rxn time, 410 feet to stop)
Where and when was the first traffic law passed? What was it? - Answers - 06/12/1652
in New Amsterdam (New York). Horses are not allowed to travel at gallop speed within
the city limits
Where and when was the first automobile speed law passed? What was it? - Answers -
1901 in Hartford Connecticut. 8 mph within the city limits, 12 mph in the country.
What is the basic speed law? - Answers - Reasonable and prudent under existing
conditions
What is the absolute speed law? - Answers - the posted speed limit
Does NC have a prima facie speed law? - Answers - No
What are the three elements of a speed offense? - Answers - 1. Driver Identification
2. Location
3. Speed
4. Conditions
What was the national maximum speed limit chosen in 1974? Why was it chosen -
Answers - 55 mph. 55 mph was the median efficient speed
By what percentage were traffic fatalities reduced at the end of '74? - Answers - 16.8%
or 8,856 lives.
What happens to the probability of a crash fatality as speed goes from 45 mph - 60
mph? What about when speeds go to 70 mph? - Answers - Doubles each time
What the the study in 1977 find about raising the speed limit in relation to the number of
crashes? Fatalities? - Answers - Crashes: 1-2%. Fatalities: 9% or 3,500 lives
In 2009 NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts found speed attributed to what percent of all
highway deaths in NC? - Answers - 39%
AND ANSWERS
Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards - Answers - Agency responsible for
developing and implementing mandatory CJ training courses
How long is the basic operator course? - Answers - minimum of 30 hours not to exceed
4 consecutive weeks
How long is the radar recert class - Answers - minimum of 6 hours not to exceed 1 week
Enrollment requirements for basic radar class - Answers - 1. be employed as LEO
2. If deputy, be in full compliance with Sheriffs Standards
3. Have endorsement of school director or agency head
4. Provide vehicle with radar you plan to seek certification on.
5. Present evidence of prior NC certification or present certification which meets, or
exceeds, NC standards
How long do you have to do your sign off and all clocks - Answers - 2 hours
Minimum written test score for basic course? Recert? - Answers - Basic: 70
Recert: 75
When can you use your radar for enforcement - Answers - After receipt of certification
What additional two things must you have for radar recert - Answers - 1. Operator
certificate
2. Provide own copy of latest radar manual
What can you fail in basic operator class? Recert class? - Answers - Basic: Either the
road test or written test
Recert: road test only. If you fail the written test you must retake the basic course
Basic goal of police work - Answers - Protect lives and property
What % of fatal crashes occur in 40 mph or less speed zones? 55 or more speed
zones? - Answers - 40 mph - 15
55 mph - 65
Overall course goal - Answers - Improve effectiveness of speed enforcement through
the proper and efficient use of SMI
Brazier V City of Philadelphia - Answers - Convicted for going faster than 7 mph
, Three elements of speed - Answers - 1. Operator
2. Vehicle
3. Road surface
Total stopping distance of a car travelling 20 mph? 40 mph? 60 mph? 80 mph? -
Answers - 20 mph - 42 feet (22 feet during reaction time, 20 feet to stop)
40 mph - 125 feet (44 feet during rxn time, 81 feet to stop)
60 mph - (66 feet during rxn time, 206 feet to stop)
80 mph - 498 (88 feet during rxn time, 410 feet to stop)
Where and when was the first traffic law passed? What was it? - Answers - 06/12/1652
in New Amsterdam (New York). Horses are not allowed to travel at gallop speed within
the city limits
Where and when was the first automobile speed law passed? What was it? - Answers -
1901 in Hartford Connecticut. 8 mph within the city limits, 12 mph in the country.
What is the basic speed law? - Answers - Reasonable and prudent under existing
conditions
What is the absolute speed law? - Answers - the posted speed limit
Does NC have a prima facie speed law? - Answers - No
What are the three elements of a speed offense? - Answers - 1. Driver Identification
2. Location
3. Speed
4. Conditions
What was the national maximum speed limit chosen in 1974? Why was it chosen -
Answers - 55 mph. 55 mph was the median efficient speed
By what percentage were traffic fatalities reduced at the end of '74? - Answers - 16.8%
or 8,856 lives.
What happens to the probability of a crash fatality as speed goes from 45 mph - 60
mph? What about when speeds go to 70 mph? - Answers - Doubles each time
What the the study in 1977 find about raising the speed limit in relation to the number of
crashes? Fatalities? - Answers - Crashes: 1-2%. Fatalities: 9% or 3,500 lives
In 2009 NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts found speed attributed to what percent of all
highway deaths in NC? - Answers - 39%
