Radar guns, stop signs and photo opps too good to pass up. Those of us who spend lots of time in our cars tend to think a lot, which may be why we have so many questions.

Read on for two Highway 101 head-scratchers and something that will make you go smile.

Question: What’s up with CHP officers standing beside their cars and pointing radar at oncoming traffic?  How do they catch a speeder that way? — Maria

Answer: The radar units we have mounted in the front and rear of our patrol cars send out a radar wave that catches all moving targets. But what the writer is talking about is a LIDAR gun. Rather than using radar a LIDAR gun uses a laser. That single laser beam can be put on an individual vehicle to measure its speed and distance. Because that laser beam has to have a single target, the officer has to be out and pointing it. — Jon Sloat, CHP Public Information Officer

Question: I was wondering if you could shed some light on the necessity of the pointless new stop sign that Caltrans has put in the S. Petaluma Blvd. off-ramp on the 101? I fail to see the point of adding a stop sign at a location where there is no cross street and the only cross “traffic” would be an occasional garbage truck. — jezra

Answer: The stop signs on South Petaluma Boulevard at the Ratto (Novato Disposal) driveway are for increased safety to address truck traffic entering and exiting the driveway.  Due to construction, the two-way left turn lane was removed, and the northbound and southbound lanes were slightly reduced in width. — Allyn Amsk, Caltrans spokesperson

And from Frank, referring to a recent post about laws that govern u-turns: “My favorite.”

———–

Follow the Road Warrior on Twitter at @PDRoadWarrior.

(Visited 4 times, 1 visits today)