What is VASCAR?
VASCAR (Visual Average Speed Computer and Recorder) is a time/distance computer that determines a vehicle’s average speed by timing it between two reference points, usually white stripes painted on the roadway. Used both by ground units and aircraft, VASCAR uses no radio waves and therefore is not detectable. Officers typically sit at the top of a freeway on-ramp or other vantage point, timing traffic between the two reference points. It is rarely used at night. Watch for the telltale white stripes across the road that will reveal you’re in VASCAR country.
VASCAR stands for “Visual Average Speed Computer And Recorder”. Although it actually refers to a specific device, the community has adopted it as a blanket term for any speed measurement done by timing a vehicle between two points. The important thing to note about the VASCAR device is that it can be used to measure the distance between two points either before speed enforcement is done, or simultaneously while driving the patrol car following a suspected speeder, as it interfaces to the patrol car speedometer. When the device knows the distance, it can then calculate the speed by how long it takes a vehicle to pass between the two points. Accutrack (Robic) is a timing device similar to VASCAR, however unlike VASCAR it has no mechanism for measuring distance, so the distance between two point must be known and entered into the device before it can be used. ESP (Excessive Speed Preventer) consists of two rubber hoses placed at a specific distance apart from each other on the road. These
