Pacing Speeding Cases in Florida

Pacing speeding cases in Florida are unique because they do not depend on a radar gun, laser gun, or other speed measuring devices. Instead, they rely on a law enforcement officer’s ability to follow a targeted vehicle at a constant distance and use the police car’s speedometer to determine speed. While pacing is one of the oldest methods of speed detection, it is also one of the most prone to error because it involves significant human input and observation. With Florida’s new super speeder law creating harsher penalties for extreme speeding, pacing cases have become even more important to challenge, since a mistake in the officer’s estimation can escalate a case into mandatory court appearances, license suspension, or even jail time.

How Pacing Works in Florida

Pacing is a method of speed detection where a police officer follows a vehicle at a constant distance, then looks at the patrol car’s speedometer to determine whether the vehicle is exceeding the posted speed limit. This approach does not use radar devices, a radar beam, or a laser light, but instead depends on the officer’s ability to maintain a steady speed over a distance long enough to make a reliable judgment.

Florida statutes allow pacing as an accepted speed measurement technique when conditions permit. Many officers are trained to visually estimate speed and then confirm it through pacing. The state of Florida recognizes pacing evidence in traffic court as long as the officer can testify about the distance, the constant distance maintained, and the speed reading from the patrol car’s speedometer.

Is Pacing Legal in Florida?

Yes. Pacing is legal and has been upheld in Florida traffic courts. Law enforcement officers can issue a speeding ticket based solely on pacing observations if the officer satisfactorily demonstrates that they maintained a constant distance behind the targeted vehicle. However, because pacing is subjective, it can be challenged in court, especially in cases involving heavy traffic, construction zones, or multiple lanes wide where it may be difficult for an officer to follow only one car.

Weaknesses of Pacing Evidence

Although pacing is legal, it is not as reliable as radar or laser speed measuring devices. Some of the weaknesses include:

• Calibration of the patrol car’s speedometer: If calibration records are missing or not up to date, the speed reading may not be accurate.
• Officer’s ability to maintain constant distance: Any variation in following distance affects the accuracy of the measurement.
• Environmental conditions: Heavy traffic, nearby cars, or poor visibility can interfere with pacing.
• Short distances: If pacing occurred over too short a distance, the speed reading may not meet legal standards.
• Human input: Unlike radar signals or laser light, pacing requires subjective assessment, which increases the chance of error.

These weaknesses are especially important in pacing speeding cases in Florida that involve allegations of extreme speeding under the super speeder law. A flawed observation could mean harsher penalties than justified.

Does Pacing Hold Up in Court?

Pacing evidence can hold up in court if the officer testifies convincingly and provides calibration records for the patrol car’s speedometer. However, attorneys often argue that pacing lacks the precision of radar speed measuring devices, laser speed detectors, or aircraft speed detection methods. Judges consider whether the officer’s testimony, the distance involved, and the conditions permit a reliable determination of speed.

In some cases, pacing evidence has been dismissed when calibration records were missing, when the officer did not follow the targeted vehicle long enough between two points, or when conditions such as heavy traffic made it impossible to maintain a constant distance.

How to Beat a Pacing Ticket

Fighting pacing cases involves challenging both the officer’s method and the supporting records. Strategies include:

• Requesting calibration logs for the police car speedometer to see if it was tested during the officer’s shift.
• Questioning whether the officer maintained constant distance or whether other methods such as a visual average speed computer or VASCAR unit were used incorrectly.
• Arguing that the officer did not observe the vehicle long enough for a reliable speed measurement.
• Pointing out other traffic violations or conditions—such as nearby cars, school zones, or construction zones—that made accurate pacing impossible.
• Raising reasonable doubt about whether the targeted vehicle was the one observed.

For Florida drivers, beating a pacing ticket is especially important under the new super speeder law. A pacing-based allegation of extreme speed could mean criminal charges, license suspension, and up to one year in jail. Challenging the weaknesses of pacing evidence can prevent these harsher consequences.

Aircraft and Time-Distance Comparisons

Aircraft officers using VASCAR or electronic stopwatch systems also calculate speed based on time and distance between two points. While this is different from pacing, both methods rely heavily on human input and observation. In fact, many officers combine pacing with aircraft speed detection to strengthen cases. Still, environmental conditions, officer error, and lack of calibration can undermine both methods. Attorneys defending Florida speeding tickets often highlight the similarities between pacing and aircraft speed detection in terms of potential error.

The Role of Radar and Laser

Radar guns, laser guns, and other speed measuring devices are generally more precise than pacing. A radar unit sends radio waves, and a laser gun uses laser light to calculate speed. These devices also have weaknesses, but their results are usually more reliable than pacing. That is why pacing speeding cases in Florida often give defense attorneys more opportunities to create doubt compared to radar or laser-based cases.

How to Get a Speeding Ticket Dismissed in Florida

To get a pacing-based speeding ticket dismissed, attorneys focus on the lack of calibration, short distances, and human input. They argue that evidence obtained was not strong enough to support a citation based solely on pacing. If a driver has a clean driving record or few prior offenses, attorneys may also negotiate for fewer points added or for traffic school to avoid points. In some cases, flaws in pacing evidence lead to the ticket dismissed entirely.

Why Pacing Matters Under the Super Speeder Law

The new super speeder law in Florida has changed the stakes. While a pacing ticket used to mean fines and points, now a pacing observation alleging extreme speeding could create a criminal case. Law enforcement may treat it as an unlawful speed violation requiring mandatory court, higher fines, or even jail time. Because pacing is inherently less reliable than radar or laser, attorneys emphasize these weaknesses when defending Florida speeding tickets under the super speeder law.

Protecting Your Driving Record

A pacing speeding ticket can put points on your driving record, increase insurance rates, and even risk your driving privileges. Too many points can lead to suspension or the need for a hardship license. Florida drivers should not assume that a pacing ticket is unbeatable. With the help of the Law Place team at SuperSpeederLawyer.com, many drivers have achieved ticket dismissed outcomes or avoided harsher penalties in traffic court.

If you have been cited in a pacing speeding case in Florida, contact us today for a free consultation or upload your ticket to start building your defense. We defend drivers statewide, using proven strategies to challenge pacing evidence, protect your driving record, and fight back against unfair allegations of extreme speeding.