LIDAR - burn marks - cancer?

[MrSmith]

In the thread entitled 'Do speed lasers shoot from the rear of a cop car' post number 13, it says, and I quote;

If you want to know if the officer was using a laser, look closely at those spots on your car. If there are small circular burn marks on a light or on your front plate, he was using a laser.

You guys (gals) must have a really good sense of humor to say something like that. Could you imagine the property-claim lawsuits if that were true :p Having said that, has there ever been a study of those who use LIDAR with having a higher incidence of cancer?

[Legoate]

Everything we touch as Cops has been proven to cause cancer. Luckily though, we usually die of heart disease well before the cancer gets us.

[Creeker]

...You guys (gals) must have a really good sense of humor to say something like that. ...

Yeah?

Well you should read the "Can I fight the ticket if the Cop wasn't wearing his Hat?" threads.... :D

[DeltaV]

has there ever been a study of those who use LIDAR with having a higher incidence of cancer?

I'm not aware of any studies that have linked infrared light to cancer, and that's what the units emit. The biggest danger is that of eye injuries, however all LIDAR units are supposed to be "eye safe." You don't see the warnings on the units like you see on laser pointers or laser sights.

[Ispbear]

LIDAR is as safe as the remote control is for your TV. Unlike the very old constant on, handheld radar guns that the guys use to lay down in their lap when they weren't checking cars.:eek:

[MrSmith]

I'm not aware of any studies that have linked infrared light to cancer, and that's what the units emit.

I think they are a little bit stronger than that if they can leave burn marks on cars

however all LIDAR units are supposed to be "eye safe."

I was always taught to treat lasers just like you would a gun, meaning never point them at a persons face.

[MP_Steve]

I think they are a little bit stronger than that if they can leave burn marks on cars

Now I'm not certified in the operation of Lidar, but I think Delta might have been exaggerating on that one.

I was always taught to treat lasers just like you would a gun, meaning never point them at a persons face.

Again, I'm not a Lidar operator, but I'm almost positive that the beam is not visible, let alone able to cause harm.

Aren't they using lasers in eye surgery now? :rolleyes:

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[DeltaV]

I think they are a little bit stronger than that if they can leave burn marks on cars

They don't leave burn marks on cars.

I was always taught to treat lasers just like you would a gun, meaning never point them at a persons face.

As I said earlier, a LIDAR unit is eye safe and there is not danger to the eye because of the wavelength of the light and the amount of pulses per second. There's very little difference between the technology utilized in a LIDAR unit and those used in total station mapping systems or even range finders that are used in sports like golf.

A LIDAR unit isn't much of a "laser." There's a big difference between a LIDAR unit, a medical laser, and even a laser pointer. The danger to the eye is eliminated when the beam is not visible and the eye cannot focus on it.

[Legoate]

I'm also not certified in LIDAR as my agency is too cheap to buy any...but I have fooled around with units from a nearby agency. I must see, they are pretty neat and help with a lot of the problems associated with RADAR usage.

It is too bad they are so safe...otherwise you could check a person's speed....

"Over 100 MPH, setting the LIDAR from DETECT to ENFORCE". And then, nothing but a smoldering hunk of steel rolls slowly to a stop....