A driver in Massachusetts was sent to traffic court for speeding. The evidence against the driver was that a policewoman observed the driver’s car alongside a second car at a certain moment, and the policewoman had already clocked the second car going faster than the speed limit. The driver argued, “The second car was passing me. I was not speeding.” The judge ruled against the driver because, in the judge’s words, “If two cars were side by side, both of you were speeding.” If you were a lawyer representing the accused driver, how would you argue this case?

Short Answer

Expert verified

If the two cars are side by side, it does not mean that they are moving at the same speed.

Step by step solution

01

Explanation

If two cars are moving in the same direction and one car is overtaking the other car, both cars will be side by side for a significant amount of time. Also, the policeman will see the change in angle, not the linear speed of the car. So even if the two cars appear to be moving at the same speed, the car that is farther from the policeman moves faster than the one moving closer to the policeman.

Hence, the judge does not have enough evidence to rule against the driver.

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