State Of Michigan Using Radar in Construction Trucks with Radar to Catch Speeders- Fiction!

State Of Michigan Using Radar in Construction Trucks with Radar to Catch Speeders- Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor:
A forwarded email warning drivers in the State of Michigan that the police are using Department of Transportation trucks equipped with radar detectors to catch speeders on the highways. The sting is called "Operation Yellow Jacket."

The Truth:
Operation Yellow Jacket is a real police technique that uses construction trucks with disguised law enforcement officers with radar detectors to catch speeders. It is used some states like Pennsylvania but according to an official Michigan State website, the Operation Yellow Jacket warning in the water wonderland state is a hoax.

Click for Michigan Operation Yellow Jacket Information

According to the Michigan site, "Several other states including California, Hawaii, Kentucky, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas have also been targeted in this hoax."
As in all states, drivers should slow down in road work zones but they should also pay close attention in the state of Pennsylvania where Operation Yellow Jacket is in force. In order to maintain a safe working environment in for Department of Transportation (DOT) workers in the the DOT and the State Police teamed up with a plan to catch speeders on highway work zones. A law enforcement officer wears the work clothes of a DOT employee and sits in a construction truck near the are of the road work with a radar detector. Most speeders slow down when they see a law enforcement vehicle and normally would not notice a person with a radar detector in a construction truck. The speeder's description and violations are than broadcasted over the police radio for interception by law enforcement officers on motorcycle. In some states, fines are doubled in road work zones.

Click for Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Operation Yellow Jacket Information

updated 03/05/09

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

Just got this and thought I better pass it on.

Subject: Watch Out!!!

Spring is Coming!
Operation Yellow Jacket
Look out for MI-DOT trucks parked along the road or suddenly appearing behind you pacing you - it could be a Trooper driving the truck. Called 'Operation Yellow Jacket', each Michigan State Police District has a truck cleaned up and ready to go! These trucks have specially modified engines that can virtually catapult the truck from snow-plow speed to intercept speed in seconds. And when the engine boost kicks in, the warning lights automatically change from flashing yellow to the dreaded red and blue!

Starting March 1, 2009, Michigan will launch a 31 day speeding ticket frenzy. The state estimates that $9 million dollars will be generated in speeding tickets, with an additional $3.5 million in revenue for failure to wear a seatbelt. $1 million will go to pay state troopers overtime. There will be 47 state troopers on duty at all times patrolling the main intersections and highways with the highest rates of speeding.

They are the following:
I-75, especially from the Ohio line north to Woodhaven, and again from Auburn Hills to Flint
I-96 east and west in its entirety
I-275 north and south
I-675 north and south
I-94 east and west from Battle Creek to Jackson
I-696 east and west in its entirety
I-196 east and west
US-131 north and south
I-69 east and west from Lansing to Flint and again from Flint eastward to Port Huron.
I-69 north and south from I-94 to Lansing
M-14 east and west from I-94 to I-275
M-39 from I-94 to I-96
M-59, especially from Pontiac to Utica, and from Utica east
US-10 from Midland to Bay City
US-23 from I-96 to Flint
US-27 from Lansing to Mt. Pleasant

Quotas:
5 mph above the limit can justify a ticket and every state trooper is supposed to pull a car over and write a ticket every 10 to 20 minutes. They have issued 30 brand new unmarked Dodge Charger Police cruisers and canceled all vacation time. In addition, they are bringing in all of their part timers on full time for the month. This nonsense will conclude on April 1.

Driving Ticket fine increase in MI:
Starting on January 15th, the price of a ticket for violation of MI Law 39:3-29 (failure to show your driver's license, registration, or proof of insurance card at the time you are stopped) went from $44.00 to $173.00. Please make sure your vehicles have the proper documents in them. If you jump in the car to run to the store and forget your wallet with your license in it and you are stopped.... Oh well... you just spent $173. And the fine for not having all three documents is $519!!!