Resident Wonders About Safety of Patrol Cars Parked Roadside at Night

My husband was wondering this and I thought you may just the person to ask. What are the rules police/law enforcement have to follow as it pertains to their vehicle lights when doing radar at night?

The reason I ask is because my husband was recently was going to work and it was still dark out, a Michigan State Trooper was parked on the side of M-59, albeit not much off of M-59. The officer's vehicle was completely dark, no lights, quite frankly it startled him and could be considered a road hazard.

Are there any set rules for setting up radar at night? And what rules and/or guidelines are followed by White Lake Township Police when performing this task?

Sincerely,
Vanessa R.

Chief Edward Harris: Vanessa, I apologize for the delay in my response. There are no set standards for this type of traffic enforcement. We do, however, encourage our officers to first and foremost consider their own safety as well as the public’s safety when conducting this type of enforcement activity. With regard to having their lights on, the officers use their own judgment as to whether or not it constitutes a road hazard.

Thank You for the question.

Edward Harris

Chief of Police