Ortega Highway’s New Radar Unit Finds Most Drivers Obeying Law

Radar, used for the first time Tuesday to crack down on speeding along Ortega Highway, found the majority of commuting motorists driving at or below the speed limit. Those who were stopped for the most part received only warnings, authorities said.

California Highway Patrol Officer Ken Daily said a radar-equipped patrol car was on the highway east of San Juan Capistrano for the first time Tuesday morning.

“The unit was on the road for two one-hour periods and clocked 169 vehicles,” Daily said. “They found that 98 of those drivers were going 55 m.p.h. or less. They stopped 15 that were doing more than 60 (m.p.h.) and gave them warnings, which is our policy during the start-up period of radar use.”

However, Daily said three of those drivers stopped were cited for other infractions, such as not wearing seat belts.

The operator of the radar unit, Officer George Luce, and his supervisor, Sgt. Bill Sonka, said most of the drivers Tuesday were regular commuters from Riverside County.

But use of radar on weekends and at different times of the day “might give us a totally different story” on the state highway, which is considered one of the most dangerous of its kind in California.