                                ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, June 29, 1996                TAG: 9607010016
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: LISA K. GARCIA

CANDID RADAR

Montgomery County Sheriff Doug Marrs poses next to his department's first "speed buggy." Marrs said the buggy cost about $4,000 and will be parked in various locations around the county to educate drivers by flashing their vehicles' speed on a large digital display and "encourage voluntary compliance with the law." Marrs said on Wednesday, the first morning the buggy was used, the machine's radar clocked a driver at 64 mph in the McCoy Road's 45 mph zone. But, as drivers noticed the device they slowed to speeds below the legal limit and waved at Marrs. The buggy will not be used to catch speeders at first, but may be used for that purpose in the future. Marrs said speeding on McCoy Road is a perpetual problem because of the numerous drivers that use the route to go to the New River.

LENGTH: Short :   25 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  ALAN KIM/Staff. color.

by CNB