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The headline refers to a December 2006 report, not a newly announced Arizona program. Engadget said Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers were using a Laser Technology LIDAR system to measure the distance between vehicles on a freeway. The report does not establish the device’s exact model, how it calculated following distance, or whether that configuration is still used.
What the 2006 report said
Engadget’s December 5, 2006 story described Arizona DPS as implementing a system intended to measure how closely one vehicle followed another. It named Laser Technology and compared the equipment’s operation to a speed gun. The story used the phrase “down to the tenth of a second” for the distance calculation, but did not explain what that interval represented or document the measurement method. Read Engadget’s contemporaneous report.
The report also said fines could be in the hundreds of dollars. It cited no statute or penalty schedule, so that figure should be understood only as a detail reported in 2006—not as current legal guidance.
What later Arizona records establish—and what they don’t
Later records show Arizona agencies acquiring or using LIDAR and radar for speed enforcement. They do not show that the 2006 tailgating-distance configuration remained in service.
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Arizona DPS funding in 2022
In a December 12, 2022 announcement, Arizona DPS said it received more than $527,000 in grant funding. The release allocated $152,369 to STEP speed enforcement and equipment, including LIDAR speed-measurement devices and other speed-measuring radar for troopers. That is evidence of support for speed enforcement, not proof of a tailgating-distance system. Arizona DPS’s grant announcement.
Phoenix procurement in 2025
Phoenix City Council adopted a procurement item on August 27, 2025, authorizing an agreement with Applied Concepts, Inc. for radar, LIDAR, speed-enforcement, and accident-reconstruction equipment, with a maximum aggregate value of $467,000. The record described a term running from around October 1, 2025, through August 31, 2029, with a one-year extension option. It also said the city’s Traffic Unit used Stalker handheld stationary and direction radar units and that unit members were trained on Stalker radars and lidars. The item concerns a range of police equipment; it does not identify the 2006 tailgating system as part of the purchase. Phoenix’s procurement record.
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Statewide contract listing
An Arizona State Procurement Office search result lists a statewide police radar/LIDAR speed-enforcement contract associated with Arizona DPS and Laser Technology Inc. The listing showed a current end date of September 2, 2027, and a maximum end date of September 1, 2029, when accessed October 7, 2026. Because the underlying page could not be directly verified, treat those dates and the listing’s status as provisional: check the state contract search for current details. A speed-enforcement contract does not establish continued use of the 2006 tailgating setup.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What remains unknown about the tailgating system
The available contemporaneous account does not establish the system’s exact model, the technical method it used to calculate following distance, where or how widely it was deployed, or its enforcement outcomes. Nor does the wording “down to the tenth of a second” by itself explain whether the device measured time, distance, or another interval. Those specifics should not be inferred from later records about speed-measurement LIDAR.
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What drivers should take from the headline
- It describes a 2006 news report, not a 2026 announcement.
- The reported tailgating system and later speed-measuring LIDAR equipment are distinct uses; the records do not show they are interchangeable.
- The 2006 report’s fine estimate is not a current Arizona penalty reference. For a present citation or legal question, consult the applicable law or an official current penalty schedule.
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