Microwave exposure levels encountered by police traffic radar operators

The microwave exposure levels encountered by police traffic radar operators for different radar models and different antenna mounting configurations were studied. Measurements were made at the antenna aperture of 5000 radar devices over a 10-year period. Free-space power-density patterns and actual power densities encountered by radar operators for different antenna configurations were measured and analyzed. This analysis leads to the development of a simple model that can be used to estimate exposure levels encountered by radar operators for virtually every existing radar device, and it provides a framework for predicting exposure levels for future devices as well. The basic conclusion of this research is that, when the radar device is being operated properly, the microwave exposure levels encountered by radar operators are less than 50 μW/cm², i.e., less than 1% of the maximum exposure level of the current safety standards