What term describes the rapid change of speeds in a patrol vehicle?

The term that accurately describes the rapid change of speeds in a patrol vehicle is "oscillation." This term captures the concept of fluctuation or variation in speed, akin to how an object might experience changes in movement direction or velocity over a short period of time. This can occur when a vehicle accelerates and decelerates frequently, which is critical for a radar operator to recognize and understand when monitoring the speed of vehicles.

In the context of radar operations, being able to identify oscillation in a patrol vehicle's speed can assist in detecting patterns that may indicate aggressive driving or the need for further law enforcement intervention. Thus, understanding this term is essential for effective operation and interpretation of speed data.

The other listed terms do not embody this concept in the same way; for example, "batching" generally refers to a method of grouping or processing data rather than describing speed changes, while "shadowing" pertains more to following another vehicle for monitoring purposes. "Tracking," while it can relate to monitoring the speed of a vehicle, does not specifically denote rapid changes in that speed like oscillation does.