Radar Detectors - Comments Page 2

Here in the UK these detectors are not illegal but materials that can hamper reading numberplates and the like probably are.

I have never had a ticket and hope I never do, I don't speed and the police have a general guideline to allow 10% + 2mph to account for accuracy of both your speedo and their equipment.

The latest thing here is a system that detects your number plate on entry to a "zone" and on exit then works out your average speed. Provided some allowance is still made this is far better than an instantaneous reading that may over as geography means you'd tend to float high a tad.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I used to wonder why they didn't do this on toll highways here with the EZ-Pass tags. Calculate your average speed over the course you travelled, and hand you a ticket at the exit. But if they did that, nobody would use the EZ-Pass, because EZ-Pass saves the state lots of money. Again, it comes down to economics.

Additionally, (Not from personal experience, mind you!) detectors are subject to confiscation by police agencies in Virginia (where I happen to work). Even if your "just passing through". Anecdotally, I've heard that they may not be exactly in working order upon the return to the owner. I'm not sure how you can get them back if they are considered contraband material, but if the “stories” are true you apparently can. I've not heard any such confiscation or return stories about DC, but they are illegal there as stated by the editor.

The underlying issue at hand is just this: Why would you need a radar detector if you were not intentionally exceeding the speed limit in the first place!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Shouldn't the answer be obvious? It's for those times when you are UNintentionally exceeding the speed limit. I travel a LOT on highways, and have never gotten a ticket on a highway. But over the years, I've gotten a few tickets on local roads. The more you drive, the more likely you are to find yourself doing 40 in a 30 zone, and see red lights flashing in your rear-view mirror.

Detectors and jammers are illegal in Ontario Canada. WRT tickets within municipal limits, jurisdictions around mine will usually reduce a first offense to a non-moving violation, but you have to show up in person. Also true for Mississuaga Ontario.

Before purchasing a radar detector, you should check your automotive insurance policy. I have State Farm Insurance (in Colorado) and they reserve the right to revoke your policy if you are using a radar detector. Their reasoning is that buy owning/uisng a radar detector, you are intending to break the law. If you are intending to break the law, they (the insurance company) does not have to insure you.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, some insurance companies will refuse coverage if you have a radar detector. But oh, the irony... they donate radar and laser guns to the police all the time, hoping to increase the number of speeding tickets and justify raising the rates of their customers.

You can argue that they do it to help the police catch bad drivers, but that rings hollow to me.

You are doing a dis-service by advising people to use jamming devices, unless you are Federally licensed, these are illegal and you could face a Federal charge from the FCC. As for the "anti-reflective" devices, they are also illegal, at least in Wisconsin. (Anything that covers lights or license plates.)
As a retired traffic cop of 29 years, I have found that most of the speeders I stopped had radar detectors and they automatically got citations because the detector shows an "intent" to break the law. Many of the violators thought they were protected by the detector and drove at much faster speeds thereby considerably reducing their reaction time to slow down. I have never come across a radar detector able to live up to it's advertising hype that I wasn't able to get a good clocking on in numerous tests. Any good traffic cop worth his salt will still be able to clock any type of detector. They are just a waste of money.
My favorite tool was a speed computer called VASCAR. It was a visual determination of the average speed between two points timed by a clock down to 1/10'000th of a second. It doesn't broadcast a signal, therefore, can't be detected. In the words of one Judge to a defendant - "you know, there is no defense against this."

Why do you need radar? Coopertown, TN! They recently made the news because the Mayor (Boss Hogg?)refused a check that a speeder had written "For Speed Trap" in the memo field. This little town gets 30%+ of it's revenue thru speeding tickets. They change the speed limits weekly just to catch speeders. They have been hiring more and more cops (Roscoe P. Coltrane, Enos and Deputy Fife?) just to increase revenues. New Rome, Ohio was disolved by the state for getting ALL of their revenues this way. The "town" of 23 had 8 police officers. Vandalia, Mo. lost their police charter for the same thing.

Wes, do they let you have the bullet in your gun or only in your shirt pocket?

Fred Roller: VASCAR isn't foolproof. It's a "guestimation" device. I am "guessing" that car is crossing that bridge span now, etc.... They can be off by 10 miles per hour if the officers' depth of field is not perfect, or if the officer speeds up or slows down.

My father was a truck driver for many years and when the BIG black box became popular, "otherwise known as the FUZZBUSTER" all the truckers had em. It had 1 big red gem that went off when you were hit, sometimes it worked.. sometimes it didnt.As I got older and technology progressed so did the radar guns and the like so the results stayed the same. One thing I think people should keep in mind, if your flying down the road and your detector goes off, your still speeding until you reach the speed limit and by that point the officer may have your speed, a speed verse detection distance issue. In my state of Ohio there trying to push cameras and anti reflective products are illegal. Anymore I get a kick out of watching my father laugh when his NEW detector goes off with a local retail store door signal device sets off a signal in which the detectors of TODAY will catch. Wonder if retail stores know this to make you slow down in front off them, interesting advertising ? BTW Officers have to be liscenced in states to do traffic, they go to school to use the "guns", and radar detector tricks are taught. :-)

Lively discussion. I think I'm the only guy on the Eastern Seaboard who obeys the speed limit, whether the road be highway or local/rural. I agree with the comment above that it's much more relaxing and just as effecient time wise, it's also obviously safer.
I keep to the right (unless passing a true slow poke) and use my cruise control whenever possible.
That said, I too have gotten speeding tickets. It's maddening when it happens, especially knowing that 95% of the other drivers on the road are all passing me. Revenue? You bet you're bippy !! (The Police must think we're all stupid.)
I'm not sure that radar detectors are the answer though, and speed averaging (as described above) smacks a bit too much of Big Brother for my tastes. I suppose the bottom line is; if you drive a vehicle, sooner or later the man is gonna getcha.. It's just part of the cost of doing business.