Radar Detectors - Comments Page 2

I drive over the limit a lot, and I've had radar detectors since they came on the market. Since most of my driving is in a major metro area, I've found that over the years I've had excellent results with relatively inexpensive radar detectors. Frankly, I can't remember a single time that my radar detector didn't save me from a ticket. My current detector is maybe 5 or more years old, and cost less than $50. It does have all three bands, and it seems to be giving me 360 degree protection. So, in my driving area, a cheap detector does the job. If I did a lot of cross country driving, I might feel different. And since I drive a Corvette, and have been for many years, and haven't had a speeding ticket in maybe 10 years, I'm happy with a cheaper device.

Here's another reason why radar detectors are a good idea... On most superhighways the speed limit is 65, but if you travel at 65, you'll get run over. People generally go about 75 -- right past the cops with radar guns -- and the cops don't even care. Except for that once in a while, when they have to make their quota (oops, I mean "performance goal") and they'll zap you for going 68. Radar detection gives you the chance to slow down from 75 to 65 in a few seconds and avoid the off-chance that the officer is having a bad day.

I forgot to mention, in my previous utterance above, that if Law Enforcement was really interested in enforcing the speed limits, the Police could easily have a field day.

If the posted speed is 65MPH, most people (at least where I live - S.E. Pennsylvania) will do 75, or even 85. Catching speeders would be like shooting fish in a barrel. But the police DO NOT enforce speed restrictions, and the result is that everyone speeds. "Enforcement" (for want of a better term) is completely random and arbitrary. Result? Speed laws are not respected, and neither are those charged with enforcing them.

At the other end of the spectrum, the street I live on is posted as a 25MPH zone, but because it's a through street, most drivers feel they have the right to do 40. Since a large portion of it is downhill in one direction, I have to keep my foot on the brake for over a mile to keep it under 30. I have had impatient drivers behind me cross a double yellow line in order to pass me. Now, 30 or 35MPH would be a more reasonable speed for this particular street but the local cops use it near the end of almost every month as a sort of combination 'speed trap/revenue generator', and since I must use the road several times each day, I pay attention to the posted speed for the obvious reasons.

If the Police want the respect of those of us who pay their salaries, then they need to set reasonable speed limits and then enforce those limits. If they did so, at the end of the day, the revenue stream would likely remain unchanged, they would have our respect, we'd all have safer streets and highways, and Radar detectors would not be necessary.