5 Facts About Radar Detectors
Radar detectors are often seen as a sort of taboo among law abiding citizens. But what most people don't know is, Radar detectors are legal in most places, and police don't have methods of detecting them (unless you hide them in plain site). Here are 5 things we think you should know.
1. Speed Enforcement Is a Revenue Driving Practice
In the United States alone, there are more than 42 million drivers that receive infractions each year. With the average ticket costing more than $150, that's 6 BILLION dollars each year that is collected by law enforcement.
2. Radar Detectors Do Not Jam Radar Guns So They Can Nail Me for Speeding
False - while there are devices that market themselves as radar jammers, the typical radar detector isn't designed to jam a signal. In fact, radar jammers are illegal in every state/province. However, there are devices that can detect and block laser or LIDAR detectors.
Radar detectors are designed to detect radar and laser signals that indicate that a police officer has his system active and may be looking for speeders. In the case of some, the radar detector can even determine the direction that those signals are coming from. However, it won't necessarily prevent you from being cited. If the officer has pinged your car and you are going above the speed limit then it's game over.
3. Radar Detectors are Legal (In most places)
The first thing most people think is that Radar detectors are illegal. The question of legality is a pretty common misconception apparently. However, the answer is very simple. Yes! Car Radar Detectors and Laser Detectors are perfectly legal except in Washington D.C. and Virginia. Unfortunately for Canadians, radar detectors are banned in the eastern provinces, but they are legal in BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
4. Police Have More Tools Than Just Radar
These days, police can nab you from something as simple as driving the same speed as you. While their usual tactics are radar guns, they have aerial patrols, photo radar devices, and even drones in some places.
5. 30% Of All Speed Tickets are Incorrect or Erroneous
Just because you have been stopped for doing 90 in a 70 zone, doesn't mean you actually were going that fast. Always ask to see their gun, it could save you a demerit point or two. But you can avoid this confusion by owning a radar detector!
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