Why I Don't Use A Radar Detector

"Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54)
05/03/2016 at 14:46 • Filed to: radar detectors

Photo credit: Radar Advisors

Recently Hooniverse began a series of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Unlike many auto enthusiasts, I don’t use one. Here’s why I go against the grain of conventional wisdom, and leave myself seemingly vulnerable and unprotected from The Man keeping me and my automotive shenanigans down.

Read on Right Foot Down or continue below

I have nothing against radar detectors. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , they are legal for passenger vehicles in the US except for Virginia and Washington DC. (Our Canadian neighbors are less fortunate - detectors are only legal in Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, and banned elsewhere.) Many of my gearhead buddies swear by them, especially the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . I’ve used a few myself in the past. Clearly I have no ethical dilemma with radar detectors. So what is my problem?

Accuracy

Photo credit: acinom2899 / GT-R Life

“Radar detector” does not equal “cop detector.” If the point of having a detector is to avoid police, it’s not particularly effective. In my experience, they go off for false alarms more often than for actual police radar, turning them into the boy that cried “bad wolf” when it comes to finding the fuzz. You can switch to a lower sensitivity mode, but that’s pretty much like putting in ear plugs, reducing the overall noise level. You won’t get as many false alerts, but you won’t detect actual police radar as quickly, either.

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However, as Eric Clapton said, “It’s in the way that you use it.” For years the Valentine One has had its unique arrows to tell you what direction radar is coming from, and a counter to tell you just how many “bogeys” it’s picking up. That way, if you regularly drive by a shopping mall and always see three bogeys off to the side, you know that they’re false alarms coming from the mall. You also know that if one day you see four bogeys and one of them is ahead of you, watch out - there’s probably a speedtrap ahead. It’s useful, but it requires you to know your territory, which doesn’t help if you’re driving in an unfamiliar area. It’s also a whole lot of extra knowledge and brainpower you have to expend on interpreting what your detector is telling you. I think I’m better off using that brainpower for overall situational awareness, including but not limited to the potential presence of speedtraps.

Tactics

Photo credit: The Windsor Star

Police aren’t dumb. They’ve been fighting the radar game since they started using it. They know detectors are out there, and where they haven’t outlawed them, they’ve learned techniques to avoid detection when they want to. Rather than bleating out constant radar, they typically have it in standby mode, and only activate it when they want to check a particular car’s speed. That’s how the sergeant I rode along with one night used it. This is known as “instant on” radar. There isn’t much protection against this, no matter how good your detector, because it can’t detect something that isn’t there. You might detect radar when it’s scanning a car in front of you, but there’s no guarantee of that. You probably won’t detect laser until it’s too late thanks to its extremely focused beam. It may scatter a little bit off the front license plate - for a good time, aim an ordinary laser pointer at a license plate some night - but it probably won’t be enough to detect before your number is up.

Many false alerts are intentionally placed out there. One common example is the illuminated road sign. They can be programmed to display any message, such as this one written in my native Bostonian language. Many of these also contain radar transmitters - not to monitor your speed, but to get the attention of anyone using a radar detector and make them slow down.

Another example is the radar speed signs that pop up anytime, anywhere. These actually do monitor your speed, but only to display back to you rather than for enforcement purposes. These signs rely on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to keep your speed in check. After all, who wants to be “that guy” who’s obviously doing 42 in a 25 zone? And for people who use radar detectors, this is yet another alert that is not an actual police officer.

To the detector, these aren’t false alarms - the radar sources are just as legitimate as the ones attached to a police car. But they’re not actually police. This makes it much more difficult to determine when you actually need to slow down.

Warning or Ticket?

Photo credit: Swingle Collins

If you do get stopped, you’re far less likely to talk your way out of it if you’re running a radar detector. Even where they’re legal, they still indicate a clear intent to speed. After all, if you intended to always drive the speed limit, you wouldn’t need a detector, would you? No matter how polite and professional the conversation is, you’re more likely to get a speeding ticket if you’re caught with a detector than without.

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The obvious solution is one that is often suggested. When they light you up, remove and hide your detector. They’re not allowed to search your car without your consent or probable cause of a crime, so they won’t know you have one, right? Not exactly. Like I said, police aren’t dumb. If they see the marks on your windshield of where a radar detector used to be, they can probably figure out that it wasn’t a cell phone mount. Cables running under the seat or into a storage bin are another sign.

But the most disturbing sign, from the officer’s point of view, is a sudden flailing of hands inside the car when they light you up. You may only be hiding a detector, but how do they know you’re not hiding drugs or a gun? This puts them more on edge when they approach you. There are plenty of good articles out there about how to behave when you get pulled over. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is one of my favorites. But suffice it to say that you want to put the officer at ease as much as possible. Make it clear that you’re harmless and you’ve just made an honest mistake. Quickly hiding something - anything - when you get pulled over does precisely the opposite.

Better Solutions

Photo credit: GoblinHall

Radar detectors are all well and good, but today there are better solutions out there. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! was a popular app specifically for real time crowd sourcing of speedtrap locations. They shut down at the end of 2014. That’s OK, because !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! incorporates this functionality and much, much more. Though laws vary from state to state, it’s generally legal to plot a course into Waze, then put your phone in a mount or a cupholder and let it tell you where to go. The fact that Waze also informs you of traffic, road hazards, and police locations is simply a beneficial side effect - and legal where detectors are not. Radar detectors, by definition, detect radar (and laser) sources, but Waze relies on actual human beings to input actual data on actual police. Sure, false alarms still happen, but generally because an officer has left a previously reported location. It’s still far more accurate than a radar detector.

I’ve already written about !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , so I’ll just say that this is another good way to avoid trouble. Drive smart. Save the shenanigans for empty areas where it’s safe and less likely that you’ll get caught. Maintain situational awareness so that you’ll be more likely to spot trouble before you get into it. That goes for road hazards as well as trouble with the law, and is something you should always do anyway.

I’m not telling you to throw away your radar detector. I’m not saying radar detectors are bad. If you want one, get one, and I’ll think no less of you. I know that my choice not to use one is uncommon and unpopular. That’s exactly why I’ve explained myself here. And in the interest of full disclosure, I was stopped a few months ago in a situation where a detector might have saved me. (Fortunately, no ticket - we ended up talking more about ham radio than my infraction because of my callsign on my license plate.)

It’s a gamble either way. Do what you think is best. And may the odds be ever in your favor.

Follow @justinhughes54 on Twitter

DISCUSSION (100)

yitznewton > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 14:52

I run a Valentine One. I got pulled over on one of my usual backroads a few months back. In the past I was careful to keep my speed down except in desolate stretches. I skipped that practice this time, and the officer reeled me in around 5:30am on visual appearance of “flying.” I didn’t get any signal on the V1 until he lit me up after I stopped, presumably to see if that thing on the windshield was a detector. He let me off with a verbal warning, indicating that he could have written me up for visual obstructions, i.e. the detector and dashcam on my windshield.

My takeaway: if you speed in quiet areas where there may be cops, you will eventually get pulled over, with varying consequences. The radar detector is useful for developing an awareness of how law enforcement operates in areas you frequent, but it’s not a silver bullet.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 14:52

As someone who lives in PA, which is a state where local cops can’t use radar, I’ve always found police to be just as capable of catching speeders without the radar guns as with them. Radar detectors wouldn’t do most of us any good.

Situational awareness is always your most important tool.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 14:53

I know of very few people who still use them in my area. Good ones are well into triple digits and that can pay for a track day or go towards new parts and tires. Michigan cops are usually pretty chill unless you really do something egregious. Well.....township cops are assholes. But aside from that.

Urambo Tauro > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 14:55

In addition to the reasons stated above, I would like to add that as a driver, I HATE having anything cluttering up my windshield area. The fact that I even have a dash-cam is pushing it.

I have nothing else up there. No GPS, no phone mount, no bobblehead, no box of tissues, none of that. Not even an air freshener dangling from the mirror.

Leon711 > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 14:58

Radar detectors used to be a thing in the UK, they aren’t necessary anymore. You just gotta not be a dick with your speed. There’s tons of clearly marked cameras and usually marked cars sitting at the side of the road. I’ve not been caught at all in 7 years, you have just gotta be responsible with your shenanigans.

Monkey B > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:00

I mainly use my BEL for red light camera warnings, and even that is just to raise my awareness as I’m of the opinion those intersections can be more dangerous.

Takuro Spirit > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:02

I had one YEARS ago. I got caught with it twice, once it never even went off (“That’s because I got you with laser” the cop said to me... but it detects laser!!), so sometime between my 2nd and 3rd car I stopped using it.

And stopped speeding like a maniac. Guess I grew up? Or I got better at spotting cops and knowing WHEN to speed. Its not like I HAVEN’T gotta the 3 over 100mph yet.

AudiAudiOxenFree > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
05/03/2016 at 15:09

which is a state where local cops can’t use radar

WhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaT

Sir Halffast > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:10

Reasons I don’t run a radar detector:

1: I live in VA.

dapper_otter > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:11

I used to have a radar detector and it helped from time to time but these days I find Waze to be far more reliable. It may not always get the exact location right (since cops are apparently allowed to move) but it gives you plenty of warning that there is a cop in a general area and you can react appropriately.

Paullubbock > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:11

Meh, for the most part radar detectors do work. Even if police are on standby and only gun a specific target, if it isn’t you it will pick up the signal of the victim who was most recently gunned and alert you to something going on. If your detector is decent it will pick up these shots long before you get there. The same thing applies to laser. I have been targeted by laser twice in my 911 and both times I saw it coming and was legal. I also drive around town in my truck with a detector on. Even if the detector goes off for common city locations, after awhile I know where it isn’t supposed to be going off and I become alert.

It doesn’t guarantee I won’t get a ticket but it GREATLY reduces the chances. Also, a cop giving you a warning is like seeing a unicorn or a UFO. It doesn’t happen that often or not at all.

Travis M. Cotton > Urambo Tauro
05/03/2016 at 15:11

What about the back though? Are you that person with beanie babies or 4000 hats on the shelf under the back glass? I KNOW ITS YOU!

drdude > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:12

These signs rely on peer pressure to keep your speed in check. After all, who wants to be “that guy” who’s obviously doing 42 in a 25 zone?

Really? I thought it was a game where High Score wins... I always floor it when I see one of them.

Dream Theater of the Absurd > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:12

I’ve never had a radar detector. And I have gotten quite a few speeding tickets since getting my license, but less frequently as I’ve grown older. My last one was five years ago, and my next to last was nine years ago.

I chalk it up to being more selective about when and where to speed, and also to just mellowing out with age.

dapper_otter > Takuro Spirit
05/03/2016 at 15:12

Laser detectors might as well be called ticket notifiers. Once it goes off it basically means they got you.

Travis M. Cotton > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:13

Ran one for years during college and a brief stay in FL. Got pulled over all the damn time. Like some other commenters I just stopped using them because I dont go more than 10 over on the freeway and probably less than that on in town streets. Yes Im boring.

Squigledot > AudiAudiOxenFree
05/03/2016 at 15:13

Instead they use ENRADD. Undetectable, but usually easy to see if you’re looking out for it, although sometimes they’re smart and hide it on the other side of a bridge or divider. It’s frequently inaccurate. In fact, one of my tickets came from one misreading my speed.

asmallcat > Sir Halffast
05/03/2016 at 15:13

I’m so sorry.

Urambo Tauro > Travis M. Cotton
05/03/2016 at 15:14

LOL Oh, fuck that noise .

ARGHTHEHUMANITY > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:14

Better solution: go the speed limit or less, save the speeding for track day or not at all.

TheCraigy > yitznewton
05/03/2016 at 15:14

V1 FTW.

Land of the Rising SAAB > drdude
05/03/2016 at 15:15

That’s why most just start flashing the speed limit once you’re doing more than five over. They find that actually showing your speed encourages speeding more.

Somethin' 'bout a truck > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:15

Situational awareness - The best radar detector money can buy.

Full disclosure: I’ve never had a ticket and love speeding.

Mystical Cat > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:15

Where I live, fellow Waze users are religious about reporting speed traps. No need for the old-school hardware anymore.

Danger > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/03/2016 at 15:15

They weren’t very chill with me in Detroit haha. I was on 94 commuting, there was a bad wreck in the middle lanes, but everyone seemed OK. The cars were totaled and immobile. Traffic was slowing to go around this, there were no emergency vehicles at the scene. Less than two miles down the road I got pulled over for 10mph over the limit (my fault). But I figured they would want to secure the accident scene instead of lighting up the people going around it to get to work.

Caddyman > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:15

I have never owned a radar detector. I used to work with a very very bad drunk, he had a few DUI’s, who offered the sage advice

“never first, never last, never left”

regardless of his DUI’s, that is some solid advice for “flying under the radar”.

6Stringtheory > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:16

I drive the same areas every day to and from work and to and from wherever else. Shame on me if I don’t know where the little piggies are hiding.

Seriously though, I didn’t know people still bought these. Probably older folk out of habit, or younguns who are so involved in their car tech and smart phones that they need a nanny to pay attention for them...exactly the kind of people who should be speeding in the first place.

14FeistyFieSTa > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:16

Good article, and well-written too. I got a radar detector as a wedding gift (I guess I have cool friends), and it was ‘fun’ for a while. I even bought a kit to hardwire it, but have been too lazy to install it. And for the past couple months the detector sat in my glovebox untouched.

In my past I’ve had a few tickets, and in the end I found speeding wasn’t worth the cost of potentially getting a ticket. So I just don’t speed much (might do 75 in a 70). The thing about the radar detector is that there are so many ways for police to work around it (instant on, laser, etc...) that even if it works 9 times out of 10, that one time getting a ticket isn’t worth it.

drdude > Land of the Rising SAAB
05/03/2016 at 15:16

Where in the USA are you? Our signs dont do that here... yet.

PowderMeasure > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:17

10 years as a cop.

Here’s the skinny.

The LIDAR jammers are a Get Out of Jail Free card. They are nearly impossible to beat.

My father had one installed on a Maserati, I tried every way from Sunday to learn to beat it. It’s hard to say the least. You have to shoot oblique angles at a headlight / taillight, even then it’s like 1/20.

The LIDAR gun just warbles and warbles and never gets “Good Tone.”

Most cops are smart enough with a Radar gun that you won’t know it’s coming fast enough. The ones who leave it on or cause “POP” alerts on your Radar are rookies.

By the time your detector goes off, I would already have what I needed, or VERY shortly thereafter before you could mash the brakes.

What they CAN help with is coming around a corner, or over a rise, if the Cop was shooting another car with RADAR, you can get a warning that it’s coming.

Time from pickup to speed calculation on our OLD ASS radars was about ~1 second, I’m sure they’ve gotten faster.

Pudge-the-Fish!- > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:17

Best solution: toss the gadgetry and drive the speed limit. Deal with the consequences if you go over.

(I live in Virginia, where they are not permitted, but I have never owned one, even when I lived in States where they were legal)

Justin Hughes > drdude
05/03/2016 at 15:19

That’s not the first time I’ve heard this!

r12ax7 > AudiAudiOxenFree
05/03/2016 at 15:19

Not sure if thats disbelief or what, but its true. Locals can use timing devices such as vascar or enradd, but only state troopers can use radar. I use one when I am on the highway, but I also agree with everything in the article - the radar detector is just one tool to aid your situational awareness, and it can be quite helpful with that if you know how to read them. All it takes is one long roadtrip with a radar detector to understand their language.

purduegoat > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:20

In ATL they all have lasers so unless you spend the big bucks for a jammer, you’re pretty much screwed no matter what detector you use.

Justin Hughes > Travis M. Cotton
05/03/2016 at 15:20

Boring can be good. For the most part, I keep it to the track. I’m allowed to run triple digit speeds there.

qoncept > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:20

I don’t use one because ever since I started autoxing 12 years ago I’ve stopped driving like a dumbass on the street. One of the 2 times I’ve been pulled over since was because I had “dirty license plates.”

Jarrett - [BRZ Boi] > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:21

I want to pass one of these at triple digit speeds to see if I can break it.

Kinja'd!!!

10001010 > drdude
05/03/2016 at 15:21

The first time I saw one of those and realized what it was I circled back around to have another crack at it. They can’t handle triple digits.

Brad Landers > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:22

“If the point of having a detector is to avoid police, it’s not particularly effective.”

The point of using a radar detector isn’t to avoid cops, it’s to avoid radar. A radar detector is a valuable component in your strategy of maintaining “situational awareness”. Although, I’d strongly contest the idea that any level of situational awareness can’t be augmented by tools like a quality radar detector.

The truth is that no strategy is 100% effective. It’s about tipping the odds in your favor. The mistake most people make is in believing that the radar detector offers them impunity. Protip: it doesn’t. A radar detector provides another source of input on your situation. It’s still up to the driver to incorporate that information in to the bigger picture.

If you’re driving so egregiously that you can’t do without a radar detector, you probably deserve what you’re going to eventually get anyway.

bobloblaw > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:22

I did this thing where I grew up, had kids, bought a family SUV and stopped speeding altogether.

Furkan81 > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:22

Where the fuck do you people find tracks to go to? I live on Long Island and there isnt a single one!

Lincoln-Hawk > drdude
05/03/2016 at 15:22

Lol, I got pulled over about 15 years ago in my brand new Honda Prelude, because I wanted to see what the sign would do once I hit double digits. Cop had his car backed up to the rear of the sign.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Leon711
05/03/2016 at 15:23

over here in the netherlands... the cops are pretty damn sneaky

Kinja'd!!!

still dont use a radar detector tho... im mostly well behaved when driving

Buff Nuclear > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
05/03/2016 at 15:23

The cops use VASCAR or a similar system to time your car between 2 distances. Plenty of white lines painted all over the local roads here in PA.

I still use my V1 and Waze when traveling, always use a rabbit and as you mention keep aware of your surroundings.

What really stinks is that the crown vic is no longer the mainstay of police departments in PA. You could spot a crown vic lights in your rear view a mile away.

Side note: Laser jamers are legal (federally), as lasers are not controlled by the FCC but instead the FDA.

Justin Hughes > Caddyman
05/03/2016 at 15:23

That basically summarizes one of my other articles in just six words.

rescuethecivics > drdude
05/03/2016 at 15:23

Thing about those is it records the speeds. So if a lot of cars are speeding through it the cops will put up a speed trap nearby, that’s why I always slow down for them.

Leon711 > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
05/03/2016 at 15:24

Didn’t they hide speed cameras in bins too?

Village-Idiot > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:25

Waze really works well to let you know there are cops in the area. Cruising up and down 95 I always know when a cop is up ahead in the median looking. Maybe 1 out of 10 ten times there is no cop there, but that’s OK. Definitely the way to go.

Justin Hughes > 14FeistyFieSTa
05/03/2016 at 15:25

Thanks! All we got for our wedding was some fancy pots and pans. I guess your friends are cooler than mine.

6Stringtheory > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
05/03/2016 at 15:25

“Situational awareness is always your most important tool.”

Yeah, that means putting down the phone and not sitting in front of the radio like it’s a TV...even if they pretty much are anymore.

Amazes me how blind people are to their surroundings anymore. A Cop could be sitting out in the median with his lights flashing and people would still not see it until it’s too late. I see that happen all the time. “Dude, there’s a cop there, slow down...slow down man!...dude, slo!......dumbass.”

ncasolowork3 > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:26

I rode past one on my bike (pedal powered not petrol powered) the other day and saw someone stick a high score on it that said 117mph. This was a 45mph residential area where the previous intersection leading up to it was less than a half mile away. Anyone who hit 117 is insane.

As for radar detectors I pretty much agree with everything you said. My dad used to run one on road trips. Too many false positives. I'd never run one myself. Even if I'm on a long road trip where I have the potential to do something like 15-20mph instead of my usual 7-8mph over I'd rather do pretty much everything suggested by Leto and take my chances without the detector.

Golfs in a Golf > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:26

Damn I just got one the other day. I don’t drive that fast for the most part, and I realize its not all that helpful in most scenarios, but if it saves me once it’ll be worth it.

Matvei > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:27

Mine has saved me numerous times by itself. It’s all in the settings and how you use it. You really need to combine them with Escort Live or Waze, and then use an actual laser jammer to get the full effect.

Bob Loblaw > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:27

The V1 is pretty bulletproof if you only have Ka enabled, unless you’re going up against instant-on. Everything else is a waste, unless your local cops still use anicent K band. Laser also useless because it will only inform you that you’ve just gotten a ticket.

golfball > Furkan81
05/03/2016 at 15:27

Lime Rock is 2.5 hours away from you. Plenty of people drive that far or more for track days.

Justin Hughes > PowderMeasure
05/03/2016 at 15:27

Thanks for the inside info! It’s funny, everyone seems to think that you can escape radar but not laser, but it seems the opposite is true.

drdude > ncasolowork3
05/03/2016 at 15:27

uhh. how does a 2 digit sign show 117? They dont even get to 99 before they error out.... ( I used to ride sportbikes alot)

Takuro Spirit > dapper_otter
05/03/2016 at 15:27

That’s what the other cop said :D

What? Me Worry? > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:27

A few years ago I was finally able to buy a reasonably fast car. The first thing I did was buy a radar detector, because that’s what fast drivers of fast cars do, right?

I think I used it maybe one or two days and thought it was the most useless thing I ever bought. Not only was it useless, I was kinda embarrassed to have it. It was the top of the line from a name brand (passport, probably, maybe valentine one?), so it’s not like I bought a cheapo wal-mart version.

Anyway, I learned that for the vast majority of the time I much prefer staying within in the bounds of the law. For those times that I do press a little harder on the pedal, a little common sense goes a long way.

I gave it away a few weeks later.

sprtpltZZ > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:27

Your accuracy argument is laughable. So it is somehow better to positively have no idea if radar in use? No one thinks every beep is a guarantee of radar, but it could be. See?

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Leon711
05/03/2016 at 15:28

Kinja'd!!!

yup..billboards is another one..i think they put them in roadside art works too

Justin Hughes > qoncept
05/03/2016 at 15:28

That’s another piece I want to write - how driving like a maniac at an autocross or track day gets the go-fast urges out of my system so I’m more sane on the street.

drdude > 10001010
05/03/2016 at 15:29

exactly. For once there is someone else who isnt making stupid 117 mph claims... somewhere in the 80s (mph) they error out.

Chteelers > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:29

Escort 9500 has GPS that addresses your main problems. It mutes all false alarms. The construction zone signs use K band, which no cop ever uses, so it can be ignored. Instant-on radar is still detected by the Passport as the cop shoots cars up ahead. If you’re pulled over for speeding, you’re gonna get a ticket whether you have a detector or not. You might talk yourself out of some other moving violation, but if you’re pulled for speeding, it’s pretty cut and dry cause he’s got a radar record.

TL;DR you’re using the wrong detector.

whypassportisthebest > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:29

The Passport 9500ix has built in GPS that automatically flags and mutes false alarms based on location, direction, and signal strength. A signal at that location that doesn’t meet those criteria is allowed to pass through, meaning it is a new alert. This is most helpful for drives that are done repeatedly and less so for cross-country bombing. The 9500ix has a pro mode that displays the relative strengths of K, Ka, and X at the same time. Whereas in the basic mode you might see a strong-ish K, the pro will also show that there is some light Ka. Also has a speed camera and red light camera locations pre loaded. Screen can also go 100% dark - just audio - nice for night time.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > ARGHTHEHUMANITY
05/03/2016 at 15:29

On most highways (at least the ones I've been on), going the speed limit is actually more dangerous than going 5-10 over. The traffic on highways usually goes a little over the speed limit, so speeding is really just keeping with the flow. Going at or under the speed limit disrupts the smooth flow of the traffic and is actually more dangerous.

aglawyer > ARGHTHEHUMANITY
05/03/2016 at 15:30

Generally agree, but there are places it’s really hard. Newly refurbished main road in my area, 3 lanes in each direction, straight, flat, not too many places around to turn on/off. So they make the speed limit 35- gotta pay for the new road somehow.

Justin Hughes > bobloblaw
05/03/2016 at 15:30

I assume that you haven’t driven a Ford Flex EcoBoost. I have a very hard time not speeding in my wife’s ride.

ncasolowork3 > drdude
05/03/2016 at 15:30

It was a hand written piece of paper taped to the sign. I've no idea if it is limited to double digits.

AudiAudiOxenFree > r12ax7
05/03/2016 at 15:30

no, I just had no idea about that law, wish NY was the same. Of course we also have automatic plate readers...

10001010 > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:31

I haven’t run my radar detector in years, these days I just use Waze. Plus commuting over the same stretch of road every day for 5 years I’ve gotten to know all of the places where cops hang out.

GrannyShifter (don't judge my Hofmeister kink) > drdude
05/03/2016 at 15:31

They set up one of these signs right in front of my hard core Harley riding friend’s house. He had just bought an old Honda scooter ‘for his daughter’, and we took turns racing the scooter down the road at full throttle to see who could go the fastest. His daughter won, with a blistering 27 mph run.

TheDudeAbides_(version 2.0) > Urambo Tauro
05/03/2016 at 15:31

Agreed, I have my dashcam behind my rearview mirror on the passenger side where I can’t see it. It actually took me over 3 months once to realize my 64GB card was full or locked videos the cam thought were collisions (the collision sensor was set to medium, but Boston area roads are horrendous), and my cellphone sits in a cradle that attaches to the HVAC vent.

PNW20v > qoncept
05/03/2016 at 15:31

I expected it to take longer for someone to take the moral superiority route. Not bad.

Justin Hughes > Furkan81
05/03/2016 at 15:31

Lime Rock CT, Watkins Glen NY, Thompson CT, Palmer MA... Getting on and off the island can be a pain but there are a lot of tracks popping up in the northeast!

Prophet of hoon > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:31

I knew this assertion was coming

you’re more likely to get a speeding ticket if you’re caught with a detector than without.

Prove it. There have been several studies on this, and the confidence level of all those studies indicate that your assertion isn’t, necessarily, true. This is just one such study http://www.auto-repair-fort-collins.com/news/radar-det…

My non-scientific study has shown it just doesn’t matter. As a counter-point, I’ve successfully argued out of a ticket because the policeman and I talked about whether or not he could, actually, have clocked me from where he was sitting. I was respectful, and talked to him like the human he is. The incident was fresh in his mind, and we could talk about what he saw or didn’t. He admitted that he may not have been able to and gave me a warning. Had I not had the detector, seen where he was sitting before he pulled out, I’m certain that would have been a ticket. Further, had I gone to court to argue the ticket - the words “but my radar detector...” goes no where in convincing a court that the officer may have been mistaken. His own report would be the cookie-cutter report and in the month or two between ticket and court date I’d have become just another statistic on number who fight tickets - there’s no way he’d have remembered me enough to have that nuance conversation.

On top of that, the radar detector reminds me to drive safe. Nowadays, as you point out, there is a lot of false-positives (especially with radar avoidance in many new cars) - but I’m not throwing it away because it, again, reminds me to pay attention.

UKPDXWRX > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:32

Get an Escort with GPS. Unless I go somewhere new it’s silent basically 100% of the time unless it’s a cop, because it’s learned every false alert in my area. It’s uncanny good.

It’s saved me from multiple tickets.

ejp > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:32

So much this. Also, driving fast on the street isn’t really all that fun after spending time on the track. I can’t do anything close to what I do on the track on the street. It’s partly because roads just aren’t as wide as a track, maybe partly because I’m no Sebastien Loeb...but mostly because doing so is just ridiculously unsafe.

Justin Hughes > Golfs in a Golf
05/03/2016 at 15:32

When you add up the insurance surcharges as well as the fine, that may well be true.

ZippyTheSlug > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:33

People are creatures of habit.. Keep your eyes up the road on that car just ahead of you on top of the hill, or just past that underpass.. if his tail lights go on you can probably be sure there is a cop there waiting.

Even when someone is doing the speed limit, they will still tap the brakes.

dummptyhummpty > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:33

I have a V1 that I’ve used for years. When I switched cars a year or so ago, I never bothered to switch it over, because I was tired of it always going off. Here in LA, KA is used, so it was easy to distinguish from false alarms, but it still went off all the time.

The only time I was stopped for speeding with out it, it probably wouldn’t have helped. Like others have mentioned, I found that staying out of the left lane and keeping my speed under 75 (on freeways) helps. The stretch of freeway by my house is frequently monitored and they leave you alone under 80.

AudiAudiOxenFree > Squigledot
05/03/2016 at 15:33

As a New Yorker, I had no idea about this

rescuethecivics > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:33

The best method I’ve found to avoiding a ticket is just owning up to it when they pull you over (if your not doing going to jail speeds). My friends dad who’s a cop confirmed it he said “99.99% of the people we talk to on a daily basis are completely and blatantly bullshitting us, so we really appreciate it when someone’s honest.” Second best tip is stock exhaust.

OmegaLazarus > bobloblaw
05/03/2016 at 15:33

I'm sorry, man.

Leon711 > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
05/03/2016 at 15:34

Any time that I have to drive in the Netherlands I’ll remember to stick to the speed limits!

Justin Hughes > sprtpltZZ
05/03/2016 at 15:34

I choose to use Waze, my eyes, and drive without the distraction of false alerts. That’s just me.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Leon711
05/03/2016 at 15:34

forgot they put them in the guardrails too

Kinja'd!!!

TheGodDamnPope > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/03/2016 at 15:35

I’ve found that instant-on radar is not very common in Michigan unless you’re on the highway. The only time my Valentine 1 failed me was on the highway at 2am with no traffic ahead of me to generate an early warning.

With city/county cops it has saved me many times.

The Devil Drives a Mustang (Rotary Pending) > drdude
05/03/2016 at 15:35

Kinja'd!!!

TheDudeAbides_(version 2.0) > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:35

Hell yeah, I’m an hour from Palmer MA (towards Lowell) and I never realized it was there. Thanks, I’m going to check it out this summer.

ellomdian > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:35

I had one in High School, and only later on did I realize it might as well have been a chastity belt.

Pretty sure that 99% of the customers are guys, and it’s like a Penis Pump. There’s no way to explain that you aren’t a complete douchetard once she sees it...

Farabomb > PowderMeasure
05/03/2016 at 15:35

And I’m willing to bet the jammers are highly illegal.

DL > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:36

You must not live in New England. No cop cares if your plate is covered with snow for months on end.

PowderMeasure > Farabomb
05/03/2016 at 15:36

Actually no.

RADAR is governed by the FCC. Jammers are federal prison.

LIDAR is governed by the FDA with no active regulations in most states at this time for jammers. Commonly available.

Leon711 > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
05/03/2016 at 15:36

Ouch, cameras everywhere

Justin Hughes > Chteelers
05/03/2016 at 15:36

“None” may also be the wrong detector. :) It’s also been a long time since I’ve used one. The technology has evolved since then.

Police often have a lot of leeway in whether they issue a ticket or a warning. Having a good driving record helps, since it shows that you’re not a habitual offender it was probably just an honest mistake.

TheGodDamnPope > yitznewton
05/03/2016 at 15:37

If he’d written you up for either you’d have had a decent chance of beating him in court, I imagine.

ncarlucci10 > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:37

Good article. But like any tool, it works best when the specific job calls for it.

Take, for example, Rt16 and 302 in New Hampshire (or any other B road). Police routinely utilize radar and often drive long stretches actively gunning down oncoming traffic and then pulling u-turns to nab the offender. Seldom do they utilize Laser on these stretches. In this case a radar detector is the ideal tool.

Conversely on I95 and similar stretches of patrolled highway with overpasses and other hiding spots, Troopers almost exclusively stick to Laser, making Radar Detectors useless - as you correctly mentioned. On these stretches it is best to rely on Waze and keep the detector in the glove box to avoid the unwanted attention you mentioned. Alternatively the best tool for this piece of road is a high quality Jammer such as Laser Interceptor or other quality units with strong “jam to Gun” results.

The best solution is to know and understand the common tactics utilized in the given area that you live or drive most often, only then will you be able to determine which tool to use and when it should be used - or ya know, just dont speed... that always works!

Chewbakkah > PowderMeasure
05/03/2016 at 15:38

Exactly this. When I had a radar detector its main use was traveling to and from college, a 6.5 hour drive that I made every other month. Bringing average speeds up from a law abiding 55-60 mph to 70-80 cut quite a bit of time off my trip. The radar saved me MANY times from tickets due to the light traffic giving me warnings over the rolling hills of central Texas. Radar in cities is useless, rural highways is where the optimal usage is.

I’m having to make this trip more and more often due to in-laws living in that area, so maybe I should get a new detector....

FrgMstr > Justin Hughes
05/03/2016 at 15:38

I have used radar detectors since 1984, and they have always had a HUGE ROI for me personally. If you are too stupid to figure out how to use one, then I can see your point. Either that, or your driving style does not dictate that you need one.