radar detectors

[Robert]

you're pretty fucking retarded, having all those extra accounts enables me to bot hnms more effectively, or should I say "enabled", since I'm not even on Cerberus anymore, what does your 10 prestige do? exactly, play on pc, mouse/keyboard or ->

[Katlan]

Like others have said, Valentine1 is the best of the best in radar detection. It will cost you a decent amount more than anything else on the market, but they tell you how far away police are, the direction they are coming from, the terrain/slope, ect... I've also heard they will pay for your speeding ticket if their detector doesn't pick up the signal.

Keep in mind radar detectors (I don't know if this applies to Valentine1, but it does to all other types) only pick up the signal from w/e device police use to track/detect ppl's speed. They may also pick up other signals police may use, but the device used to track a car's speed is what they mainly look for [unless things have changed in the last year]. So... if a cop car is just pulled off to the side of the road and watching for speeders (w/o using anything) w/the naked eye, nothing is gonna help you avoid that speeding ticket if they turn on their device to target you first

[Pikarya]

Valentine1, use it or fail.

[Kylen]

I got an Escort radar/lidar detector from my fiance for my birthday a couple years ago, and I love it. It's definitely saved me from tickets on more than one occasion when I was on back roads heading towards a radar trap. It starts beeping like a mile before you get to the speed trap so you have plenty of time to slow down.

The Escort does detect LIDAR, but as other posters said if you get tagged with a LIDAR gun it's too late; they already have your speed clocked. The good news is that police only tend to use LIDAR during the day, and on long, straight stretches of highway, and some states don't use it very much (MA state police use it quite a bit, but NH police seem to be radar onry). Police can supposedly get an accurate LIDAR reading on a car from up to 1500 feet away, which is much further than radar. I tried to fight a ticket 4 years ago when I was clocked with LIDAR from 1400 feet away but lost.

Do be sure to read up which states radar detectors are illegal in before buying one, though. Most states allow them, but there are 9 or so that don't if I recall correctly.

[jmc]

never said they should be illegal, just thought they were

it was my understanding that most of these were installed on the dashboard somewhere and cops reportedly pulled over people with anything resembling it on their dash

good idea to have it installed throughout the car; for the states that it is illegal it sounds a lot more difficult to detect and get nailed for (if that's what the local laws dictate, not stepping on your toes honey, own what you want)

In most states, they are illegal..... but they cannot pull you over just for the radar detector. As it would be pretty bad, if it wasnt a radar detector.

What officers usually pull you over for, is having something on your windshield/dashboard "obstructing your view" which is against the law in most states (and then seeing it as a radar detector, and getting fined). Anything attached to the windshield is against the law in some states, its just no one enforces it. Otherwise GPS systems would be screwed lol

[Quixon]

In most states, they are illegal..... but they cannot pull you over just for the radar detector. As it would be pretty bad, if it wasnt a radar detector.

I know you're a cop, but I think you're wrong on this one:

Law varies from state to state, but detectors are generally legal in private vehicles under the Communications Act of 1934[11] and illegal in commercial vehicles by DOT regulation (49 CFR 392.71). Exceptions:

*
o Illegal in all vehicles: Virginia, Washington D.C., U.S. military bases
o Illegal in commercial vehicles under state law: Illinois, New York (specifically, commercial vehicles over 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) and all vehicles over 18,000 pounds (8,200 kg)) Also illegal in all commercial vehicles over 10000lbs under US federal law
o Indirectly illegal (Illegal due to prohibitions against affixing items to windscreen): Minnesota, California[1], New York[12]
o Repealed: Connecticut (repealed in 1998)[citation needed]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar_detector

[MarkM.]

The way I determine if they are good or not: Do they offer to pay your traffic fines if you get pulled over?

[Katlan]

^ It's never "that" black & white. No company is gonna pay for your traffic tickets if you think your now have the power to drive like "super asshole" & start speeding around at 100+ mph everywhere just cause you think you won't need to pay the bill. And did you even read the thread to see what others typed about any radar detector's limitations? The Valentine1 company will pay for your ticket if their detectors failed to go off "period." This means if you get marked for speeding and the detector didnt even pick up the machine w/ targeted you. I don't know they prove this exactly, but I'd guess their detectors keeps a log of everything and it would involve you sending the product in (or something else).

And the company paying your traffic fine is minimal at most since that doesn't include traffic school (if elegible) and/or any other complications that comes w/ your speeding outside of the select "ticket" fee. lol... I can just see it now... "I got pulled over for going 110mph & the detector didn't pick up the cop marking my car. I got my licensed revoked, my insurance is gonna be 1k more when I'm finally able to drive again. But at least the detector company paid for my $200 ticket!

[Charla]

lol... I can just see it now... "I got pulled over for going 110mph & the detector didn't pick up the cop marking my car. I got my licensed revoked, my insurance is gonna be 1k more when I'm finally able to drive again. But at least the detector company paid for my $200 ticket!

What does it even take for them to revoke a license? This is the real problem with speed limits: there's no way to know the boundary between "over the limit but nobody cares", "over the limit but so is every single car in sight", "pulled over and out $50", and "pulled over and out $5000". If they'd just put the limit where it belongs in the first place we wouldn't have to worry about getting pulled over doing the exact same speed as the next guy.

[Katlan]

I might be wrong, but in Southern CA anything over 90mph is considered wrecklace driving and your sited for a felony (can also be taken to jail right there & then) instead of the usual traffic misdemeaner. At your trial the judge can decide to revoke your license or not. Either way your insurance is screwed since I don't believe you can go to traffic school (if elegible) for a felony-traffic violation.

Dunno if the rules changed since, but I know this happened to my friend when I was in high school. In general, you can safely go 5-10 mph over any speed limit (as long as its not a school zone) and be fine, but if a traffic cop wants to be a jerk they can pull you over for anything over 3-5 mph (only an idiot cop would pull somebody over for 3-5mph over the limit because any right-minded person can fight it and win np. The tools they use to track somebodies speed are supposed to be factored w/an error ratio of anywhere from [give-or-take] 5-8mph. That's why ppl arent usually ticketed unless they are going 10mph over the limit)

[jmc]

I know you're a cop, but I think you're wrong on this one:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar_detector

Most of it is true, but they are missing states on that wiki entry.

http://www.theallineed.com/family/06030909.htm

Probably not exact either, there seem to be too many states that claim to prohibit them.....but its a rough idea at least.

[Pikarya]

Most of it is true, but they are missing states on that wiki entry.

http://www.theallineed.com/family/06030909.htm

Probably not exact either, there seem to be too many states that claim to prohibit them.....but its a rough idea at least.

^ This is correct. When I was an officer it was Illegal in my state for an officer to pull you over for just "having" a radar in your window operating or idle. Back then it was called a "secondary law", in which the official would need to have you pulled over for a "primary" broken law such as speeding, etc. This "secondary" law system was also present for seatbelts but has changed also.

Almost 6 years since then, (I'm now no longer an officer but now a DEA FA) they changed the law from secondary to primary. It is now completely illegal to have a radar system within the vehicle (even if its completely turned off/unplugged/hidden away/etc. unless it is used as an enforcement/official-only tool.

But yeah, that list is slightly incorrect and incomplete.

[Darus Grey]

I just don't speed. No fancy equipment, no fines, and saves me hundreds on fuel!

[Quixon]

Thanks for that link jmcgarrell.