Radar Detectors

[lexdog]

I dont know if this is the right place to post this but a I got ticket this weekend was driving pretty fast any way I was thinking about getting radar detector Valentine or a escort 8500 x50. My biggest concern is do these things really work ? Has any been saved from getting a ticket by using a radar detector ?

[ford212.809]

After driving for 25 yrs. and several tickets under my belt, I can tell you the best thing to do is to drive no more than 5 mph over the speed limit. It simply is the

wisest thing to do. If you REALLY need a detector, the one I have is the Cobra

ESD-9100. I performs really well for a moderate price. With that being said, the

"switch" on their radar is lightyears faster than ANY detector.

[1990LS400]

Although I used a radar detector for a lot of years and in a few very fast cars, I decided about 10 years ago (yes, a highway patrolman was involved) that it is better to just drive the speed limit and enjoy the journey. Pop in a CD or listen to your iPod or Sat radio. You are not going to get anywhere much sooner by speeding and your speeding is just going to cause stress and danger for others. I've had a lot more fun driving the past 10 years without a radar detector and within the speed limit.

I think I saw my box of radar detectors in the basement a few months ago...must be a few thousand dollars worth of junk in there.

[lexdog]

Its not that im in a hurray I just cant help driving fast. For some odd reason Im alaways driving 85 to 90 mph ...and like you said I've got a cd in and kick back enjoying the ride .....

[SW03ES]

The best thing to do is learn how to speed instead of buying a radar detector. I know in my area for instance you CAN'T drive the speed limit, people driving the speed limit are a hazard. Thats another argument though.

There are some tips for speeding that will greatly reduce your chance of getting a ticket:

1. Never be the fastest thing on the road. Always settle yourself into a pack so that other drivers around you are driving the same speed. You stand out when you're out alone.

2. Don't cruise in the left lane. Many speed traps on highways are set in the median and the radar is trained onto the left lane. Often they'll just ignore people in the slow lane. I've been driving the same speed as someone in the left lane, only in the right lane before and have watched cops pick the person in the left lane before me.

3. Do EVERYTHING else right. Don't ride people's bumpers, weave in and out of traffic, always use your turn signals etc. Its a lot more "satisfying" to stop you if you're being an !Removed!.

4. Be aware of your surroundings. If you see brake lights ahead and there doesn't seem to be any cause, slow down. Know what the front and back of police cars used in the area you're travelling in look like and scan for them. Always keep an eye out behind you.

5. If you blow by a cop, don't slam on the brakes. Often times a cop will be startled by his radar going off while he's snoozing and he'll do a double take, seeing brake lights seals your fate, its like admitting fault. You want to slow down, but downshift to accomplish that don't slam on the brakes.

6. If you think you've been spotted. Slow down by downshifting to within the speed limit, change your position in traffic. If your headlights are off during the day, turn them on. If there's an exit ahead, calmly pull off. Oftentimes cops will pull out to nab you only to realize they're not entirely sure which car you are. I've had cops pull out behind me, and drive next to me and look at me for a second, don't look back, just drive calmly. The cop will back off, since he's not POSITIVE it was you, and you're now obeying the speed limit.

7. Know the "safety net" in your area. For instance here you're safe 20-25 over the limit on the highway as long as you're mostly within the flow of traffic. Surface streets are anywhere from 5-15 depending on the road. I know in WV the interstate gets to 70 limit and they don't like you to do more than 75-80, but thats fast enough. In NJ they'll nab you for anything.

8. Be looking for the sneaky traps. I've seen people slow down and go by one car on the highway then speed back up to 85 before its even out of range, just to be stopped by the REAL trap thats a mile up the road. I get a good laugh out of that.

9. Be safe. Speeding isn't dangerous, as long as you're driving within the flow of traffic, the weather is good, and you aren't being reckless. If you drive 85-90 without realizing it you need a reality check, you're operating a 4500lb death machine, you mess up and you can ruin countless lives, yours, your family's (weather they're with you or not), innocent people and their families. You need to always know the speed you're driving and analyze how it fits into the conditions under which you are driving. Its a big responsibility, and one that is oftentimes placed on individuals that are incapable of handling it in this country.

The speed limit isn't some "magic number" beneath which you'll be "safe". The speed thats safe to travel on a roadway often has very little to do with the speed limit. Speed limits serve one purpose only, to make the government money. Be smart and the only money they make from you will be what they rightfully take in taxes.

My dad taught me this when I started driving. I've never found the need for a radar detector. I find them more annoying than anything else.

[RX400h]

I dont know if this is the right place to post this but  a I got ticket this weekend  was driving pretty fast any way I was thinking about getting radar detector Valentine or a escort 8500 x50. My biggest concern is do these things really work ? Has any been saved from getting a ticket by using a radar detector ?

←

...great tips by SW and I have to say that I've had a few radar detectors, as well as a laser diffuser that actively scrambles police laser.

There are three "top-of-the-heap" radar detectors on the market. In order of cost, (least to most expensive) they are:

BEL 995

Escort 8500

Valentine 1

All are very capable radar detectors and although they all have laser detection, this feature is passive and typically won't give you enough warning when police fire a laser beam at your front license plate. The best protection against laser is an active laser diffuser that sends out the correct wavelength of light to render police laser useless for a few seconds (enough for you to slow down). The Laser Echo (www.lidatek.com) and the K40 (not sure of the website) are very effective laser countermeasures.

I have a BEL 985 (a couple years old) and it has a wide variety of features, such as a voice that announces the signal type (Ka band, etc) or highway emergency (rarely happens but is nice to have). It can also display your battery voltage and you can even have it flip the display readout if you need to mount the unit upside down. I think I paid $200 for it - well worth the money, IMO.

Another thing you might consider is a remote setup. I believe all three offer this setup. The advantage is that the officer, if for some reason pulls you over, will not be negatively influenced by a detector in plain view.

Hey, there ARE plenty of speed traps out there and it takes only one to drain more than the price of a detector from your pocket.

[dgorrie]

I agree with many of the ideas above except that I would get a detector anyway. I've been using Passport/Escort for LOTS of years -- gone through 3 or 4 and that's years at a time. I have the 8500 and am VERY pleased -- very few false alarms. I like the way it sounds when it goes off -- very precise, quick beeps that tell you quickly what's going on. 8500 is about $300, but will last a long time. You can even get one on a 30 day free trial -- return it after 30 days for a full refund. But I suspect that you will like it so well that you won't send it back.

Although the cop's instant-on feature can get you anyway, I find that local cops tend to run with the unit full on, so you can get a warning ½ mile + before you and he make eye contact -- plenty of time to stop there.

I drive about 80 all the time if space is open, in the DFW area on the freeways, etc. It's usually too crowded in rush hour for the cops to figure out which car is speeding -- they all are. So they work the freeways outside rush hours.

I've heard it said that most accidents occur within 25 miles of home. Same with tickets, so my thinking is to use a detector all the time.

[ford212.809]

Steve's (swo3es) tip #9, 2nd. sentence, is by far the best suggestion to apply

to ANYONE's situation. I'm not sure of your age, original poster, but I can tell

you one thing for sure, you will realize it someday.... ;)

[jgr7]

I've been using detectors for around 10 years and (knock on wood) have avoided the ticket guys because of it and most of the tips above. I was told by an officer one time at a safety meeting that when he asks a speeder if he knows how fast he was going and the speeder says no he always gets the ticket. The reason is he is lying or stupid for not knowing how fast he is going and that makes him a dangerous speeder.

I've found that the detector makes me more aware of my speed and I drive slower than I used to before I started using one. Tip no 1 on the hwy is your best friend.

Just remember driving is a participation sport, if your speeding leave the cell phone alone as well as the cd player and big mac hamburger.

Jeff

[apatrules]

Been using radar detectors for 17 years and zero tickets. On more than one occasion, the detector has saved me many times from a hidden cop firing K band.

Best detector is the Valentine because it tells you if the cop is behind or ahead of you and this really makes a difference especially when he is behind you.

If you get the Valentine, get the remote accesory; this enables you to see the radar lights right in front of your speedometer, rather than having to always be looking at the detector on the dash or windshield. When I use it, I always have the sound OFF, and just use the lights as my guide to what's around. The sound is annoying and you can easily attune to just noting the lights in front of you.

[ford212.809]

Been using radar detectors for 17 years and zero tickets. On more than one occasion, the detector has saved me many times  from a hidden cop firing K band.

Best detector is the Valentine because it tells you if the cop is behind or ahead of you and this really makes a difference especially when he is behind you.

If you get the Valentine, get the remote accesory; this enables you to see the radar lights right in front of your speedometer, rather than having to always be looking at the detector on the dash or windshield.  When I use it, I always have the sound OFF, and just use the lights as my guide to what's around.  The sound is annoying and you can easily attune to just noting the lights in front of you.

←

Hey Apatules (aka Slick) :D

Aren't detectors outlawed in Virginia? B)

[LexKid630]

I would highly reccomend a radar detector! I have them in all of my cars, and YES they really work. When the cops have their radar guns on, the detector detects the signal and beeps or lights up (which ever you choose). I too somethimes find myself going over 90 sometimes, being inturrupted by the beeping of the radar detector.

But a new system has been introduced that the cops can use using laser or something like that. This signal the radar detectors can't detect. So don't 100% rely on it.

but yes they do work.

[lexdog]

Wow !!! This is really great advise Thank You All especially SW03ES.

[SW03ES]

Sure they work, but they're not neccisary IMHO. As long as you pay attention no need.

[psolov]

I dont know if this is the right place to post this but  a I got ticket this weekend  was driving pretty fast any way I was thinking about getting radar detector Valentine or a escort 8500 x50. My biggest concern is do these things really work ? Has any been saved from getting a ticket by using a radar detector ?

←

I have a Valentine One and a K40 in my LS430. I've ran them side by side and the Valentine is the better of the two and a fraction of the price. The V1 is good on KA and Laser and will tell you where the signal is coming from with how many bogeys (signals). I haven't had a speeding ticket for about 4 years with this one and I do about 50k miles per year on major highways.

[G and C Johnstone]

In New Zealand the common radar is Ka. Most patrol cars are equipped. Usually there are forward and rear facing antenna and either one of those can be active at one time. If the patrol is mobile they are obliged to emit a ground pulse to remain calibrated. The hugely expensive Bell & Valentine devices can pick this up but cheap detectors will give as good a warning if the patrol is squirting high power to nuke other traffic before you arrive.

At night the detector can warn you to check your speed. Without a detector I have had a close call as a fast driver who had just passed me panic braked to try and reduce his fine or even save his license. Now with a detector I will be pre warned of such potential reaction from a speeder.

It is standard practice for a parked police car to not have any radar emissions until they are satisfied that they have a kill and then their fingers are plenty quick enough to lock onto the speeding target and no detector made can excuse the fine.

Most of the roads I travel on are truly Z class and I would have great difficulty finding a local road where I could travel at the speeds that some of you are talking about. Local speed limits here are probably more restrictive because of our poor roads.

I doubt that my radar detector will ever save me from a speeding ticket but it has allowed me to know when I am being observed. I consider a radar detector a safety device and in U S A the added features of radar from emergency vehicles and trains etc must make them a force for good.

Graeme

[LinuxFan]

WOW!

All god stuff... I am an advocate of no tickets and therefore, for having redar detectors -- my heart aches for what those in Canada and in the US states that restrict these devices must go through. It would drive me nuts and in fact it used to until I got a ticket for having a detector in Canada (the only time I have gotten a ticket while going the speed limit): I just was not paying attention, busy talking with the wifey -- these guys used an airplane to relay my location to a patrol vehicle that nabbed me. Talk about overkill (how much is airplane fuel) -- but they want them off their roads so they go for those people who have detectors everytime, as opposed to the speeder... I know.

Anyway, to add some value or confirm what others have said; it is best to know the roads that you travel regularly as you will know the where these leach's hide as they wait to suck your money from your wallet. It never fails, and tire tracks will confirm it since they are like sheep/cattle -- they eat at the same place everytime. This principle alone has saved me countless times.

I had one of those expensive Cobra (9700 -- I think) brands with the compass and ignition sensor, voice as opposed to beep alerts, one that adjusts the sensitivity to the speed (really RPM) that it senses. If I am going say 10MPH (or 1600RPM) in the parking lot or in slow traffic, it detects that RPM and does not display any radar signal it detects. I loved that thing... stupid OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) cops.

yeah -- all good stuff

[kel_zhang]

I got a speeding ticket though I have K40 installed in my Lexus IS300. However, K40 reimburse my fine in a week, though it couldn't erase this record.

[apatrules]

Been using radar detectors for 17 years and zero tickets. On more than one occasion, the detector has saved me many times  from a hidden cop firing K band.

Best detector is the Valentine because it tells you if the cop is behind or ahead of you and this really makes a difference especially when he is behind you.

If you get the Valentine, get the remote accesory; this enables you to see the radar lights right in front of your speedometer, rather than having to always be looking at the detector on the dash or windshield.  When I use it, I always have the sound OFF, and just use the lights as my guide to what's around.  The sound is annoying and you can easily attune to just noting the lights in front of you.

←

Hey Apatules (aka Slick) :D

Aren't detectors outlawed in Virginia? B)

←

Well ford, detectors are indeed outlawed in Virginia and I NEVER use the detector in Virginia. Therefore, have had the pleasure of getting a ticket for doing 37 in a 25 zone (where everybody does 40), but on this day the VA cops had set up a hidden radar gun and I got nailed. In all other states where it is legal, I'm batting 100% with no tickets.

[ford212.809]

B) Hey LinuxFan,

I think "Leaches" is definately the wrong term to use. If these Public Servants

were not out on the roads writing tickets daily, maybe (hope not) an in-

experienced driver driving wrecklessly could demolish someone that

you think alot of! Nothing personal, just concerned. Also, the revenue

generated from the fines result in your taxes not being out the roof.... ;)

[Booyah]

Cops are just doing there jobs, catching people who speed WAY over the limit and just being plain reckless!! Although some carry it a little to far--like 5 over?

Im driving on the roads at least 10 over if weather/conditions permit---thats why I need a nice Detector like the V-1 for the highway trips, best one I have ever had.

[jgr7]

I have to say on the bad cop thing that I have never got a ticket when I wasn't speeding!!! I never got *BLEEP*ed at the cop for doing his job. I havn't had a ticket since I started using my detector.

Jeff

[SW03ES]

I don't blame the cops, I blame the legislators that write the law. The cops are just doing their jobs. Some of them enjoy it and get a rise out of stopping people, let them. Everyone should find the good in their work.

Traffic patrolmen DO NOT protect lives though, thats a farce. If anything speed traps make the roads more dangerous with drivers clammoring to slow down unexpectedly and not paying attention to the road like they should be because they're searching for cops.

Speed enforcement's only purpose is to make money. The "taxes being low" is no excuse, the government should be able to live within its budget just like we all do without having to set laws that in many cases are impossible and unsafe to follow just to make extra money.

[LexKid630]

I don't blame the cops, I blame the legislators that write the law. The cops are just doing their jobs. Some of them enjoy it and get a rise out of stopping people, let them. Everyone should find the good in their work.

Traffic patrolmen DO NOT protect lives though, thats a farce. If anything speed traps make the roads more dangerous with drivers clammoring to slow down unexpectedly and not paying attention to the road like they should be because they're searching for cops.

Speed enforcement's only purpose is to make money. The "taxes being low" is no excuse, the government should be able to live within its budget just like we all do without having to set laws that in many cases are impossible and unsafe to follow just to make extra money.

←

I agree with you 100% as to why the law says "don't go over this speed of 60mph on the highway etc." The only benefit i see to anyone is the government. Every time someone gets a speeding ticket (and i've gotten over probably 15 in my life even WITH a radar detector) the government gets $$$. Not to be mean or anything, but i don't really think the government sheds a tear when a driver dies on the road for any reason. They don't care about anything but money is what i think!

To tell you the truth i don't really pay attention to the law very much unless it's absolutely necessarly. I have never been arrested or even been a court room, unless with my wife at a case. If i WANT to go fast for whatever reason on the road i will, unless there's a foot of snow or ice on the road, where slow speeds are needed. If it's 2 in the morning and no one is on the road, WHATEVER!! time = distance over rate!! The faster you go, the sooner you'll get to your destination! It makes that much sense! ;)

[lexdog]

The cop that pulled me over was pretty cool I guess, I mean I was doing 87 in a 65 and he only put 10 over on the ticket. I could have been alot worse but my biddest gripe is I wasent the only one speeding there were 3 or 4 cars going the same speed if not faster and he pulled me over :chairshot: