Radar and laser gun detectors are very popular with many people; they allow them to go over the speed limit while alerting them before they are in range of law enforcement officers with those detecting devices.
Are They Legal?
There are legal issues with radar and laser detectors in every state. In fact, no one is allowed to use them in Washington D.C. and Virginia and they are banned in tractor trailers in Illinois and New York. By federal law they are not allowed to be operated in any state by commercial vehicles over five tons. If you don't live in those states or drive a heavy commercial vehicle, these detection devices are legal to a certain point.
In many states, radar and laser detectors are legal to own but law enforcement
officials have special devices that scan for the frequencies that a detector uses. If they find that a driver is operating one-and breaking the speed limit-the driver gets a citation, a huge fine and their detector is confiscated.
Other Methods for Avoiding Detection
Besides detectors there are devices that jam radar and laser signals. You can see ads for these in most magazines and tabloids; they emit signals that supposedly interfere with laser and radar guns. If they can't read the information, they can't cite you!
Well, that's very true but the sad fact is that these rather costly devices rarely work. Radar jamming devices are illegal in all fifty states and laser jammers are illegal in Colorado, D.C., California, Virginia, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Nebraska and Utah.
Another method that people use to confound radar and laser detectors is "stealth coating". This is absorbent paint that is applied to headlights and license plates. Laser speed detectors depend on infrared laser light reflections to gauge speed and document the offense. Stealth coating absorbs rather than reflects the laser, confounding the machine and theoretically avoiding a speeding ticket. However, stealth coating is illegal in every state and if a driver is caught using it, there will be a very hefty fine and other unpleasant consequences.
What's So Bad About Speeding?
Some people think that detectors make the roads safer as they prevent speeding when law enforcement officials are on patrol. Their reasoning is that the sudden braking when a person sees a patrol car causes a chain reaction down the road and disrupts traffic as well as causing rear end collisions. One study showed that detector users have 1/5 percent fewer accidents per mile than non users and go 60,000 miles farther between accidents.
Another study proved that between two drivers headed to the same destination and taking the same route on a 50 mile trip, the driver who broke the speed limit only saved an average of two minutes. You'll often see someone peeling out ahead of you that you catch up to about a mile down the road, especially in traffic!
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