Radar detectors are legal in most cities and states in the United States. Canada, however, has far more restrictive rules about radar detectors. Most provinces don't allow them, and local law enforcement is very aggressive about detecting their use, confiscating units, and issuing steep fines.
In the U.S., the Commonwealth of Virginia and Washington D.C. have laws banning the use of radar detectors. Be sure to check your local and state laws for regulations on radar detectors and their use. In addition, stay up to date on local and state law changes regarding these detectors.
The Federal Communications Commission only permits law enforcement to use certain frequency bands for radar speed detection. These bands vary by type, frequency length and the distance at which they can be detected.
Radar detectors are set-up to sense police use of these frequencies and bands. Once detected, your display will show the type of radar band in use, and the signal strength detected. The weaker the signal, the further the signal likely is from your detector. The stronger the signal, the greater the likelihood that the radar is close by or even pointed at your vehicle.
While radar detectors have incorporated decades of technology and innovation to prevent getting a speeding ticket, there is no guarantee that you will never get one. Radar detectors are great for sensing speed traps or laser guns. But, they cannot stop a ticket issued on estimated speed or by an airplane using mile markers to measure your speed.
Radar detectors can give you advanced warning of a speed trap from some distance away. However, if you're speeding through the trap with the radar gun pointed right at you, your detector can't save you. Furthermore, newer police pop methods of instant-on radar can claim any vehicle with a detector. Your only real hope against pop methods is that the police radar the car in front of you, giving you time to detect the activity and slow down.
The only surefire way to avoid speeding tickets is to obey the speed limit. Radar detectors give you an edge at cheating the system, but cannot save you completely. If you drive like the laws don't exist, with or without a radar detector, you're bound to collect citations.
Radar detectors only sense the use of police speed detection; they do not prevent police from seeing your speed. Radar/laser scramblers or deflectors are an entirely different product that nullifies or alters the reading law enforcement gets for your speed. These products, when jamming radar, are usually illegal to use, possess or sell.
Law enforcement uses technology to sweep traffic for vehicles using radar detectors. VG-2, used in the U.S., and spectre in Canada (though creeping into the U.S.), detect the waves emitted by radar detectors. While these tactics are most used to find drivers violating laws against using radar detectors, they are used in states and provinces that allow detectors as well.
Cops want to know if you're using a radar detector. In some cases, they have ways of trying to outsmart your radar detector. These include use of the POP method, or aiming a laser gun lower away from the position of your radar.
Radar and laser methods are two different ways of bouncing a signal off of your vehicle, measuring the return beam pattern and calculating your speed. Radar speed detection uses a variety of radio frequency bands. These waves are significantly wider than laser beams, making them easy to detect at any distance–even 10 miles away!
Laser speed detection is a significantly narrower beam, making its detection much more difficult, especially at short ranges. Radar senses a general area, believed to give a speed reading for your vehicle (though it could be sensing somebody else's). Laser, on the other hand, can target specific parts of your vehicle for an accurate reading.
Most of the radar detectors we sell come with mounting kits for the dash, along with suction cups for windshield installation. Some units come with a clip for visor use, making your unit more concealed.
The most effective place to mount your radar detector is low on your windshield. Law enforcement aims laser guns at your front license plate or headlight. Positioning your detector low gives you a better chance of reading a laser aimed at this part of your vehicle.
Leaving your radar detector on the windshield or dash is not recommended. The extreme heat or cold can have serious effects on the internal components, causing calibration problems or complete malfunctioning.
Don't forget–leaving a valuable electronic item like this visible is a surefire way to attract theft. It's a good rule of thumb to at least store your detector in a concealed area, or even better, take it with you when you're vehicle is unattended for any amount of time.
Most of the time, police radar planes fly too high for your detector to sense. And, police planes often use road mile markers to track speed. If they're using this non-radar speed tracking method, your radar detector will not alert you, and cannot help save you from a ticket.
pop method speed detection is extremely common among law enforcement. In this method, the radar gun is left on standby, ready to acquire a speed reading in an instant. This replaced older methods, where the gun was left on constantly to lock-on to a particular vehicle's speed.
Because their radar is on standby, pop method is extremely difficult to avoid. The best way to avoid a pop method ticket is to hope the cops read another car around you first. This will give you some advance warning to slow down. If they target you first, your radar detector will alert you of a strong signal. However, the police probably have your speed by the time your alert sounds. Start reaching for the registration and practice your best innocent smile.
If detectors are illegal in your state/province, you're subject to hefty fines and/or confiscation of your unit. If you get pulled-over with a radar detector visible on your windshield in an area where they are legal, you should not get a larger ticket or extra fine.
Each of the radar detectors we sell is equipped with multiple modes of sensitivity to various radar bands. When driving in town, a number of common transmitted signals will set off a radar detector not adjusted for city driving. Garage door openers and microwave towers are just two of the many things that generate false alarms.
Fortunately, you can adjust the sensitivity on your radar detector to greatly reduce or even eliminate false alarms. Highway mode is the most sensitive setting, as there are fewer false alarms and a greater need to detect radar from a distance. For the best reduction of false alarms, be sure to put your detector back into city mode after exiting the freeway.
The idea behind the Safety Alert System on some radar detectors simple. Police, Fire and Ambulance vehicles can be equipped with a k-band signal emitting emergency messages. Units with Safety Alert decode these messages for display on your detector. Other radar detectors will simply read these emergency signals as K-band radar alerts.
Use of the Safety Alert System in emergency vehicles has been fairly limited since its creation in 1999. Check with the local police or fire department near you to see if they employ Safety Alert in their vehicles.
The power source for your new radar detector varies by model. Many of our detectors can be powered by simple alkaline batteries. Also, they can be used with the included 12v adapter. Some models come with the wiring needed to hard-wire your radar detector to your car's power system. Units not equipped with this ability can be altered for hard-wiring, a modification that's not recommended by the manufacturer and will void your warranty.