Banning Of Radar Detectors

[Pietre]

I have been pondering which detecgtor to buy, when the News broadcast to the world the other evening that the Gov't are going to make radar detectors illegal. How would I stand if I purchase one now when they are still legal to have fitted. Will I have to throw it away or take a chance on being nabbed with it fitted. Does anyone know the answer as they arent cheap.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

They are making it illegal to own a detector that can detector a mobile site.

If your detector can detector fixed sites you are ok.

 

[fuzzer]

Seemingly and i say seemingly .... they are getting laser detector detectors.

so basically they are admitting that people using those devices are being caught less.What this really means is that owners of these devices are being alerted to a blackspot where these mobile sites are.

To answer your question, i would advise getting an Origin B2 as ive had one for about 4 months now and its great

 

[teky]

they are not considering banning them at all m8 in fact they are encouraged because it makes you more aware of the speed which makes you more safety minded, road angel is the top one at the mo but expensive with a yearly charge but it is very good

 

[NormanB]

If they make detectors illegal - then a whole new market will open up for detector detector detectors.

 

[Flip]

I don't much value in banning them??

There is always the "rumour" that they are to be banned, but that was probably started by my gran (she's against most things made after 1953).

I'm not aware of any pressure from Police Chiefs to get rid of them, but it might be a europe-wide plan??

There are so many other effective ways of detecting offences (eg Police Officers) that it would seem pointless.

The GPS items which indicate BlackSpots too are surely a safety device?

 

[fuzzer]

I don't much value in banning them??

There is always the "rumour" that they are to be banned, but that was probably started by my gran (she's against most things made after 1953).

I'm not aware of any pressure from Police Chiefs to get rid of them, but it might be a europe-wide plan??

There are so many other effective ways of detecting offences (eg Police Officers) that it would seem pointless.

The GPS items which indicate BlackSpots too are surely a safety device?

AS far as i knew it was only laser detectors they were interested in banning. Everything else was ok

 

[Flip]

That makes more sense - there are alternative uses for laser detectors which have nothing to do with speed enforcement or road safety. I can see why they would be banned.

 

[Steve_Perry]

AS far as i knew it was only laser detectors they were interested in banning. Everything else was ok

Does that mean I'll have to unplug the golf ball sized laser detector from my Road Angel if this proposal becomes law? I wonder what that means for people with integrated lasers in their detectors, e.g. Snooper S4 or new Road Angel?

S.

 

[sym]

<snooper S4 owner> EEK !! </snooper S4 owner>

 

[fuzzer]

Does that mean I'll have to unplug the golf ball sized laser detector from my Road Angel if this proposal becomes law? I wonder what that means for people with integrated lasers in their detectors, e.g. Snooper S4 or new Road Angel?

S.

I would guess so ..... thats what i believed the it to be

 

[GrahamC230K]

Does that mean I'll have to unplug the golf ball sized laser detector from my Road Angel if this proposal becomes law?
S.

A bit handy that eh? I could live without the ball if it beacme law. Or I am sure you could buy a deive to wire up behind the bumper to activate the RA.

 

[Shude]

This is electronics section material, moving...

 

[Aswall]

Yes it's not the gps speed camera location identifiers that they want to ban, like the Roadpilot and similar but the radar/laser detectors. No great loss as radar detectors are crap and go off with false alarms so often you never know whether to believe them, and laser detectors are virtually useless as there is VERY little scatter from a laser gun so if it goes off it's already too late. The crunch will come with what happens to the only effective defence against laser, the jammer like the LRC100. At the moment it is considered that they may open you up to a charge of hindering a police officer in the line of duty (someone remind me of the wording, my mind's gone blank) but this has not been tested in law (the case in Wales was different and never got that far). It is sold as a "garage door opener" but effectively jams the laser for a few seconds before switching itself off to allow them to get a second reading, by which time you will hopefully have slowed down. But, if they start using detectors to detect the emittance of lasers from the front of cars, what happens with the increasing number of manufacturers using the same wavelength laser for their automatic cruise controls?

The long and the short of it is get a Road Pilot and play safe, and then get an LRC100 if you're feeling brave

 

[GrahamC230K]

I only hear clips on the radio, and some word of mouth on this, has anyone a link to some write ups, news reports etc?

 

[uumode]

they are not considering banning them at all m8 in fact they are encouraged because it makes you more aware of the speed which makes you more safety minded, road angel is the top one at the mo but expensive with a yearly charge but it is very good

What's the argument behind the fact that having a radar detector in your car makes you a safer driver?

I don't have one, but if I did I'm sure I would drive much faster.

Before speed cameras I used to drive 100mph+ on the motoway, 70mph in 50 zones and 50 in 30, now due to the presence of speed cameras I drive at the legal limit. Surely the speed camera has made me a safer driver?

If I would acquire a radar detector I'd be back to my old speeds!
Or worse - a radar dectector would be an excuse for me to speed, and maximise my opportunities to do so.

 

[jimmy]

What's the argument behind the fact that having a radar detector in your car makes you a safer driver?

I don't have one, but if I did I'm sure I would drive much faster.

Before speed cameras I used to drive 100mph+ on the motoway, 70mph in 50 zones and 50 in 30, now due to the presence of speed cameras I drive at the legal limit. Surely the speed camera has made me a safer driver?

If I would acquire a radar detector I'd be back to my old speeds!
Or worse - a radar dectector would be an excuse for me to speed, and maximise my opportunities to do so.

You would think so wouldn't you!

But I have steadied up a lot since getting a speed camera detector and so have most other people I know who have one.

It makes you more aware of your speed.

 

[uumode]

But I have steadied up a lot since getting a speed camera detector and so have most other people I know who have one.

It makes you more aware of your speed.

This is the bit I find getting my head around a bit difficult

A work collegue who commutes to work along the M4 corridor 70 miles one way bought one to cut down on his journey time, so instead of travelling around 80-85 in fear of radar guns, it allows him to do 100-110 instead.

Another friend who has a BMW M3 says it allows him to do 100+ too on the motorway in confidence.

So if I am already obeying the speed limits, there is diminished reason for me to get a radar detector

Please can somebody explain 'how' it affects your mindset, making you more 'aware' of your speed?
I simply look at my speedo, radar gun signs, speed camera boxes...and the white strippy lines on the road!
Sorry if it sounds a bit insistant, but it's a genuine question, born out of pure curiosity.

 

[Steve_Perry]

Another friend who has a BMW M3 says it allows him to do 100+ too on the motorway in confidence.

As has been stated before, a laser detector will at best give you a couple of seconds notice to slow down, at worst it will tell you that you have been done and that a letter of notification is on its way. I would suggest your friend's confidence is greatly misplaced if he thinks gadgets will protect him with impunity when doing 100+ on the motorway. I'm not saying that I don't speed... just that I would be extremely nervous of being caught if doing 100+ even though I have a Road Angel too. I guess if he has a laser jammer fitted then that's a different story.

As for changes in behaviour with gps equipment fitted, my policy with the current car has always been to set the cruise control to 80ish mph when appropriate on the motorway. Once I got my 'RA' I now set the cruise at an indicated speed of 81 mph which corresponds to a GPS calculated speed of 78mph.

S.

 

[uumode]

As has been stated before, a laser detector will at best give you a couple of seconds notice to slow down, at worst it will tell you that you have been done and that a letter of notification is on its way. I would suggest your friend's confidence is greatly misplaced if he thinks gadgets will protect him with impunity when doing 100+ on the motorway.
S.

A false sense of security then . I've never been confident of the technology myself hence why I haven't got one (yet)

Thinking about it, 'probably' the reason you are more aware of your speed with a radar detector is similar to the strange situation where fast cars are usually slower than slower cars. (e.g. AMGs, Porsches, Ferraris, S4s, M3s 'usually' drive slower than lesser performance cars on the motorway, and normally the fastest vehicle in the fast lane is a low performance white van, or Vauxhall Corsa 1.4, or at best a VW Passat 1.8T )