d--

This...

I did a Escort 360ci paired with an ALP system front and rear. Also, I run Waze when I drive to know about what's over the hill. I just did an 1100 mile road trip and they lasered me 7 times but the system worked as designed and I never got pulled over. Depends on how fast you drive, etc... but for me this priceless protection.

d--

Yup, I have one of these. It's ultra stealth. Flip the display to the 'audio' interface and there is the Escort's display... Alerts, etc... Seriously, I love the system I have.

straka

If there's an accident ahead, or any incident that involves police, the patrol cars often have their radar on, whether intentionally or not. You will get an early warning.

Martin S.

First tip, and it doesn't cost a dime, regularly check your mirror both sides and of course to the rear,

Second tip, then you are exceeding the speed limit and approach a pack of cars, throttle back and pass them gently. I have need told that traffic officers look for cars that are advancing from one pack of cars to the pack of cars ahead of them. The officers know the car advancing is speeding, without a doubt.

3rd tip: Inquire as to how many MPH one can exceed the speed limit and not get a ticket. My rule of thumb is very conservative, about 7 MPH above the speed limit. When I am feeling that I need to go faster, in area with a higher probability that I can get a ticket, example an Interstate Highway, or heavily travelled state highway such as Highway 101 in CA, don't exceed 80 MPH.

4th and final tip: Look ahead, way out ahead to enable your to safely respond to an emergency, law enforcement, whatever.

Does excessive speeding get you to you destination significantly faster? I did an experiment. First I put my destination in WAZE... it predicted a 5 hour trip which required a leg across LA, then I headed out with the intention of driving as speedily as possible, incorporated the tips above and with my Valentine 1, Gen 2 clipped on the passenger visor. I just knew I could beat the initial predicted WAZE time by a significant amount of time. I was wrong...I did arrive a little sooner, about 10 minutes. Hmmm.

In area with good/decent cell service, WAZE is invaluable. If regularly drove my car in a speedy fashion, let's say > 20 MPH over the speed limit, I would consider a remote install of my radar detector. And it truth be known, I'll also consider a LIDAR device (Light Detection and Ranging,) integrated with a jammer. I realize they are illegal...but the point is moot for me as I drive fairly conservatively. A driver with these devices should be fairly immune from speeding tickets....except, if your highways are patrolled from the air as was the case in CA...haven't heard the Highway Patrol is using air recently. A driver with unlimited resources, can also add a police frequencies scanner.

The only ***** in the above armor, random drivers observing a car flagrantly ignoring the speed limits, has the option to dial 911 and report this. I confess to ratting out a 100 MPH + car to the CHP. This guy was death waiting to happen, an ambassador for Satan. I saw him coming up because I routinely scan my mirrors.

DR911s

Good general guidelines to follow. My view is a little different.

Re a driver observing someone coming up quickly from their rear... I've had that experience several times, but mostly on very low traffic rural roadways. The first time was back circa 1970 when I was northbound on the interstate north of Denver heading for Wyoming. I slowed until I could determine what was approaching so fast. It was another "normal" full-sized sedan car but his speed had to be close to 125 MPH. We were the only two cars visible for several miles.

Circa 1994 I'm driving with my family in my 1993 BMW 325i across Nevada on 2-lane US Rte 6 from near Bishop, California, cruising at about 85? mph when I spot a vehicle way behind me but closing quickly. I slowed down and soon was passed by a woman driving a Ford mid-size SUV with a teenager in the front passenger seat. After she passed, I decided to see how quickly she was traveling... about 100 mph. In 140+ miles I saw one NV state patrol officer sitting along the road. He just looked at us. As in the Colorado situation, traffic was so light that at least 10 minutes passed between each sighting of another vehicle.

So..., my view is that it very much depends upon the entirety of the circumstances. In the situations above that I described, my view is that the biggest dangers were risk of a tire failure and risk of a wild animal or livestock animal entering the roadway. There are or at least were places in SW USA that didn't have fences; the roadways are usually marked with signs to warn of the possibility of livestock on the roadway.

detansinn

My tips for safe and speedy road tripping in the United States…

• If you want to dramatically reduce the risk of a ticket, avoid going 10-15MPH faster than the flow of traffic. On the open road, if the speed limit is 85MPH, traffic is 95MPH, you should try to keep yourself below 110MPH. Going that much faster than the flow, you’ll draw attention to yourself.
• If someone is riding your tail and wants to go faster, move to the right and let them pass you. They’re doing you a favor and will likely flush out law enforcement. Let them be the reckless ones.
• Do not weave in and out of traffic. It’s dangerous and it draws attention to yourself. Be smooth and sweeping. In the northeastern US, a 911 going down the road is utterly anonymous and you can use that to your advantage.
• Don’t tailgate. It reduces your reaction time and there are idiots in this world that might brake check you. Give yourself many car lengths, you’ll also reduce the amount of small rocks, etc being flung at your hood.
• Only pass on the right as a last resort. Some states, like Oklahoma have excellent left lane laws “Left lane shall not be impeded”. Unfortunately, most do not. On occasion, you will find someone cruising in the left lane at the speed limit. Give them a blink of the high beams, that’s a blink, not repeatedly flash. If they insist on being there, then, pass on the right.
• Authoritatively pass. Don’t linger in a cars blind spot. I disagree with some of the advice given above. You don’t want to be next to a car or truck very long.
• Use Waze and a Radar Detector. Do not rely solely on Waze. Get to really know your detector and make sure that you’re set up for the right bands and segments depending upon where you are in the country.
• Do not remove the radar detector when you get pulled over. Assume that the officer knows that you had it, because spoiler alert, they do. The more futzing that you’re doing in the car when the officer pulls you over, the more nervous you will make that officer. As a former police commissioner, I always think about the officer’s safety. You’re going to get a better outcome being mindful of their safety than trying to hide a radar detector. Unless, you’re on a military base or in Virginia, you’ve done nothing wrong having a radar detector in your car.
• I don’t bother with laser jammers, because they are illegal in many states and if you get caught, you may find yourself with at best, a fix it ticket, and at worst, a felony charge. The reality is that police lidar is quite rare on American roads. It requires considerably more talent to use than a radar gun as it has to be aimed precisely at the car. There are departments that tried lidar, but then reverted back to radar guns, because they’re easier to use. Given all of this, I can’t see how its worth thousands of dollars for a proper laser jammer installation.
• Do know the reckless driving thresholds for each state that you’re driving through. Every state has a threshold where speeding becomes more than a ticket. In Pennsylvania, if 31 MPH over the speed limit and the officer decides to cite you, you won’t be driving away in your car. Don’t exceed that threshold.
• I concur on mirrors and situational awareness. It’s so important and keeps you out of trouble. If you see another 911 or a supercar driving cautiously down the road, think about why they’re driving so slowly. A couple of years ago, I had three people pass me in a row and watched all 3 get pulled over by a speed trap that I was aware of around the bend of the road. If they took a few minutes to think why my Porsche 911 pulled over to the right lane and slowed down, they might have made a different decision.
• When I am driving, I try to be an ambassador to the brand. I let trucks in front of me if they need to get around a vehicle pulled over. I give plenty of room for other cars to make decisions.
• Oh, and never drive through Virginia. If you must drive through Virginia, drive precisely the speed limit. It has the strictest speeding laws in the country. Judges will make you spend a night in jail for each MPH over the speed limit. If you get pulled over in Virginia, you will most likely be handed a court summons — you get charged, because that’s how they roll. Don’t treat Virginia like you’re driving in America. You can walk away with a criminal record for being as little as 15MPH over the speed limit.

Martin S.

Excellent tips...thanks for taking the time to post them. These long, well thought out posts take time, precious time...

Cltbread

This is shocking! I had no idea and live very close….thanks for all the tips.

WP0

You forgot one: if there's no one around, and you can see clearly a mile ahead of you, blow it out!

MingusDew

I think it must really depend on the area, and it sounds like some people have had bad experiences. I lived there for 3 years and drove in and out of the state all over the place and never had any issues. Now, Florida is a different story for me. My worst experiences have been driving through Florida, and some of the most BS speed traps I’ve come across. Just a bunch of little small town cops that love to be dicks.

DR911s

Going with the flow is almost always wise. I've experienced driving on the interstate across Michigan from near Grand Rapids towards Detroit on a Sunday evening in which the traffic was flowing along at 90 and despite seeing several parked police cars, none of them responded to that high speed. I would describe traffic as moderate, and the weather conditions and road conditions were excellent. Even so, I was a bit nervous, especially because many of the vehicles were pickup trucks and SUVs, and I doubt that most of their drivers had HPDE experience or maintained their vehicles as well as people on this forum do. Anyway, it was a choice of go with the flow, or cause a backup or get off the interstate. I chose to stay on and go with the traffic flow since I had 330 miles to my destination in NE Ohio.

Porsche_nuts

cops look for outliers

always wish to go with the flow of traffic

follow the rabbit

CT_Peter

I drove ~ 3 hours home from VT to CT yesterday afternoon. While Waze (for me) often beats my Uniden R3 in CT as police here seem to frequently be parked with radar off, I was very lucky that I had the detector on and paid attention yesterday. Was driving down Rte 22 in NY (nicely paved, light traffic, good sight lines, 55 MPH speed limit for much of it) and came across two cars together. Since they were close to each other, when I moved left to pass them (in a designated passing area) I accelerated hard to get the pass done as quickly and safely as possible. No sooner than I get alongside the cars, the detector goes wild with Ka band. I could see roughly a mile down the road at this point and there was nothing obvious in front of me nor places to hide (farmland) but I aborted the pass and tucked back in behind the two of them. Fully a mile and a half later, we come across the NYS Trooper on the oncoming shoulder waiting for the next target. Cell phone signal in that area is spotty and, with so little traffic, Waze may not have been updated either way, but no one has reported him there as yet. I think that is easily the most warning I’ve ever gotten for radar - so much so it was tempting to ignore it.

TL;DR: if you’re concerned about getting ticketed for speed infractions, use Waze *and* a radar detector.

detansinn

You have reminded me that I did forget one…

• I always keep a set of binoculars in the glove compartment. Providing that you’ve got a willing passenger, have them use those binoculars to see down the road. This is particularly important when you get to the parts of the country that are flat and open. It’s a great job for a kid and gives them something important/useful to do on the trip.

Martin S.

Back in the day I was driving in VA and got pulled over. On my dash I had a square tissue box with a diamond cut in the front and stuffed inside was my radar detector. I thought I was so clever. The cop sad, "What's in that Kleenex box?" "My radar detector", said I, and I added, "Are they illegal in VA?" He replied, "Not technically, you can have one, but its got be in the trunk, unplugged." At this point I unplugged the Radar Detector, exited the car and placed it in the trunk. The officer let me slide with a warning.

Another back in the day story (The 90's), California Highway Patrol offers had mobile extenders on their belts, that would broadcast @ 154.905 MHz for communication to the car, and subsequenty the base station when they were out of the car passing out tickets, having coffee and 2 donuts, etc. For convenience sake, many/most officers would just leave their units in the "on" mode, thereby ensuring that they could never forget to turn it on when exiting the car. As a result when they talk to Base, or Base transmitted to the field, the transmissions would be picked up by the high frequency, short range hand held.

So what? There was a company that sold a very small scanner that picked up this signal and illuminated a red light whenever it detected a transmission. If you saw that red-light, you knew that you were within about a mile of a CHP unit. Better chill! All the CA CHP regions have their own specific frequency. So if I was going from San Diego to San Francisco, I would select the regions I was to be traveling to and their respective frequencies:
SILVER 42.0800 42.2800: SFO
GREEN 42.5400 42.2400: Monterey
ORANGE 42.8800 42.6600: Los Banos

I got many a save with my scanner. You could also pick up CHP aircraft. But all this is for naught, the CHP transmits more securely these days, officer to car to base on new 700/800 MHz handheld radios

The bad thing about a scanner, it ruins the music/talk shows you would be listening to.

Lastly, if you are driving a lot (10,000 miles a year +) on CA freeways and remote county roads, consider joining the CHP's 11-99 foundation. They offer lifetime memberships from $5,000 to $100,000, depending on the benefits you wish to take advantage of. At the entry level membership, $5,000, you get a license plate frame and an ID card. If you get get pulled over, you can present your 11-99 IDee card...or, because you have the 11-99 license plate frame, you may be asked for it. And if you have the plate frame, you had better be able to produce a 11-99 IDee card or risk addition ticket exposure. 11-99 is a charity...CHP officers don't take lightly to drivers attempting to defraud their charity.

The benefit of the 11-99 card, the officer may give you some slack when it's time for your ticket. Best case, you may get off with a warning....but don't think for a moment hat possession of the IDee card will get you off a serious charge such as reckless driving, exhibition of speed (You are doing 100 MPH?) or a DUI.

If I were much younger, in my 30s/40s, I'd join the 11-99 Foundation. It is a charity, the membership is deductible, and as I said, it is a charity that offers aid and support to widows.