Do Radar Detectors Really Work for you?
05-06-2010, 05:13 PM
#31
Rennlist Member
Was anyone else bothered by Larpy's comment that his DA wanted the notation of a detector in the car re: ability to more sternly prosecute because he's got an "intent to speed" admission? By that definition, me driving the C4S today instead of the smart might suggest similar. Or merely pulling up what cars I own, if I was cited for something while driving the smart. Or my truck. Or my participation in DEs, if not holding a racing license. And on and on.............
Nice to be a government employee with an agenda, and power!
Nice to be a government employee with an agenda, and power!
05-06-2010, 05:27 PM
#33
As mentioned previously, detectors gives one a false sense of security. I regularly drive 750 miles one way from Illinois to NC and back, usually see 10-15 troopers each direction and not had a ticket yet. (Stopped on the WV turnpike once, clocked 70+ in a 55pmh zone 10 o'clock at night. Officer said with the car I had, it would take the curves. Wrote me a warning after short discussion about the 911).
05-06-2010, 05:31 PM
#34
Three Wheelin'
If you are not going 75 mph in Southern California, you will get run over. Except for traffic, the average speed here is 75 mph on the freeway. The CHP regularly passes cars going 75 mph.
05-06-2010, 06:35 PM
#35
Racer
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lots of anecdotes and n=1 here .... get on site that the guys live and breathe this stuff and make an informed decision. if you're close to houston, there's a houston jammer meet on may 23rd.
05-06-2010, 07:41 PM
#36
Instructor
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I use the the Escort 9500ix as it blocks out the false signals with GPS. Once you pass a location like a grocery store with automatic doors- the 3rd time it locks it out and stores it. The lazer indication is usless because if it goes off- they already got you. So... I also have the Lazer Pro Park (jammer with toggle switch so you can slow down to the posted speed then turn it off). Did quite a bit of research and this seemed like the best way to go! We have a lot of guys in blue that like to hide in the bushes with their hairdryer.
Lets face it- if we leave 3rd gear we're breaking the law. The whole speeding ticket deal is about revenue. Protect yourselves my friends
Lets face it- if we leave 3rd gear we're breaking the law. The whole speeding ticket deal is about revenue. Protect yourselves my friends
05-06-2010, 07:55 PM
#37
Burning Brakes
Laser jammers are a whole different story. Many of them work and work well. Several times I was unable to obtain a lock on a vehicle from a distance or a false reading came back. I am sure in some of these cases jammers were in the vehicles. The interesting thing about speed detection is a vehicle’s composition has a lot to do with radar’s ability to lock speed quickly. The older non-steel bodied Saturns are very difficult to lock at distances because they lack the reflectivity of steel body vehicles. Corvettes are the same. Another interesting discussion I hear often is color. I can tell you color was never a huge issue unless the vehicle was white. White vehicles always seemed to draw my attention because they seemed to be traveling faster than they were actually going. I always thought this was just something with me but during a recent discussion with other motorcycle officers they too felt the same.
I have stopped a lot of people over my 15 years. My career ended recently after I was struck by a tractor trailer while it was involved in a road rage incident. I look back over my years as a police officer and have fond memories. I have stopped a lot of people and most were great to deal with. I was never an officer that wrote tickets 12 mph or under in the city or under 15 mph on the interstates or highways. I chuckle when I think about all the “unpleasant” people I dealt with on stops. 9 out of 10 times the angry cop haters had a horrid driving record and had been around the block a time or two in traffic court. Most of the time they were angry with themselves because that got caught again.
Many times I have heard that traffic enforcement is a way to generate revenue for the government. I have worked for 3 police departments in my career. None of them ever gave us a quota we had to fill. They wanted contacts and were fine with warnings if the situations warranted one. If you factor the cost of an average traffic fine and factor in the time it took an officer to write it, the supervisor to review it, the records clerk to enter it, the court clerk to process it, the prosecutor to review it and the judge to decide on its outcome there is not a lot of $ left.
I have worked with a lot of officers that are ****** in my time. They were easy to spot and were complained about frequently. I had to remind them that speeding is not a mortal sin and we have all “punched it” a time or two. I made my decision to give a ticket or not based on the area, amount of traffic, the driving history of the offender.
I spent the last 8 years of my career as a member of a critical accident investigation team. I have seen enough carnage in my life to say enough is enough. Speed may not be the cause of most accidents but it can be the primary contributing factor. Some people buy performance vehicles that are beyond their driving capabilities and let technology overcome the experience level. I have seen some beautiful cars destroyed beyond recognition and human bodies torn up to the point I could no longer recognize them as bodies.
The point of my post is to enlighten others so they can see how the courts and law enforcement view speeding. I enjoy my car and the power it has to offer. Hell, just last weekend I was tearing up the canyons with boulderbobo. If I had been stopped I would be the first to take the ticket because we deserved them. I have had my share of tickets over the years. Many times I kept my mouth shut and took them. I for one should know better.
I have stopped a lot of people over my 15 years. My career ended recently after I was struck by a tractor trailer while it was involved in a road rage incident. I look back over my years as a police officer and have fond memories. I have stopped a lot of people and most were great to deal with. I was never an officer that wrote tickets 12 mph or under in the city or under 15 mph on the interstates or highways. I chuckle when I think about all the “unpleasant” people I dealt with on stops. 9 out of 10 times the angry cop haters had a horrid driving record and had been around the block a time or two in traffic court. Most of the time they were angry with themselves because that got caught again.
Many times I have heard that traffic enforcement is a way to generate revenue for the government. I have worked for 3 police departments in my career. None of them ever gave us a quota we had to fill. They wanted contacts and were fine with warnings if the situations warranted one. If you factor the cost of an average traffic fine and factor in the time it took an officer to write it, the supervisor to review it, the records clerk to enter it, the court clerk to process it, the prosecutor to review it and the judge to decide on its outcome there is not a lot of $ left.
I have worked with a lot of officers that are ****** in my time. They were easy to spot and were complained about frequently. I had to remind them that speeding is not a mortal sin and we have all “punched it” a time or two. I made my decision to give a ticket or not based on the area, amount of traffic, the driving history of the offender.
I spent the last 8 years of my career as a member of a critical accident investigation team. I have seen enough carnage in my life to say enough is enough. Speed may not be the cause of most accidents but it can be the primary contributing factor. Some people buy performance vehicles that are beyond their driving capabilities and let technology overcome the experience level. I have seen some beautiful cars destroyed beyond recognition and human bodies torn up to the point I could no longer recognize them as bodies.
The point of my post is to enlighten others so they can see how the courts and law enforcement view speeding. I enjoy my car and the power it has to offer. Hell, just last weekend I was tearing up the canyons with boulderbobo. If I had been stopped I would be the first to take the ticket because we deserved them. I have had my share of tickets over the years. Many times I kept my mouth shut and took them. I for one should know better.
Last edited by larpy; 05-07-2010 at 01:01 AM.
05-06-2010, 09:52 PM
#38
Three Wheelin'
Larpy,
Thank you for your dedicated years of service. I sure as hell could not deal with that part of society that you dealt with everyday. Hats off to you! I am sorry for your accident, I am glad that you survived to enjoy your 993 in the canyons again!
I was also in public safety 14 years (Orange County Ocean Lifeguard) that worked closely with harbor patrol, USCG, sheriffs and city police. This is were I lost my innocence, I could not believe the lies officers would tell to back up their incident reports.
However, there were a few officers that were outstanding and actually worked for the public good, pursuit of truth and upheld the "spirit of the law."
My solution is to just stay away from the court system and all involved the best I can.
Thank you for your dedicated years of service. I sure as hell could not deal with that part of society that you dealt with everyday. Hats off to you! I am sorry for your accident, I am glad that you survived to enjoy your 993 in the canyons again!
I was also in public safety 14 years (Orange County Ocean Lifeguard) that worked closely with harbor patrol, USCG, sheriffs and city police. This is were I lost my innocence, I could not believe the lies officers would tell to back up their incident reports.
However, there were a few officers that were outstanding and actually worked for the public good, pursuit of truth and upheld the "spirit of the law."
My solution is to just stay away from the court system and all involved the best I can.
05-06-2010, 10:09 PM
#39
I use the the Escort 9500ix as it blocks out the false signals with GPS. Once you pass a location like a grocery store with automatic doors- the 3rd time it locks it out and stores it. The lazer indication is usless because if it goes off- they already got you. So... I also have the Lazer Pro Park (jammer with toggle switch so you can slow down to the posted speed then turn it off). Did quite a bit of research and this seemed like the best way to go! We have a lot of guys in blue that like to hide in the bushes with their hairdryer.
Lets face it- if we leave 3rd gear we're breaking the law. The whole speeding ticket deal is about revenue. Protect yourselves my friends
Lets face it- if we leave 3rd gear we're breaking the law. The whole speeding ticket deal is about revenue. Protect yourselves my friends
05-06-2010, 10:33 PM
#41
Rennlist Member
Thanks for the insight Larpy best advise is be nice to cop when you do get pull over and instead spend the energy getting verse and knowledge how the courts works 
Talking about my experiences with traffic courts . I start by giving
" Notice of Application " under section 8(2)(b) of the Constitutional Question Act [R.S.B.C.] c.68 and then send copies to the Attorney General of British Columbia , Attorney General of Canada and to Crown Counsel Provincial Court .
I ask for relief under Section 24(I) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the followings grounds : example
a) That my right to a trial within a reasonable time under Section 11(b) of the Canadian Charter or Rights and Freedom has been violated.
AND TAKE FURTHER NOTICE this application bla bla bla ..... If it ever gets to trial I have learned a couple of tricks about getting it dismissed .
Do not get me wrong I do try to save the cops paper work and save the court`s time by having a radar and lazer jammer .
I`ve come to believe though IMHO radars n lazer jammer gives more a false sense of security (example last summer beautiful sunny day top down , wind noise , bright sun and volume turn half down on radar . You guess it did not even notice it going off and got nailed . You would also guess right if you said ticket will not see the light of day till maybe 2012 if at all .
PS . I get the full insurance discount because good driving record .
Also I do not drive my p-cars in the city I keep most of my spirited driving discreet . When on major highway I basically go with the flow of traffic .
my fun car is WHITE 
Talking about my experiences with traffic courts . I start by giving" Notice of Application " under section 8(2)(b) of the Constitutional Question Act [R.S.B.C.] c.68 and then send copies to the Attorney General of British Columbia , Attorney General of Canada and to Crown Counsel Provincial Court .
I ask for relief under Section 24(I) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the followings grounds : example
a) That my right to a trial within a reasonable time under Section 11(b) of the Canadian Charter or Rights and Freedom has been violated.
AND TAKE FURTHER NOTICE this application bla bla bla ..... If it ever gets to trial I have learned a couple of tricks about getting it dismissed .
Do not get me wrong I do try to save the cops paper work and save the court`s time by having a radar and lazer jammer .
I`ve come to believe though IMHO radars n lazer jammer gives more a false sense of security (example last summer beautiful sunny day top down , wind noise , bright sun and volume turn half down on radar . You guess it did not even notice it going off and got nailed . You would also guess right if you said ticket will not see the light of day till maybe 2012 if at all .
PS . I get the full insurance discount because good driving record .
Also I do not drive my p-cars in the city I keep most of my spirited driving discreet . When on major highway I basically go with the flow of traffic .
my fun car is WHITE
05-07-2010, 12:28 PM
#45
Three Wheelin'
I can tell you after spending 15 years as a law enforcement officer and almost 9 of those as a motorcycle officer I have seen them all! With the advances in laser technology many times detectors just let you know you are about to get stopped! If I was working a highway I would spend time looking (scanning) for speeding vehicles before I ever raised my laser/lidar to aquire the vehicle's speed. The reading is instant. On open highways we can pick violators up as much as 3/4 of a mile away and follow them in. I never wrote at those distances but many times violators never knew we had them "locked" in and once they were within 1500-1900 feet we would stop the lock and pursue them. It was obvious if a laser/lidar detectors was on in a vehicle at lock because the speeds would decrease rapidly 
. Each time a radar detector was found in a vehicle we listed that there was a detector on the notes of the citation and the prosecutors would not plea bargain the tickets because the courts believed it showed an "intent" to speed. Doppler radar is different and detectors are more beneficial with those because the cone of the beam is so wide. I am not trying to say the laser/lidar is not at all beneficial but I can tell you they are no fool proof insurance. Let the bashing begin
. Each time a radar detector was found in a vehicle we listed that there was a detector on the notes of the citation and the prosecutors would not plea bargain the tickets because the courts believed it showed an "intent" to speed. Doppler radar is different and detectors are more beneficial with those because the cone of the beam is so wide. I am not trying to say the laser/lidar is not at all beneficial but I can tell you they are no fool proof insurance. Let the bashing begin I think a V1 and a Laser Interceptor is pretty bullet proof. I used to get about a ticket a year, and since I've used this combination I haven't gotten a ticket for speeding. (80-100k miles of driving)
These devices have paid for themselves many times over. However, I'd rather give $1,000 to a company than give $100 to the government.
