I have been contemplating the purchase of an in car Radar detector. Are they really worth it ?

Question

I am not sure if these devices are just boys toys or if they can really help me? If they are of use - does anyone have a recommendation?

Answer 1

Yes, they work, but not 100% guarantee against tickets. There is still "Instant On" and Lazer. The will tell you WHEN the cop is coming after you, but will help in around 80% of the time.
Don't get over confident.

Answer 2

The answer is not really. In general, if you only travel slightly over the speed limit, the radar detector will let you know when there is active radar in your vicinity.

However, if you're a person who likes to speed and wants to use the radar detector as an instant curb to your speed, then the answer is no. Usually by the time, your radar detector goes off, the cop already has your speed locked in. That's #1, #2 radar detectors do not help with laser which is based off of "light" as opposed to "radio", #3, radar detectors can't help you if the cop "clocks" or "paces" you, and finally radar detectors can't help you against time/distance calculations. (Example - you are travelling on a highway - your radar detector perks up & you slow down as you near the cop - after you pass the cop you accelerate - the cop radios ahead to another cop of your license plate - they then look to see how fast you reach the next location [usually another exit])

Speed Limit is 50mph
Distance between 1st cop & 2nd cop is 2 miles
Should take you a little over 2 minutes
If you're faster than 50mph, they have a chart that converts time & distance into speed.

Answer 3

One of the Car magazines did a test on in-car and portable radar detectors a few years back. They found the higher the detector is mounted the more quikly it reacts to radar. Most in-car are mounted in the grill which is pretty low so you can expect decreased performance.

I run a Valentine 1 radar detector. It is poor in the city as it picks up EVERYTHING - door openers, alarm systems, you name it but on the highway it is amazing. The range is incredible. I mount it as high on the windshield as I can and have never had it fail me. It tells me where the signal source is (behind, front or to the side) and I can watch the directional arrow change as a trooper passes by.

Expensive but worth it as what does a ticket cost these days?

Answer 4

Basically, if you do not break the speed limits then the radar detector will be a waste of money. For sensible drivers who drive smoothly they're completely un-necessary.

For the type of character who wants one as 'a toy' or to impress his mates, then all it will do is to encourage brake-and-throttle driving; which is dangerous and increases your petrol consumption.

If you do break speed limits then you deserve to be fined. Ask yourself how many speeding fines you have had so far, then Ask yourself how many speeding fines it would take before you recovered the cost of the detector.

There is also the fact that it you had an accident then the police may consider that the radar detector was a distraction an contributory cause of the accident. In that case you may get another fine.

Answer 5

i dont know where you are but be advised

If you are in the UK these are illegal to use and if the police spot it they will confiscate it (and yes they are allowed to) and if the cop doesnt like you he will prosicute you too.

as for the working of these, its hard to say due to the following factors...

being illegal to use SOME manufacturers arent really bothered if its rubbish, its not like you can complain its no good cos you got a ticket because they are illegal.

also if you do get a good one for it to work really well it needs to be up front and as such makes it visable to the police, remember this is a device to help you speed when you think there is no police so they hate them with a passion.

the other aspect it that what if they are using laser and not radar you can buy a laser jammer too but by the time you've protected yourself from them all you car will be a stealth vehicle and worth more than you could ever pay in tickets.

are they worth it ??? ... even if you get one that works ... they're not really worth it are they !?!

im not gonna tell you how to drive cos i know im no angel
but just learn to be cautious learn where they are and when they hide there and what cars they drive etc etc and think about where you are, better than any rader detector

Answer 6

Radar detectors are ILLEGAL in UK and all other civilised countries. Penalties range from confiscation of unit thru fines to confiscation of the car! GPS devices that warn if you are near a known safety blackspot are legal in UK but not in most European countries (same penalties). The best system is the speed limit signs and the Mk I eyeball. However if they are planning to trap us at 32 mph then some warning would be useful. I find the Inforad device pretty good.

Answer 7

Forgive me if I sound a little daft, but if you drive within the speed limits set down by law, you would have no need for a radar?

Surley the speed limit is there for a reason, so stick to it, save money on buying a radar, save money on speeding tickets and take your girl/boyfriend out for a nice meal instead!!

Answer 8

Junk, as soon as you buy it you will see that everthing sets it off, radars, burglar alarms, remote starters, even automatic doors will make it chirp.

Some are good, but radars have come a long way - so it's not worth the money - more of a toy.

Answer 9

If you know how to drive like a sane human being, they are of no use. They are merely tools for use by lawbreakers in the pursuit of speed. Believe it or not, there are many of us with many years of ticket free driving that have never owned any of these devices.

Answer 10

http://www.radarbusters.com/

They DO work, but you have to get used to the false alarms.

I only use mine out on the open road, where the signal can be detected, but is often too weak to bounce back to the source. This is when they are most effective in my experience.