Radar Detectors: Legal Or Illegal?

In some states in America, and in some countries, laws have been put in place making the use of radar detectors illegal. If you are caught with a radar detector in your vehicle, then you will likely face a substantial fine. The radar detector would probably also be confiscated. Even if you feel that you should be entitled to have a radar detector, you should keep in mind that while driving through areas where they are disallowed, you face the possibility of being caught and having to pay a large amount in fines. It is ultimately to your benefit to know which areas have banned radar detectors. You can find out by visiting the websites of the cities that you frequently drive through, as well as contacting your local law enforcement officials to find out the exact laws regarding the use of radar detectors in those particular areas. Ignorance of the law is no defense. You cannot use it to protect you when you get caught driving with a radar detector through a city that has banned radar detectors.

How will they know about your radar detector?

Many people do not understand how police officers are able to tell if they have installed radar detectors in their vehicles. Police officers are not in the habit of stopping people simply to check if they have radar detectors in their vehicles. In areas where radar detectors are banned, many of the speed detector guns that police use also feature devices that will locate radar detectors. They are able to do so because radar detectors feature a type of technology known as a heterodyne receive, which radiates its own signal just strong enough for the police to be able to pick it up. It is therefore fairly simple for the police to catch you if you have a radar detector installed.

There are, however, some radar detection units that feature technology designed to block the police detectors. The devices used by the police also use similar technology, and they produce their own signal emissions, which can be detected in turn by your system. So if a police officer uses a speed and radar detection device on you, your radar detector will block it. This can be done because of the signals emissions given out by the devices used by the police. It is therefore possible not only to detect police radar, but to detect their radar detector detection devices as well, and guard against them.

While using radar detectors to protect yourself against the technology used by the police is important, you must ensure that the methods you use are legal, to avoid being caught and landing in greater trouble than you would have to begin with.