Has blind spot monitoring made radar detectors ineffective?

[Oillover]

I choose to spend most of my highway miles at 7-8 MPH over, cruise control engaged, SiriusXM playing, and a cup of coffee in hand. WAY lower stress than trying to shave off any significant time by going fast. The work level isn't worth the time savings. Often, traffic precludes any meaningful increase in cruising speed, anyway.

+1
Starting my journey at 530am and cruising slightly above the speed limit, saves you all the stress and headache of a possible ticket.
My days of needlessly speeding are far behind me.

 

[Touring5]

15 or so years ago my V1 became unusable because all the stuff being emitted by newer vehicles. I contacted Vantine about upgrading but they said my detector was too old to upgrade. They offered a fair discount on a trade-in for a new one, but it wasn't worth the $300+ they wanted.

 

[Owen Lucas]

But there is always someone who still wants to go faster. I let them be the rabbit.

I always let tailgaters pass for this reason. Those that are driving exceptionally close, and I see a speed trap ahead in Google Maps, I'll keep them in place until the time is right and pull over letting them accelerate away from me, sling shooting them into the speed trap. Has happened only a few times, I don't think anyone ever got pulled over but seeing their brakes slam on and the vehicle lurch sure is funny!

 

[Skippy722]

I haven't been a cop in 15 years but when I was I stopped people on a daily basis that had radar detectors. The secret to it was to have it on instant on. Then only activate it on cars that you had a visual speed estimation that they were going much faster than the posted speed limit.
View attachment 93898
Yes this guy had a radar detector.

Yep. I tell anyone looking to buy one it’s a tool you have to learn to use effectively, it’s not some magic device that will let you get away with speeding all the time. If you’re the only one or there is very little traffic and you get popped, it’s game over.

Not that I fly at high speeds, I just think a 35mph limit on a razor straight county road lined by cornfields is ridiculous… 45-50 (conditions permitting) is more comfortable and generally the flow of traffic on those roads anyway around me.

 

[Snagglefoot]

 

[Snagglefoot]

Here is my old 9500ix that came out in 2007. It was Escorts’s first GPS enabled radar detector. You could lock in speed traps and false alarms and it would recall them. ( still does). It works but gets lots of false alarms from BSM’s.

 

[Snagglefoot]

The State of Wisconsin has six (6) Cessna 172 that are equipped for speed enforcement. They are used often all over the state.Got my buddy on a Honda 900 RR leaving Elkhart Lake rece track at a good clip. When the sign says ”speed enforced by aircraft” they aren’t kidding.

Roger that. I got nailed in Washington State many years ago on my 650 Seka by a flying bear.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I have the Escort 9500 and rarely use it due to many false alarms. I don't get in that much of a hurry any longer since I am retired. I enjoy driving with the traffic instead of trying to race around cars and trucks and it's so much less stressful. Radar detectors were so much more accurate many years ago.

 

[dareo]

Why speed at these gas prices? You can get away with 75-80 here with flow of traffic. 90 will get you pulled over and kill your MPG in most vehicles. I have trimmed at least 5 mph on my highway trips in light of current fuel prices. Easy way for people to cut back on oil demand and still get where they are going.

 

[Cujet]

You can have the fanciest RD made. If Mr./Mrs. LEO hits you with a Laser, your goose is cooked.

Waze helps with that, as the laser traps are generally stationary long enough for someone to report it.

Also, I've been saved a few times from laser. The detector is good enough to pick up scattered laser when the cop targets the car in front.

 

[Cujet]

Why speed at these gas prices? You can get away with 75-80 here with flow of traffic. 90 will get you pulled over and kill your MPG in most vehicles. I have trimmed at least 5 mph on my highway trips in light of current fuel prices. Easy way for people to cut back on oil demand and still get where they are going.

Because the time saved over a tank of fuel, is far more valuable than the cost of fuel. The argument that you only save 30 seconds is a false one.

A tank that can go 400 miles is about 8 hours driving at an average of 50mph. You can easily save 2 hours of your life over that tank by going much faster, or go slow to save $4 per hour.

On my long trips, when I'd drive with slower folks, I'd arrive 4 or even 5 hours earlier.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Why speed at these gas prices? You can get away with 75-80 here with flow of traffic. 90 will get you pulled over and kill your MPG in most vehicles. I have trimmed at least 5 mph on my highway trips in light of current fuel prices. Easy way for people to cut back on oil demand and still get where they are going.

Our interstate speed limit on I-49 is 70-75 mph in most areas. I always travel 5 mph slower and still get killer gas mileage (21-23 mpg) in my F150.
Around town, 17-19 mpg.

 

[Robster]

I haven't been a cop in 15 years but when I was I stopped people on a daily basis that had radar detectors. The secret to it was to have it on instant on. Then only activate it on cars that you had a visual speed estimation that they were going much faster than the posted speed limit.
View attachment 93898
Yes this guy had a radar detector.

Agreed. . . I was in that biz for about 7 years before being promoted off the road. There's no defeating instant-on--by the time you get the alert, it's way too late. The detectors do work well for detecting guys who leave their radar transmitting all the time though. I also did aerial speed enforcement for a few years--extremely effective for people running radar detectors. Your best bet is to just drive a reasonable speed--the extra speed you wanna drive at doesn't change your day much, but it surely increases your risk of hurting yourself or someone else exponentially.

 

[Bladecutter]

Why speed at these gas prices?

Because we WANT to.
My decision to do 62 in a 60 zone doesn't affect you in any way.

Why do you care how much I spend on gas?
My fuel consumption doesn't alter your day.

Besides, I think every vehicle in my list gets way better fuel mileage than what's in your list.
Maybe you should buy more fuel efficient vehicles if you're so concerned about fuel consumption.

BC.

 

[Rand]

I always let tailgaters pass for this reason. Those that are driving exceptionally close, and I see a speed trap ahead in Google Maps, I'll keep them in place until the time is right and pull over letting them accelerate away from me, sling shooting them into the speed trap. Has happened only a few times, I don't think anyone ever got pulled over but seeing their brakes slam on and the vehicle lurch sure is funny!

Good ole fast lane policing.
I dont tailgate but someone clogging up the fast lane going 66 in a 65 can be annoying.

 

[spasm3]

The updated Valentine 1 filters the BSM signal out. It works pretty well. I have one. The new Valentine detector should be even better.

I don't use it much - here's why: avoiding a ticket at high speed (I admit to nothing here, this is hypothetical, of course) is more than just a detector. My V1 will alert me of an instant on being used up ahead, but that detector alone isn't nearly enough, not when the cops have LIDAR, or when there is no other traffic on which the cop is using the Radar.

Avoiding being caught is more of a "first sight, win the fight" thing. If the cop sees the speeder first, the cop wins. If the speeder is on full alert, aware of potential hiding places, observing traffic (in particular, brake lights) well ahead, paying attention to the detector, and everything else needed to be first to spot the LEO and change speed before the LEO can get a valid reading, then the speeder will likely be OK.

But that kind of driving is exhausting. Fighter pilot with a fast car vs. cop. Knowing the threat, hiding places, etc. and paying full attention. Recently, during a wee hours of the morning return from Dulles Airport, after picking up my wife, I made a 4 1/2 hour trip in 2 hours, 45 minutes. The effortless power, and strong brakes, of the S600 were a great help, as was my V1. I've done it. Many times. Successfully.

But it's really hard work. And there is some risk that I will get caught.

I choose to spend most of my highway miles at 7-8 MPH over, cruise control engaged, SiriusXM playing, and a cup of coffee in hand. WAY lower stress than trying to shave off any significant time by going fast. The work level isn't worth the time savings. Often, traffic precludes any meaningful increase in cruising speed, anyway.

So, my V1 sits in a case. It's there if I want it, but rarely used any more.

But there is always someone who still wants to go faster. I let them be the rabbit.

That's my technique as well. I stay out of the left lane as much as possible, i generally run about 8 over. Now if there is a rabbit ( funny you say that, its the exact same term i use for someone running fast in the left lane! " rabbit ") running fast, i will pace him about 10 -12 car lengths back in another lane or even 2 lanes over to the right of him.

I also make lane changes slow and gradual, you look slower doing that!

Last line of defense is i keep my hospital ID badge where its not obvious , but i know the observant officer will see it. It's helped a couple of times.

 

[dareo]

Because we WANT to.
My decision to do 62 in a 60 zone doesn't affect you in any way.

Why do you care how much I spend on gas?
My fuel consumption doesn't alter your day.

Besides, I think every vehicle in my list gets way better fuel mileage than what's in your list.
Maybe you should buy more fuel efficient vehicles if you're so concerned about fuel consumption.

BC.

I can assure you that i care not about your fuel use, its cost, or the speed you drive. I was trying to convey the point that speeding at a high enough rate to need a radar detector is bad for fuel economy and substantially more expensive these days.

The efficiency of any given vehicle still drops at higher speeds so no matter what somebody drives they will use less fuel going slower.

I don’t drive a ton of miles so the mpg of my fleet is less important than the low cost of what i currently own. My cheap V8 suvs drink gas and if driven a little slower on the freeway see substantial savings vs a new econobox.

When i do a highway trip for business its at least 40 miles each way. Thats 26.66 minutes at 90 (pull over speed here) and 34.5 minutes at 70. 30 minutes at 80, where you are unlikely to be pulled over. So for me its just minutes for a lot of energy saved, both in the tank and driver fatigue jockeying around the highway and scanning for the police. No offense to anyone choosing to go fast, its just not for me at $4/gallon.

 

[Cujet]

I drove 532 miles yesterday. All of it on the interstate, at high speed. Time saved by going faster: 2 hours. I got home at 9:30 instead of 11:30PM. That's a huge safety factor. It also makes that "day trip" possible. I did the trip in 5 hours and 45 minutes.

Note: A Tesla Model 3 performance would take 10 hours to do the same trip. Due to hours wasted at charge stops, including a full hour charging at the destination, which is really annoying as that takes away from the time I have at the destination. It also requires driving much slower to conserve the battery to make the charging destinations.

 

[thastinger]

I haven't had a speeding ticket in over 25 years and I live in the one state where detectors are illegal. On the interstates around here, there is just to much low hanging fruit for them to worry about me. I stay below 10 over on the interstates and it is extremely rare that I don't spot them first. On back roads and little towns, 5 over is it.
Also in Virginia, you earn a bonus point on your license for every year that you don't have a moving infraction, up to a maximum of 5 points. So I could technically get a generic speeding ticket and still not get any points off my license.

 

[UG_Passat]

I haven't been a cop in 15 years but when I was I stopped people on a daily basis that had radar detectors. The secret to it was to have it on instant on. Then only activate it on cars that you had a visual speed estimation that they were going much faster than the posted speed limit.

Yes this guy had a radar detector.

The key to speeding is not to be the only one speeding, as a good detector will detect the instant-on on other people.

If you're the only one of the road and speeding, a radar detector will not help you.