Tips for Avoiding Speeding Tickets

Any good quality radar detector is effective against conventional radar. Using it regularly will enable you to distinguish between false alarms and a speed trap.

If the police in your area use Lidar or you are traveling cross-country, consider investing in a Lidar detector to improve your chances. You still must be cautious, though. Even the best models are no defense against the instant-on feature employed by police to foil detector users. On a highway with light traffic, particularly at night, the speeder is highly vulnerable to Lidar. Laser detectors should always be mounted on the dashboard, never on the rear view mirror or the windshield, where the height differential from the Lidar signal is greatest. Leading radar and Lidar detector manufacturers include Passport/Escort, Uniden, BEL, Valentine, Whistler, and Cobra.


Stealth helps

In order for Lidar to work properly, it must be aimed either at the front or the back of the target car. Some experts suggest reducing the effective range of the Lidar unit by lowering the reflectivity of your vehicle. It is easy to get carried away with this, taping over taillights and doing other unsafe things, but keep in mind that police usually aim at your front license plate. If your state does not require a front plate, take it off. (Tests show aftermarket license plate covers marketed as "radar absorbers" are of no value.) There are, however, other targets on the front of the car, particularly the grill and headlights that will return a signal. The more aerodynamic the car, the fewer the angles that will reflect back, (exactly the excuse you need to go out and buy that Lamborghini Murcielago!).


Jam 'em