Speeding tickets are being issued in record numbers by municipalities desperate for revenue. Unlike in
years past, many are being issued for speeds as little as 3 to 5 mph over the limit. |
There's more than one type of heat you can expect to encounter this year. Lawmen are rolling out
high-intensity speed-enforcement programs like never before. Many of these are funded by government grants and the cops know that to get more funding
next year, they'll need to write a lot of tickets now.
Don't rely on folklore: if ever there was an unwritten 10-mph tolerance before an officer took enforcement action, it's gone now.
During this recession we've seen tickets for as little as 3 mph over the limit.
How best to protect yourself from overzealous enforcers? Here are our top 5 tips.
Tip 1: Buy the best radar detector you can afford.
Some 75% of all speeding tickets are based on radar and if you're not packing a quality detector, you're rolling the dice.
And it's a statistical certainty that you'll eventually get nailed.
While even a $59 K-Mart Special is better than no detector, don't expect quality protection from any model priced much below $300.
True, under ideal conditions the cheaper models will sometimes bark a warning far enough in advance. But they'll do so only on perfectly
flat, straight roads and only if the officer isn't using his radar's lethal instant-on feature. Watch instant-on radar in action in our new video.
So unless you drive exclusively on such a moonscape, invest in a high-end model. It can pay for itself in a single encounter.
Tip 2: Learn to use your radar detector.
First-time detector users almost invariably overestimate the protection it provides. Even the best-performing detector can be neutralized by a driver's
refusal to maintain situational awareness. Instant-on radar was designed to defeat radar detectors
and it will, unless you're alert to the threat.
This means continuously scanning far ahead, looking for the heat. Unless you're on a divided highway with a median barrier, the most common threat
will be a rolling cruiser coming from the opposite direction. He'll be using moving radar, triggering it briefly to sample a speed and then
shutting it off again. Be alert to these weak, brief K- or Ka-band alerts as you approach the radar.
Tip 3: Never be a front-runner.
Leading a pack of speeding traffic is seriously dumb idea. As the fastest car, you'll be the most desirable target. And since yours is the
car closest to the trooper, which do you figure he'll target? Always let a rabbit car
break trail for you—and stay back at least a
quarter-mile. Any closer and a sharp officer can easily clock the rabbit car and you without breaking a sweat. Study the rabbit car
and watch for brake lights, a sure sign of trouble.
Tip 4: Learn to spot the opposition—before they spot you.
Always scan other traffic—oncoming and same-direction—looking for one of the full-size four-door sedans, SUVs or pickups commonly used
as traffic-enforcement units.
These include the late-model Ford Crown Victoria, Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Impala police cars. Also popular are the Chevrolet
Tahoe and Ford Expedition SUVs; many state police agencies also use half-ton Ford, Chevy and Dodge pickups. Don't assume they'll
be wearing light bars or the usual markings; many states use unmarked vehicles for obvious reasons.
Don't assume that only traditional police vehicles are used for summertime speedtraps. Aside from the special nuisance posed
by aircraft used for speed enforcement by highway patrols, many states use non-traditional vehicles to trap the unwary.
These include dump trucks, delivery vans, even the lawn tractor deployed by the Maryland State Police (seen at right). Forget about spotting these in time; your only defense is a
high-performance radar detector able to sniff them out while they're still far up the road ahead.
An impossible feat for any detector? Hardly. The Escort RedLine spotted this type of radar from a world-record 14.17 miles
away in our recent test. Other high-end Escort and BEL models performed nearly as well. Admittedly, this test was run in the radar-friendly Arizona desert, but even when hills and curves
are present these models routinely deliver 2 to 5 miles of warning range.
Tip 5: Cool it at night.
Slow down after dark; the odds are stacked heavily against you and it's way too easy to waltz right into the waiting arms of a smoky bear.
Your first clue will be sudden shriek from your detector, followed by flashing lights in your mirror. Lasers are particularly deadly at
night since detectors find them almost impossible to spot until too late.
You already knew all this? Okay, test your knowledge in our exclusive Speedtrap Challenge and
find out just how savvy you are about speed traps!
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