Many people speed down highways looking for the Highway Patrol in hopes of not getting a speeding ticket. Here are a few tips to avoid being caught by radar and avoid having to fight a ticket in court. Radar works by sending out a signal that strikes a vehicle and the signal returns to the radar gun. The radar gun calculates how fast a vehicle is traveling by measuring how many feet the vehicle has traveled in a given number of seconds. For example: If a vehicle traveled 275 feet in 3-seconds the radar gun would indicate the vehicle’s speed is 62.5 MPH. (The math equation is the number of feet traveled, divided by the number of seconds, times .681818182 = ________ Speed in MPH).
Some methods to avoid a speeding ticket by radar:
1. On the freeway, drive in the middle lanes because you are less likely to have the radar beam focused on your vehicle.
2. Drive near larger vehicles. Large vehicles (Moving truck, 18-wheeler, SUV’s, Etc.) have a greater surface area and return more of the radar beam to the radar gun, so your vehicle is less likely to be perceived as the speeding vehicle. You must be very careful not to drive in “blind spots.”
3. Follow cars, don’t be the leader of the pack. The leader of the pack is the first vehicle to return a radar signal to the awaiting officer. It is much better to be lost in the middle. It is much more difficult to determine the speed of a vehicle that is in the middle of the pack. Also, there is approximately 3-seconds of lag time while the radar gun calculates a reading. So if you follow a vehicle within 3-second spacing, the radar will not even detect your vehicle. Remember, always follow at a safe distance because following too close is also illegal. You can test this technique on the radar units that are posted or parked on the side of the road to remind you of your speed.
4. It is also wise to purchase a quality radar detector. The price of radar detectors varies from between $50-$400. Obviously the more expensive radar detectors are generally higher quality. You can purchase an adequate detector for around $125-$150. You might not want to trust on a cheaper unit. It is important to determine if your state allows the use of a radar detector.
This blog is not intended to teach you how to get away with speeding, but it is designed to give you tips to increase your chances of not getting a speeding ticket. Remember, knowledge is power. Now that you are aware of these tips, let others get the speeding tickets, not you!