Choosing a Radar Detector

For almost as long as police have been clocking and ticketing motor vehicle speeders, speeders have been using radar detectors in order to avoid being caught. Although today they have been thoroughly tested for accuracy by various police agencies, laser and radar guns (and sometimes their operators) still sadly make mistakes. It has been estimated that over 25% of all radar tickets have been issued in error. Radar detectors are therefore considered a useful tool by many of today’s motorists.

There are three different types of radar detectors, firstly the customary corded units, the newer cordless dash, visor, or windshield-mounted battery run units, and concealed remote units that are permanently mounted in your vehicle.

Corded Detectors: The most popular radar detectors are corded detectors designed to be plugged into either your car's cigarette lighter or fuse box, and then attached to the windshield using suction cups. Corded radar detectors offer a number of advantages over remote and cordless radar detectors, which include their easiness to install, their transportability, and their ability to detect all the bands.

Cordless Detectors: Cordless radar detectors have the advantage of being free of loose cords. Cordless detectors have the ability to conserve battery life, and can turn themselves on and off within milliseconds. Range and sensitivity can be sacrificed as a result - cordless radar detectors typically have 30% less range than a corded detector. However a new cordless radar detector that will detect POP radar has been developed and is expected to arrive on the market halfway though 2005.

Remote Mounted Radar Detectors: There are advantages in having a remote mounted radar detector, which include their being inconspicuous to the law enforcement and to thieves alike. However the disadvantages of remote radar detectors include their higher costs, their requirement for professional installation, and their inability to be easily removed.

A radar detector can be purchased easily online, however, a local car audio store should be able to inform you of state laws that might limit purchasing options. Whatever your decision, remember that a radar detector does not give anyone license to drive recklessly, and by doing so, put other people’s lives in danger.

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