Types of Speed Detectors

By: Jason Petrina



In the past, it was relatively simple for individuals who wanted to try to outrun the law by posting a radar detector in their vehicle so they could spot the police before the police spotted them. This is because speed guns, used by the police for numerous years in order to detect the speed of vehicles, were relatively simple and uncomplicated. As a result, radar detectors were traditionally just as simple and complicated. A detector could alert the driver to the presence of a police officer in the vicinity by simply picking up the radio waves transmitted by the speed gun used by the police.

Today; the methods used by the police in order to catch speeders have become much more sophisticated and complex. As a result, radar detector manufacturers have recognized the need to produce radar detectors that are up to the challenge. If you frequently like to drive beyond the imposed speed limit, if it would benefit you to understand the methods currently used by police to trap speeders and how manufacturers have responded to produce radar detectors that can pick up even these new technologies.

There are two new particular technologies that police are using more and more in the detection of speeders. One is known as lidar. This particular technology uses what are known as laser speed guns instead of traditional radio wave speed guns. The new gun works under the premise of light detection and ranging based on concentrated light. Basically, the lidar speed gun will clock the amount of times it takes for a burst of infared light to reach the targeted car, bounce off the car and then return back to the gun. When the amount of time recorded is multiplied by the speed of light, the lidar speed gun is able to determine the distance of the object. At the same time, various other distance samples are recorded, in order to make a determination regarding how fast the target car is traveling. Because of the fact that the lidar speed gun is able to retrieve hundreds of samples in less than one second, these guns have proven to be incredibly accurate.

With the rise of lidar speed guns on the scene, manufacturers have had to get fairly creative in their approach to producing radar detectors. New detectors contain a light-sensitive panel that is capable of detecting the beams emitted from lidar guns. Unfortunately, due to the fact that lidar guns are so accurate and fast, in many cases it may not be possible for the lidar detector to detect the beam from the lidar gun, before the police have already spotted the speeding car. One way to handle this problem; however, is by reducing the reflectivity of the vehicle. Some individuals have installed plastic covers over their license plates in an effort to reduce the range of the lidar gun; giving the driver additional time to spot the lidar gun before they are spotted.

The police are also using an automated lidar system in order to catch individuals who are speeding. With this type of system, a stationary speed gun is mounted in order to shine a laser beam directly across the road. The speed of cars that pass the through the beam will then be registered. When the lidar system detects that a car is exceeding the maximum speed limit, a camera will be triggered to capture a photo of the driver’s face and the license plate of the car. A ticket is then automatically issued and mailed to the address of the car’s registered owner. While there have been several products produced that basically work to shield the view of the vehicle’s license plate from the photo lidar, they tend to work inconsistently, and current regular radar detection systems may not be effective against photo lidar guns.



Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com