Car owners guide to: Car Accessories > Radar Detectors
 Current
UK law (summer 2006) allows the use of a Speed Camera Detector to
provide warnings of both fixed and mobile speed camera locations.
However, the Government continues to review detector technologies
in the UK and is moving towards a ban of certain types. For this
reason it is important to consult an MMSA member before purchasing
one of these devices.
Devices that warn the motorist by actively detecting a camera ahead
(speed camera jammers and detectors, but not GPS mapping devices)
are likely to be made illegal if measures proposed in the Road Safety
Bill 2005 are adopted.
The Bill states that "Devices which interfere with or detect
the proper functioning of such cameras have only one purpose: to
tell drivers when they can break speed limits and get away with
it. This is unacceptable, it prevents the police from carrying out
their duties, and is a danger to other law-abiding road users.
"The Government will not be prohibiting those devices that
rely on Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to warn drivers
of published camera sites or posted speed limits, as these compliment
the Government's policy to ensure that camera sites are visible
and conspicuous to drivers, and so help deter excessive and inappropriate
speeds on the roads. However, the provisions of the Bill mean it
will be possible to prohibit a vehicle being fitted with, or a person
using a vehicle carrying 'speed assessment equipment detection devices'
under the Construction and Use Regulations (SI 1986/1078)."
The key issue here is that active detectors allow drivers to ignore
speed cameras that are inactive at the time, whereas GPS navigation
mapping merely makes drivers aware of speed camera locations and
have no way of checking whether they are currently active or not.
Detecting the Detectors
If legislation banning the use of speed camera detectors is introduced,
Police will clearly need some reliable way of spotting anyone using
these devices, and that's not going to be too difficult.
All radio receivers - which is basically what these devices are
- not only pick up radio signals, they also emit them. This means
that any radar detector, whether it has a jammer or not, broadcasts
a tell-tale radio signal whenever it is turned on. By using a high-powered
radio receiver tuned to the frequency of the signals emitted by
radar detectors, the Police are able to detect their use.
Of course, there is one guaranteed way to avoid speeding tickets
without any kind of camera detection or warning device: slow down
to the speed limit!
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