Radar detectors to be banned
Road Safety Bill to outlaw radar-based detectors 'within a year'
Speed detectors are to be banned as part of the new Road Safety Bill, which we reported on last week. Within a year, they could be illegal. Here's the government's own wording:
"The intention is to ban the jammers and detectors through legislation in a Road Safety Bill. It is proposed that the Bill will contain prospective powers for the Secretary of State to make an order prescribing what would be illegal to carry and use in a vehicle."
The thinking behind the move is as follows:
"The speed enforcement detectors and diffusers undermine the use of all speed enforcement equipment. Their use allows drivers to believe they can speed unless alerted to the presence of speed enforcement. That would run the very real risk of reversing the trend in reducing those killed or seriously injured on our roads resulting in economic costs to the community.
"Should legislation be brought in, the road safety benefits are clear. The existing GPS systems can contain information including the location of all approved speed camera sites in the country and the speed limits that apply there. Providing this information to drivers can only improve the prospects of drivers amending their speeds in order to comply with limits at or near camera sites.
What these systems cannot do is detect the presence of a speed enforcement device as one is approached. This means that the police can retain the ability to enforce speed limits as a normal part of their traffic duties. We do not know how many SEDDs [speed enforcement devices] have been sold or are likely to be sold. We are confident that very few diffusers are now being sold. They have been found to be unreliable in comparison to the GPS systems."
Only radar and laser detectors are included, GPS-based devices are not. The report said that those device which emit radar signals will be banned -- though very few if any do -- as will those that detect radar and laser.
Here, again, is the exact wording:
"There is no difficulty with drivers carrying in their vehicles devices that inform them of the location of fixed safety cameras and cameras operating from mobile units. These have the same intention as the signing, visibility and conspicuity rules that form part of the financial scheme under which most cameras are placed. These devices operate currently under Global Positional Systems (GPS). They work by keeping the position of cameras up to date on a computer and identifying where they are in relation to a vehicle by use of a satellite. There is no intention to ban these.
"There are two other types of devices that we are seeking to ban. The first is the jammers. These devices prevent cameras from working by deflecting the beam issued by the camera equipment or preventing the beam from emitting. They are particularly dangerous in that they prevent speed enforcement cameras from operating and therefore allowing drivers to continue to speed past the camera site. Also contained within this definition are those sprays, materials, etc that obstruct the view of a number plate.
"We are also seeking to ban the carriage of radar detectors. These identify where cameras are by sending out a radar beam that detects the signal emitted by the camera equipment. There are two problems with these -
- They can set off non-camera equipment such as automatic doors and may interfere with satellite TV
- More importantly, the police have genuine concerns about the use of detectors. In addition to camera deployment within the safety camera cost recovery scheme the police also undertake covert activity and speed limit enforcement as part of their normal traffic duties. The fact that these devices can detect both covert camera activity and non-camera/cost recovery laser/radar guns could seriously effect their ability to enforce speed limits as part of their normal traffic duties."
Vendors of the devices have pledged to take the move to the European Court of Human Rights. Some safety campaigners have welcomed the move, apparently.
In my own situation I've used various licence protection technologies for years, I'm on 10+ years NCB (maximum recorded by my insurers), I've beeen banned for a while and have been as high as 9 points. Kind of doesn't make sense that if I speed I am unsafe!
Incidently when the government banned handguns, owners of legally purchased handguns were compensated. I would like to see similar compensation arrangements made to owners of any equipment outlawed from being used in their cars.
DAZ
ks
I have a Visual speed camera detector. It’s normally very accurate. It work’s on picture recognition and can spot the lines on the road too. Technically It would be receiving a transmission from the radar detector in the Form of visible light. Hence if I see it I’m done for. Also if they have To paint them yellow would that be classed as entrapment?
If they ban this kind of detector it will mean they will raise a lot of money and get a lot of cars off the road. I would expect the death total to sore though. As long as they let me use it for general purposes like watching the telly, I’ll be fine. Obviously I would keep my eye's closed while driving so I don’t spot any speed Camera’s. What’s the worst that can happen
When will these tree hugging d1ck heads stop making policy based on statistics From “Reclaim the Road”. I assume the final solution will be to stop using cars
and go back to a more sustainable means (Horse).
From Google:......
If you are driving to France, you should be aware that radar detectors are illegal in France, whether in use or not. If caught, you are liable to a prison sentence, a fine, confiscation of the device and confiscation of the vehicle. You should therefore ensure radar detectors are removed from your vehicle before commencing any journey to France.
dazren said:
owners of legally purchased handguns were compensated. I would like to see similar compensation arrangements made to owners of any equipment outlawed from being used in their cars.
DAZ
Couldn't agree more! How dare they make something I paid £350 for redundant. I think thay should swap it for a GPS device FOC.
Also with the reduced number of traffic police on the roads what are the odds of me being cought if I continue to use it?
Phill
Shnozz said:
where do you stand with something like the Road Angel 2 with the built in laser detector device but a GPS database?
Yea, I was wondering about that Shnozz ........ I have the Neo 4 which has the same. I don't think we will know until the actual Law is defined. Mine has the laser detector built in so it could simply be disabled by cutting the connection I guess.
However, i was under the impression that they only want to ban active detectors. If your snooper or suchlike is a passive device, it is no different from a radio, in that it is a radio wavelenghth reeiving device. this was the legal basis used when detectors became legal over here.What they want tostop is you bad bad people with garage door openers hat seem to act as a jammer/diffuser that stops our honest hard working, and conciensus camera safety partnerships from doing and honest days work.
At least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask.....
the lying bastards said said:
That would run the very real risk of reversing the trend in reducing those killed or seriously injured on our roads resulting in economic costs to the community.
Deaths are rising because of scameras and lack of qualified trafpol, so these bastards think they can make illegal anything damages their well thought out programme of lies, deception and legalised theft!!!!
We really need some insurrection now... Blunderkit and bLIAr are the biggest danger to our rights since Genghis Khan and Hitler....they need publicly executing!!!!
Interesting that they do not intend to legislate against GPS devices. Clearly they could only legislate against dedicated devices anyway - as laws against PDA based Navigation/Warning system would be very, very hard to define. So they're not bothering.
Let us be frank. The only reason to be cheesed off about banning radar/laser detectors is because they are currently the only real defence against draconian speed enforcement. Warning you about GATSO positions is all very well but I manage rather well just using my eyes.
Its the mobile/hidden vans that are more of a problem.
I reckon its time to get one of these before its illegal to sell them. I'm pretty damn sure I can hide the thing well enough...
Owners not wishing to obtain certification were obliged to hand these weapons in by 1st May, WITHOUT COMPENSATION.
So if you think Tony BLIAR is going to look on your radar jobbies any differently you are barking up the wrong coconut tree.
Soon everyone in this country will be a criminal if this pathetic BAN EVERYTHING culture is not stopped.
>> Edited by ratpit on Friday 3rd December 11:53
Not all of the noises made by my CD player are music.Not a huge problem remotley locating the detector, well sealed, into an inconspicuous location and wiring the tones into the speaker system.
>> Edited by ratpit on Friday 3rd December 11:55
As for banning radar detectors... Can only agree that it points towards the revenue raisers not being concerned about prevention.
Apparantly Prevention is not better than revenue....
who cares
got my Bel 966-R and carefully placed blinders
The bel 955 is completely hidden (behind the the front bumper - you would have to have the car on a ramp and know exactly where to put your hand to find it
The Blinder X's are visible - but they'll have to be eagle eyed to spot them. Any I do have an automatic gate that needs IR to open them.
We all thought radar detectors were illegal for years and we still used them - all the clarification meant is that joe public went out and bought them as well.
My 60yr old neighbour bought one because he was sick of the government/police, hiding behind BS speeding death stories and wanted to / had to protect himself against the draconian measures that the government are taking against the average law abiding citizen.
These victimising of the average driver will back fire at some point.
When a law seems unjust and unreasonable it's only a matter of time before the uprising starts
1696 - The Window Tax
1990 - The Poll Tax
2005 - The great Scamera rebellion?
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