Simply put, a radar detector protects you from receiving either a
deserved or undeserved speeding ticket. Believe it or not, the use of a
radar detector in a passenger vehicle is in fact legal in every state
with the exception of Virginia and Washington, DC. Additionally, radar
detectors are illegal on military bases. In these areas, the police have
developed "radar detector detectors," which are referred to as VG-2.
With this in mind, some radar detector manufacturers have developed
models that will shut down when they detect a VG-2 system.
There are three types of radar detection devices on the market.
Corded detectors are mounted on the windshield by suction cups. They
provide the biggest range of radar detection. Cordless detectors are
easily transported between vehicles, and their installation is
significantly cleaner than corded models. Remote-mount detectors can be
permanently mounted to your vehicle.
Some radar detectors have a feature called city mode, which decreases
the sensitivity so that you get fewer false alerts. If you drive in
urban areas, this is an important feature. Others have a voice alert
that informs you about what the system has picked up. Advanced Cobra
radar detectors will also have a built-in compass and features that can
mute the detector if you're driving within the speed limit. Similar
features can be found on Whistler and Escort radar detectors.
There are certain vehicle modifications that can cause your laser
detector to malfunction. A significant loss of radar detection range
will occur if your car has a windshield with metallic film embedded, or
if commercial tint films have been applied to your vehicle.