Radar Detector

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.