A Radar Detector is a small electronic device used to detect the Police's radar units from a decent distance, so you can slow down and avoid getting a speeding ticket from the police. What a Radar Detector picks up, and whether or not it works, depends on the make and model of the radar gun used by the police, and what kind of frequency the gun is tuned to.

The majority of basic Radar Detectors are tuned to the same frequency as most Police radar guns, but the Police may occasionally switch their guns to a different frequency. Older Radar Detectors depend heavily on the assumption that an officer will have his radar turned on at all times. If the Officer suddenly turns on their gun, older Radar detectors will likely not give you enough warning.

Also, you must take in to account that some newer radar guns have stopped using the easily detectable frequencies used by older guns, instead opting to use less obvious bandwidths. A more sophisticated Radar Detector can still pick up on these signals, but older, less advanced Radar Detectors will not be of any use for detecting signals from these newer guns.

The newest technology in speeding detection uses a completely different method; it uses laser light, instead of sound waves. This system is called LIDAR, and older Radar Detectors are useless against it. To beat LIDAR, you must have a Radar Detector that is more modern and built to work with laser technology instead of older radio based technology.

So, the answer is yes, Radar Detectors still work, but the older Radar Detectors are becoming less efficient, so your best bet is to have a more modern Radar Detector so you know for sure you'll be covered. Otherwise, it's a 50/50 chance of the radar not being picked up.

Matthew Henderson is editor at Auto-Fleet.com. For information such as having a ticket removed, fines and/or driving points reduced see online traffic school.

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