• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

Laser, Radar, Jammer...what?

I once sat on an interstate overpass in a Illinois State Police car with my friend who at that time had spent 20 years on the road. We blocked his view of the radar. He called out the speed of cars. He never missed by more than 1 MPH!

I asked him how he did it and he said after years and years of experience, he became a very good judge of speed. Made a believer out of me.

But when asked "Do you know how fast you were going?" I always answer "No, but fast enough that I got your attention." Don't admit guilt, don't lie.

I was a cop for 10 years. One of the requirements to get the certification to use radar was to successfully estimate the speed of 30 vehicles within +/- 1 mph of what the radar gun indicated. It is actually not that tough. While the radar unit was used to get the scientific measurement, the requirement for writing the ticket was that the officer first had to visually observe the violation followed up with the radar measurement. So, if she/he sees ya, most likely they got ya, at least in the Commonwealth.
 
Put your money where your mouth is. Feel free to make the study, better yet fund the study by a neutral organization that doesn't share your prejudice. Biased studies aren't of much use.

Ok, Motor 31--here is a response, and it IS biased. I spent 27 years in law enforcement and decided early on after my "street duty" that writing speeding tickets was really petty. Getting in someones's wallet for doing 5-10 mph over the posted speed limit, then jacking up their insurance rates was NOT my favorite thing to do (so I didn't)..
I went on to the 8p-4a shift working violent crimes, by choice. I knew I would not be good at writing tickets, as I had amassed enough of them to paper one wall of my room before joining the PD, most of them on my motorcycles.
It's not police work. It's BS. Thats my opinion ( and I'm sticking to it). :nono
 
It's not police work. It's BS. Thats my opinion ( and I'm sticking to it).
__________________

Agreed. I'm seventy-two years old now and when I went into the Crotch in '57 I had about a dozen speeding tickets on which I never appeared. On joining they were "handled" by "higher authorities". I was a ticket magnet driving a 55 Porsche Speedster with a built 58 plain bearing Carrerra engine. Since the advent of Fuzz Busters and their decedents I've been relatively ticket free. I resent de facto taxation by police represented as "safety enforcement" It's BS pure and simple and I'd rather spend my dollars on farkles thank you. Ban low performance drivers not high performance vehicles.
 
Moderator Interruption- Hey everybody, this thread started on the topic of the devices that may or may not help in our daily drives. It would be great if we could keep the personal aspect out of it. Thanks, Gary
 
Moderator Interruption- Hey everybody, this thread started on the topic of the devices that may or may not help in our daily drives. It would be great if we could keep the personal aspect out of it. Thanks, Gary

Hmm... While I agree that it may have varied a bit off topic, the logic train and discussion do still have value. Persons on both sides of the issue, with subject matter expertise (as LEOs) have weighed in. I for one find it fascinating and informative, even when at times some invoke emotion or personal experience as legitimatization of the whole argument.

A Frenchman, studying our govt. once wrote: "In the United States, everyone has the vote and this is an indirect contributor to law-making. Anyone wishing to attack the law is thus reduced to adopting one of two obvious courses: they must either change the nation's opinion or trample its wishes under foot."

We all know the law about speeding, we all know its penalties for violating it. The value of this discourse, which should be allowed to continue though, is multi-faceted. What can technology do to trick the system? What can the authorities do to prevent violation of the laws? Is the law appropriate -- are the punishments fitting to the crimes, are the crimes representative of the perceived problem? The best indicator that the law might not be the best is when good citizens admit to violating it (which many here have done) and law enforcement officers fail to enforce it (which some have admitted to, or at least there is an understanding that 5-10 over means nothing).

However, this board is nothing more than civil discourse... of course it is amongst a unique group of individuals that while very different in most aspects, have at least one thing in common -- and aspect that has relevance to the subject matter at hand.... Why not allow it to be discussed? IF it needs to be moved to another section than gear, so be it, but I implore you, don't stifle it. I find it fascinating, precisely because I don't have the correct answer to the problem presented, and the members here give me great ways of approaching the issue.

just my $.02,

Chris
 
Ok, Motor 31--here is a response, and it IS biased. I spent 27 years in law enforcement and decided early on after my "street duty" that writing speeding tickets was really petty. Getting in someones's wallet for doing 5-10 mph over the posted speed limit, then jacking up their insurance rates was NOT my favorite thing to do (so I didn't)..
I went on to the 8p-4a shift working violent crimes, by choice. I knew I would not be good at writing tickets, as I had amassed enough of them to paper one wall of my room before joining the PD, most of them on my motorcycles.
It's not police work. It's BS. Thats my opinion ( and I'm sticking to it). :nono

SAME HERE: I only gave tickets to jerks who were hot-roding around the streets or doing something beyond idiotic with their cars. Invariably, I would come up with warrants or DUI on these stops. Many times I made traffic stops to give a heads up on safety and a friendly warning about obeying safety traffic laws.

Ticketing citizens going back and forth to work for minor traffic infractions is a ridiculous system exploiting the very core of city and state tax base; certainly, wasting law enforcement resources that can be best spent doing more meaningful LE.
 
Moderator Interruption- Hey everybody, this thread started on the topic of the devices that may or may not help in our daily drives. It would be great if we could keep the personal aspect out of it. Thanks, Gary

You know, I appreciate the efforts of moderators...really! At least once, one of my posts was relocated to a more efficacious thread to convenience my purpose.

But I tell ya, sometimes I feel like this board is "overmoderated"...Christ o' Mighty! people pays money to be here...let the people post whatever the hell they want to talk about. I want to know "everyone's personal aspects about it"...well no, I want to know everyone's opinion on topics related to this thread. I find it interesting to get input from guys who have put some 'street' time in. :hide:hide

I guess I am in cellar now ah? :nono
 
So I have to ask, do those folks who think its OK to use devices such as scanners (note that I'm not talking about minor 5-10 over infractions, but 15-20+ as some have indicated averaging) to blatantly circumvent laws are you then OK with the other side using similar means to defeat those who blatantly ignore the laws for whatever reason? Say such as the use of red-light cameras or photo enforcement in targeted zones such as work or school zones or other forms of technology that have been shown to be effective? Note I am talking about "effective use".
Seems to me that if one side can make use of such technology then I canÔÇÖt see why the other side canÔÇÖt do the same.
To me the answer to that would indicate whether the person using such devices is really concerned with safety/legal aspsects or just interested in personal gain.

RM
 
SAME HERE: I only gave tickets to jerks who were hot-roding around the streets or doing something beyond idiotic with their cars. Invariably, I would come up with warrants or DUI on these stops. Many times I made traffic stops to give a heads up on safety and a friendly warning about obeying safety traffic laws.

Ticketing citizens going back and forth to work for minor traffic infractions is a ridiculous system exploiting the very core of city and state tax base; certainly, wasting law enforcement resources that can be best spent doing more meaningful LE.

I don't think anyone is talking about 5-10 over type tickets and its been my experiance that very few LEO's bother with those unless there are other circumstances such say in a school zone, etc.

RM
 
To me the answer to that would indicate whether the person using such devices is really concerned with safety/legal aspsects or just interested in personal gain.

It's more like loss prevention than personal gain for me. Penalties in the peoples republic of Massachusetts are way out of line with the infractions, and they just got much worse this past year. I stay with traffic almost all the time, but I'm on the roads for 50k miles a year. This gives me a huge exposure compared to the average commuter who does 12k miles a year. I can't afford to drive without the radar detector. Those 36 in a 30 tickets don't go away for 6 years in this state. It's too easy to lose your license here if you drive a lot.
 
So I have to ask, do those folks who think its OK to use devices such as scanners (note that I'm not talking about minor 5-10 over infractions, but 15-20+ as some have indicated averaging) to blatantly circumvent laws are you then OK with the other side using similar means to defeat those who blatantly ignore the laws for whatever reason? Say such as the use of red-light cameras or photo enforcement in targeted zones such as work or school zones or other forms of technology that have been shown to be effective? Note I am talking about "effective use".
Seems to me that if one side can make use of such technology then I canÔÇÖt see why the other side canÔÇÖt do the same.
To me the answer to that would indicate whether the person using such devices is really concerned with safety/legal aspsects or just interested in personal gain.

RM

If the use of devices is shown to increase safety and are positioned where there is a high accident rate, I am all for them.

What frosts me is the mile of 45 mph speed limits that frame many towns, where there is no houses, intersections or impaired sight lines, I feel these zones are for nothing than "tax collection".

Same goes when making a completely safe pass on a double yellow, of a vehicle moving below the limit, but if it was a stupid pass due to traffic, limited sight lines or other things, then yes throw the book at me.

Same for the speeding ticket written to someone that just made a safe and legal pass, except for the SMART and safe use of speed to expedite the pass. In fact some states now allow you to speed to complete a pass, one said that it was a shame that a law had to be passed, because many LEO's do not use common sense in issuing tickets. I agree in some cases.

Same with texting and cell phone use, I spite of the fact that they have proven more dangerous then DUI, I have followed cops in town where I saw 5 to 10 people yapping on the phone, or texting and they don't notice or care.
 
Ok, Motor 31--here is a response, and it IS biased. I spent 27 years in law enforcement and decided early on after my "street duty" that writing speeding tickets was really petty. Getting in someones's wallet for doing 5-10 mph over the posted speed limit, then jacking up their insurance rates was NOT my favorite thing to do (so I didn't)..
I went on to the 8p-4a shift working violent crimes, by choice. I knew I would not be good at writing tickets, as I had amassed enough of them to paper one wall of my room before joining the PD, most of them on my motorcycles.
It's not police work. It's BS. Thats my opinion ( and I'm sticking to it). :nono

If you were writing tickets for 5 to 10 over outside of school zones then yes indeed you were petty. Do not assume everyone else is or was the same. I'm only responding to this since you decided to quote me to send your rant.
 
:brow This has been an interesting read.

Personally I try to keep within a couple of digits near the speed limit or go with the flow of traffic. However, whenever I do see any officer, I follow the advice of my cousin, a former officer and hit the brakes to scrub my speed just in case I was over the limit and the officer has not locked in on me. My wife tells me I'm paranoid but then again, she's the one collecting speeding tickets, not me.

Remember when you travel north of your border, radar detectors are illegal in all Canadian provinces. :ca
 
Remember when you travel north of your border, radar detectors are illegal in all Canadian provinces. :ca

I usually leave it at home, but sometimes forget and tuck it in the bottom of the luggage before hitting the welcome wagon at the border. Yeah, I know I risk confiscation...
 
Hope I helped a little to make the thread interesting. Didn't mean to tweak "motor 31". I have used radar detectors a lot until they became ineffective and really expensive. Now, like most, I just run the speed limit or a little over to escape the traffic block (or the Harley riders).
Here in AR, the problem is not with H/P running radar, as all our roads are twisty, but with drivers crossing the centerline either on the cell phone or on drugs. Always looking for an "escape" route. :D
 
Ineffective? Yes, against LIDAR, but not radar. Expensive? $500 is still cheaper than what a single speeding ticket will cost you in my state over the next 6 years.
 
Ineffective? Yes, against LIDAR, but not radar. Expensive? $500 is still cheaper than what a single speeding ticket will cost you in my state over the next 6 years.

+1

I don't often travel at speeds much over the speed limit. However, the "revenue enhancement" efforts of the MA staties and local PDs are quite aggressive. It's not unusual for our local PDs to cite for 5-over on unsettled rural roads. And, as Tom mentions, the next six years of insurance surcharges and loss of safe-driver discounts make 5-over VERY expensive.

Being an old fart, it's just simpler for me to check the speed limit and stay close to it!
 
Back
Top