In an effort to combat speeding in Virginia, law enforcement agencies employ the use of radar guns to measure how fast vehicles are traveling on the roads. In other states, motorists have utilized radar detectors in response to this tactic. But you should know that radar detectors in Virginia are illegal.
How Radar Detectors Work
A police radar gun uses a radio frequency to track the speeds of vehicles. When radar guns are turned on, the radio waves travel to its target, bounce off it, and return to the device. This occurs numerous times per second; and if the targeted object is a moving car, truck, or motorcycle, radar guns are able to compute how fast the vehicle is traveling.
Radar detectors are fairly simple devices. They scan the radio bandwidth looking for the frequencies used by the radar guns of law enforcement agencies. If the device finds one of these frequencies, it emits both a visual and an audible alert.
Laws Prohibiting the Use of Radar Detectors in Virginia
The state of Virginia has banned the use of radar detectors in all civilian vehicles. People who violate this law are subject to a fine. However, the law does not call for demerit points to be issued for possession of a radar detector, and unless the device is being used as evidence, police officers are not permitted to confiscate it.
In addition, the law allows police to cite you even if the radar detector is not operational. This prevents would-be violators from disconnecting their radar detectors after being pulled over but before a police officer is able to see it. However, if there is no power source for the device in the vehicle, and if the device is "not readily accessible" by the driver or any passengers, then police officers are not permitted to cite you for violating this law.
Radar Detectors in Virginia Aren't Practical
In all honesty, radar detectors are not very practical in terms of preventing speeding tickets. In most cases, police officers only turn on their radar guns when they see a vehicle that they think is speeding. So by the time this device picks up the desired radio frequency and you hit the brakes, the police officer has already clocked your speed.
In addition, many detectors are notorious for giving what are known as false positives. This means that they sound their alert even when there is no police radar gun in the area. That's because these devices are only designed to identify radio frequencies; they're not sophisticated enough to determine if those frequencies belong to a radar gun.
In short, there is really no reason or need for people to buy detectors in Virginia. Keeping an eye on your speed and staying within the legal speed limits are still the most effective ways to avoid getting a speeding ticket. If you are cited for speeding or reckless driving in Virginia, you should consult with a Virginia reckless driving attorney to fight your ticket.
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