Thoughts on laser jammers?

[jmanhas]

rriggi, I agree with you. Having a laser jammer does not mean the speed limit is no longer applicable to you. I believe it is merely having a peace of mind to have enough time to slow down to the actual speed limit. Like you, i don't want to be caught going 75 in a 60 zone. I honestly don't even excessively speed and my goal isn't to do so with a laser jammer.

[meme405]

Originally Posted by zulutango

If it is illegal to use jammers, then they should make them illegal to sell, use and install as well... And yet instead they have made it perfectly legal to own, have installed or sell such devices...
__________________

Except in those provinces you listed where they are specifically prohibited. There is a difference between something being legal and being illegal. Just because something is not specifically prohibited, that does not make it legal. It just means it is not prohibited specifically.

The conditions under which something is used can make a 'not specifically prohibited" object, illegal. You can carry a hunting knife on you but take that "not specifically prohibited, ergo "Legal" knife, into a bar and it become illegal. You can legally consume alcohol in that same bar, but if you take it outside the premises, it's illegal. To misquote Austin Power's Dad..."it's not the size mate, it's how you use it"

Jesus christ I am obviously talking about BC.

Also you guys keep saying this BS about "just because it hasnt been outlawed yet, doesn't make it legal", and yes that is true for devices or things that have yet to be reviewed by Law makers.

But radar detectors HAVE BEEN REVIEWED, and they were deemed LEGAL TO OWN. Otherwise they would have been deemed illegal to own across the board, not just illegal for commercial vehicle operators.

[underscore]

Originally Posted by rriggi

Why run a jammer? Because when I'm doing 75 in a 60 zone in traffic flow, I like the piece of mind that I can slow down right to the speed limit when being tagged by a cop.

If you're in traffic flow the odds of you getting pulled over are slim to none if everyone else is going the same speed.

[Spidey]

Just looking at the average prices for laser jammers... I would not pay that much for "peace of mind" to prevent myself from getting the rare 167 dollar ticket for going 10-15 over the limit.... .... how often have you gotten a ticket for going 75 in a 60? The way I see it is that this device benefits the following people;

a) those who travel in excess of 20km/hr over the limit ALL the time
b) those who travel in excess of 20km/hr over the limit ALL the time
c) those who travel in excess of 20km/hr over the limit ALL the time
d) all the above.

In this day and age, most of us already know where the popular areas for speed enforcement occurs.

[rriggi]

Originally Posted by underscore

If you're in traffic flow the odds of you getting pulled over are slim to none if everyone else is going the same speed.

Too many factors to think about in that equation. Example was last year where I saw a cop and drove on purpose at 85 instead of 90. I got pulled over for a "random check" then again, my car isn't subtle

Originally Posted by Spidey

Just looking at the average prices for laser jammers... I would not pay that much for "peace of mind" to prevent myself from getting the rare 167 dollar ticket for going 10-15 over the limit.... .... how often have you gotten a ticket for going 75 in a 60? The way I see it is that this device benefits the following people;

a) those who travel in excess of 20km/hr over the limit ALL the time
b) those who travel in excess of 20km/hr over the limit ALL the time
c) those who travel in excess of 20km/hr over the limit ALL the time
d) all the above.

In this day and age, most of us already know where the popular areas for speed enforcement occurs.

Justification of cost is a main issue, buying a $300 jammer is a waste of money because it isn't very effective, and a $2,400 Laser Interceptor is a waste because its just very expensive.

And yeah, in Vancouver most people know where enforcement is, and they slow down. In my old car it was left off most of the time except for when I went on long road trips. The system was integrated with Radar and would just false way too much.

[originalhypa]

Originally Posted by Spidey

The way I see it is that this device benefits the following people;

a) those who travel in excess of 20km/hr over the limit ALL the time
b) those who travel in excess of 20km/hr over the limit ALL the time
c) those who travel in excess of 20km/hr over the limit ALL the time
d) all the above.

In the city I get it. There are no safe areas where driving 20 over the limit could be seen as safe. But for those of us who are still rural, or do a lot of highway driving a jammer/detector combo is not a bad investment.

I got my first ticket in 7 years back in July/13'
Got me doing 70 in a 50 zone, on the Golden Ears way. In case you don't know this road, it's a beautiful, 4 lane highway with no uncontrolled entry points for other traffic. It's also a 50knh zone.
Burn.

One ticket is no big deal. It's $167 and no points. But now I have to really keep my nose clean for the next few years. The next ticket will be points, and that will affect my costs. Suddenly justifying the cost of a jammer becomes a little easier.

[Tone Loc]

Originally Posted by Spidey

Just looking at the average prices for laser jammers... I would not pay that much for "peace of mind" to prevent myself from getting the rare 167 dollar ticket for going 10-15 over the limit.... .... how often have you gotten a ticket for going 75 in a 60? The way I see it is that this device benefits the following people;

a) those who travel in excess of 20km/hr over the limit ALL the time
b) those who travel in excess of 20km/hr over the limit ALL the time
c) those who travel in excess of 20km/hr over the limit ALL the time
d) all the above.

In this day and age, most of us already know where the popular areas for speed enforcement occurs.

Pretty much this... let's be cereal here, the speed according to the flow of traffic is typically 10-15 over, which means you likely won't get pulled over for going that fast. Going slightly faster than that, say another 5 km/h, will rarely catch an officer's eye unless you are A) alone or B) driving Brian O'Connor's orange Supra from F&F1...

With that above scenario, you are already doing 15-20 km/h above the speed limit, which IMO is plenty. If you go faster than that then IMO you deserve a ticket. Just leave 5 minutes earlier next time, or take all that money you budgeted for a laser jammer and/or speeding ticket and do some autocross. Trust me, speeding on a track is WAY more fun when you don't have to worry about getting lane-changed into by some C-Lai.

[meme405]

So I guess what all of you guys are saying is you have never received a speeding ticket from a radar trap?

[Spidey]

Originally Posted by meme405

So I guess what all of you guys are saying is you have never received a speeding ticket from a radar trap?

I have. I will admit it. I was caught going 80 in a 50 zone on marine drive. I deserved it. I have driven by speed enforcement where I was going 70 in 50 and they didn't even bat an eye. As I said before, it is very rare you will get dinged for going 10-15 over the speed limit. All the VTs I have been issued in my entire life would still not justify me ever getting a jammer, even if I wasn't an LEO.

[Tone Loc]

Originally Posted by meme405

So I guess what all of you guys are saying is you have never received a speeding ticket from a radar trap?

I have. I was doing 80 in a 50 zone as well (Terminal Ave just before the little bridge) and I deserved that. I was 17 and stupid. Since then, it's not that I don't ever speed... I just follow the flow of traffic which, like I said before, is typically 10-15 over the speed limit already.

[underscore]

Originally Posted by meme405

So I guess what all of you guys are saying is you have never received a speeding ticket from a radar trap?

I've received 1 in nearly 9 years of driving and it has been my only speeding ticket, and I generally drive with the flow of traffic or just a bit quicker. At $167/ticket you have to be getting a lot of tickets from laser radar to justify a jammer, and even then it's only going to be useful between 1-25 over the limit because beyond that they can easily eyeball that you're speeding.

[Spidey]

Not to mention, Laser is only ONE way to nail someone for speeding.

[originalhypa]

^
Radar is easy to get around with a good detector. There are usually pockets of radar that you pick up long before getting into range of the officer operating the radar. Instant on radar is different, but that system only works if you're the only car on the road. You'll get warning beeps as they send beams past the cars in front of you.

[Spidey]

Originally Posted by originalhypa

^
Radar is easy to get around with a good detector. There are usually pockets of radar that you pick up long before getting into range of the officer operating the radar. Instant on radar is different, but that system only works if you're the only car on the road. You'll get warning beeps as they send beams past the cars in front of you.

good to know. Good thing 100% of the VTs I have issued for speeding are from pacing.

[sebberry]

Originally Posted by Spidey

I have. I will admit it. I was caught going 80 in a 50 zone on marine drive. I deserved it. I have driven by speed enforcement where I was going 70 in 50 and they didn't even bat an eye. As I said before, it is very rare you will get dinged for going 10-15 over the speed limit. All the VTs I have been issued in my entire life would still not justify me ever getting a jammer, even if I wasn't an LEO.

You seem to demonstrate some questionable driving behavior for someone who is responsible for enforcing traffic regs.

The public is constantly being bashed over the head with "don't speed, don't speed, speed kills, don't speed" and you're admitting to speeding. You admit to getting caught which is good, but you also admit that 70 in a 50 was acceptable according to the cop who "didn't bat an eye".

This is why people want to employ the use of speed detection countermeasures. The law is clear but enforcement isn't consistent and the driver has no idea of what the enforcement threshold du jour is.

Drivers have enough to worry about without having to wonder what the traffic cops ahead have decided on that day for an enforcement threshold.

I was listening to the scanner as they were setting up a speed trap one day. They were discussing on the radio what speed the spotter should call out the cars at. One officer said 15 over, another said 30 over. They eventually settled on 20 over. So what happens? I'm driving along at exactly the speed limit, paranoid to creep up to even 5kph over the limit while wondering if the little project up ahead will catch one of the many tailgaters and aggressive passers I've had to endure. Nope, of course not.

So what is it? Can I go with the flow of traffic in an attempt to mitigate many of the risks associated with being the one slow car holding up a pack of many or do I sit there facing the wrath of drivers who are becoming increasingly aggressive and frustrated ad my obedient driving?

This is why people use jammers. They don't want the headache and danger of being the one twit that holds up traffic, and they don't want to be stopped, detained, questioned and charged by the police for simply trying to be a responsible driver.

[underscore]

If you're going with the flow of traffic and there is a decent amount of traffic I have a hard time believing you're justified in being worried if you're in the middle of the pack going the same speed as everyone else. They're not going to pull over hundreds of cars at once, they're looking for the odd man out that is driving too fast. Stop being so paranoid and shut off the scanner, then drive like a normal person.

Originally Posted by sebberry

You seem to demonstrate some questionable driving behavior for someone who is responsible for enforcing traffic regs.

The public is constantly being bashed over the head with "don't speed, don't speed, speed kills, don't speed" and you're admitting to speeding.

I do believe that most people get their driving license quite some time before they would be eligible to become a police officer. Contrary to popular belief police officers are in fact human and they do make mistakes both as officers and as civilians prior to becoming officers.

[underscore]

Also since the consensus seems to be that you need to turn the jammer off after you first get pinged, would that not fall under using an electronic device while driving?

[rriggi]

Originally Posted by underscore

Also since the consensus seems to be that you need to turn the jammer off after you first get pinged, would that not fall under using an electronic device while driving?

Shutting off a properly installed jammer is equivalent to turning on a heated rear window.

[46_valentinor]

Originally Posted by underscore

Also since the consensus seems to be that you need to turn the jammer off after you first get pinged, would that not fall under using an electronic device while driving?

Most of the laser jammers on the market turns off automatically after 3 secs.

[meme405]

Originally Posted by underscore

Also since the consensus seems to be that you need to turn the jammer off after you first get pinged, would that not fall under using an electronic device while driving?

All you have to do is flip a switch which can be mounted almost anywhere in the car. So unless you are a complete asshat then no.

EDIT: Other two people beat me to it. Sorry I got occupied and didn't refresh before I replied.

[nsx042003]

Originally Posted by underscore

If you're going with the flow of traffic and there is a decent amount of traffic I have a hard time believing you're justified in being worried if you're in the middle of the pack going the same speed as everyone else. They're not going to pull over hundreds of cars at once, they're looking for the odd man out that is driving too fast. Stop being so paranoid and shut off the scanner, then drive like a normal person.

Nope......I've had a friend who got pulled over with a bunch of other cars all at the same time.

I understand the frustration of not knowing whether to follow the pack or not, but I don't really think having a laser jammer gives peace of mind like many posters are saying, I don't feel same either way, if the police officer wants to pull you over for speeding, which you are, then you are sol.

[Spidey]

Originally Posted by sebberry

You seem to demonstrate some questionable driving behavior for someone who is responsible for enforcing traffic regs.

The public is constantly being bashed over the head with "don't speed, don't speed, speed kills, don't speed" and you're admitting to speeding. You admit to getting caught which is good, but you also admit that 70 in a 50 was acceptable according to the cop who "didn't bat an eye".

This is why people want to employ the use of speed detection countermeasures. The law is clear but enforcement isn't consistent and the driver has no idea of what the enforcement threshold du jour is.

Drivers have enough to worry about without having to wonder what the traffic cops ahead have decided on that day for an enforcement threshold.

I was listening to the scanner as they were setting up a speed trap one day. They were discussing on the radio what speed the spotter should call out the cars at. One officer said 15 over, another said 30 over. They eventually settled on 20 over. So what happens? I'm driving along at exactly the speed limit, paranoid to creep up to even 5kph over the limit while wondering if the little project up ahead will catch one of the many tailgaters and aggressive passers I've had to endure. Nope, of course not.

So what is it? Can I go with the flow of traffic in an attempt to mitigate many of the risks associated with being the one slow car holding up a pack of many or do I sit there facing the wrath of drivers who are becoming increasingly aggressive and frustrated ad my obedient driving?

This is why people use jammers. They don't want the headache and danger of being the one twit that holds up traffic, and they don't want to be stopped, detained, questioned and charged by the police for simply trying to be a responsible driver.

I guess it doesn't surprise me after reading a lot of your posts, that you like to assume. You know what they say about people who assume.....

Last time I checked, "driven" and "caught" were all past tense. Since I never gave a time frame when those occurred, I guess it would make sense for you to ASSUME I was a cop as soon as I was able to drive a vehicle.. so 16. Well, it looks like I can retire A LOT sooner than I thought!

The threshold is pretty clear. It is posted as "maximum" on signs all across the city... It is up to the driver whether they want to drive 1 km or 30 km over that.

[underscore]

Originally Posted by nsx042003

Nope......I've had a friend who got pulled over with a bunch of other cars all at the same time.

How many is a bunch? I've seen groups of 3-5 get pulled over together but if you're in fairly constant traffic I've never seen someone (or a group of someones) traveling the same speed as everyone else get picked out.

[originalhypa]

Originally Posted by Spidey

good to know. Good thing 100% of the VTs I have issued for speeding are from pacing.

You're an officer now?
Whereabouts?
Delta? Vpd? Pmpd? Or RCMP?

Posted via RS Mobile

[Spidey]

Originally Posted by originalhypa

You're an officer now?
Whereabouts?
Delta? Vpd? Pmpd? Or RCMP?

Posted via RS Mobile

You forgot about New West, West Van, Abbotsford, heheh..