Is The Use Of Radar Detectors Legal?
Monday, February 23rd, 2009The legal use of radar detectors in motor vehicles is regulated by national rules all over the world. Variations are nearly endless from the total legality till the prohibition of having it.
Seeing the question from both sides – a) why are police using radar traps? To catch speeders is only ONE aspect – since they never stand where it’s really dangerous – so the actual aspect is- making money off motorist in a hurry. Now – lets be fair – they will catch the notorious speeder that really dives dangerousely fast (for himself and others) out of a habit – but I’d say it’s rather the exception than the rule.
The cause of the regulations is understandable- they want to leave the motorists defenseless – at their mercy – and they want to get your money! Why do motorists use radar detector? In their moving on any type of streets, or highways, motorists use radar and laser detectors to perceive the radar signal of the highway patrols/policemen. The alert of the detectors helps motorists to decelerate the vehicles and avoid penalty (heavy fines, ticket, suspension of driver’s license, etc. as is regulated by the law in the country).
Between the unregulated free use and the total prohibition there are interesting variations in the United States and in Canada. (We review the situation in Europe and in Asia in another article.)
Driving in the United States
In the United States, the law varies from state to state, and there is a distinction of the use in private vehicles and in commercial ones. Referring back to the Communications Act of 1934, detectors are generally legal in private vehicles and illegal in all commercial vehicles over 10,000 lbs under US federal law.
To see some exceptions: the legal use was repealed in Connecticut in 1998, and radar detectors are illegal in Virginia, Washington D.C. and in the U.S. military bases. Referring to "obstructing vision", radar detector is indirectly illegal in Minnesota, California and New York. Confiscation of the detector was once a common practice.
Radar Detectors in Canada
Driving through Canada from North to South or from East to West with a radar detector in a car is a dangerous task.
The states have different restrictions, so its use is legal in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Regardless of whether they are used or not, police confiscate the device and impose heavy fines in countries where radar detector is illegal, that is, in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northern Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and in the Yukon Territory.
The regulations may suddenly change so before you start a trip to the neighbor state in the United States or organize your trip across different states of Canada, it is advised to do due diligence and collect official information.
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