Do cops know if you have a radar detector? Yes, cops can be fitted with radar detector detectors, and are trained to spot radar detectors in or on vehicles. At times, officers can tell the presence of a detector simply by the behavior of the driver.
Drivers who drive erratically or nervously, are more likely to garner the attention of an officer. A tell for an officer, is when a driver slows down significantly as a radar gun is directed in their direction. An experienced officer can tell when a driver is being hyper-cognitive of their speed.
During training, officers are taught to spot radar detector devices in the cars of drivers. Typically they are taught to look for rectangular-shaped devices, with small visual displays attached to the windshield of cars.
Depending on state law, you can face legal repercussions for owning and using a radar detector. For example, in the state of Virginia, you can be fined, have the device taken away, and your vehicle towed. Depending on the country and state, the legality of radar detectors varies.
Radar detectors contain a component called a local oscillator, a radar detector receives electromagnetic frequencies sent by radar guns.
Once received, the device can display information corresponding to the frequency of the radar gun. Frequencies officers are capable of using are X-bandwidth (ranging from 8.0 and 12 GHz), K-bandwidth (ranging from 18 to 27 GHz), and Ka-bandwidth (ranging from 27 GHz to 40 GHz).
Find out What a laser on a radar detector does
Drivers using radar detectors should use them with caution. As mentioned before, most commercially available radar detectors are detectable by officers. Though it is somewhat uncommon, officers can be equipped with radar detector detectors.
Radar detector detectors operate by detecting the byproduct of radar signals emitted by radar detectors. Commercial radar detector detectors are capable of detecting devices from distances up to one mile, so it’s safe to assume officers can as well.
High-quality radar detectors are covert enough that officers cannot detect their presence unless their inches away from the radar detector with their devices. However, some of these complete stealth radar detectors are expensive and can have pitfalls in other functionalities.
It is most common to have a stealth radar detector installed on the very front of the vehicle concealed from vision. It’s worth noting, that most concealed designs have to be installed by removing panels and parts of the grill. It’s highly recommended that you let allow experienced technicians to install the device.
False alarms are common when working with radar detectors. This is because devices other than radar guns can omit waves that set off any of the X, K, or Ka bands. Commonly known culprits are automatic doors, other radar detectors, and roadside traffic display monitors.
Though it is an expensive feature, some radar detectors have filtering software to circumvent the majority of false alarms. By analyzing detected signals and discerning when an alert is valid, fewer false alarms are passed, and the reliability of your radar detector increases.
There is the odd chance that an officer is in your area, but is not setting off your radar detector. This can be because the officer doesn’t have their detectors enabled, or that your device isn’t calibrated correctly. It’s important to reiterate that radar detectors are meant to detect signals emitted from radar guns and not officers.
Speed cameras are also detectable by radar detectors. However, speed cameras oftentimes use weaker frequencies that make them harder to detect. Having a radar detector with a good range is critical for detecting these weaker, more localized radar signals.
One of the places you’re most frequently going to interact with radar detectors and speed guns is near speed traps. Speed traps are typically areas that enforce reducing your vehicle’s speed by significant amounts. Places especially susceptible to speed traps are highway exits.