Do You Understand How Radar Works?

RADAR or Radio Detection and Ranging is still the most popular form of traffic enforcement, worldwide. Radar works to determine a vehicle’s speed by measuring the Doppler (speed-induced) shift of the return to its transmitted frequency. Which you can measure audibly as a vehicle approaches and passes your position.

There are four types of radar systems in use by police. They include the following;

• Constant-On Radar
• Instant-On Radar
• Quick-Trigger Radar, and;
• POP Radar

Here is how they differ, and how they operate.

First, police radar operates on three frequencies. They are X-band at 10.5 Ghz, K-band at 24.1 Ghz, and Ka-band at either 33.8 Ghz, 34.7 Ghz, or 35.5 Ghz. Depending on the unit employed, these radar units can be used in a stationary, moving, or bi-directional manner.

Constant-On Radar is continuously transmitting, with the range configured by the police officer. Also, a threshold speed can be input into the detector, which will only alarm above a minimum threshold. (In many jurisdictions, set to 10% of the posted speed limit.) They are the easiest to detect well in advance by good radar detectors. However, detection by a radar detector can be foiled if the police set their detection radar at an angle to the roadway, thus lowering detection time to short distances where the beam can be detected at an angle.

Instant-On radar or RF-hold is where police operate a radar unit in standby mode so that it is not transmitting. A police officer will use this unit, usually from a covered position. Only when he visually detects a vast moving vehicle and presses the radar gun’s remote transmitter will it record a speed. It will then turn off to avoid detection by other motorists.

LiDar detection systems use laser beams to measure distances, rather than radio waves. LiDar detection can give erroneous readings in bad weather as rain, snow, and fog can absorb or attenuate a laser beam, thereby dispersing or absorbing particles in the air. This can greatly reduce the system’s effective range and accuracy.

Quick-Trigger Radar is instant-on, that operates in a very quick on-and-off fashion. This can occur in less than 100ms. A detector with good reactivity will give intermittent warnings ahead of the radar unit being employed. GPS applications like WAZE can alert you to their presence without the need for a detector.

POP Radar uses a blistering transmission duration of only 16/1000’s of a second. Very few detectors can detect such short-duration pulses. Fortunately, the use of POP is rare. Newer systems employed by police use DSP or digital signal processors, which can enhance POP to measure from greater distances and with greater precision than with older analog guns.

So, How Can I Avoid a Speeding Ticket?

While collectively, none of these avoidance techniques are foolproof, some strategies help.

• Simply, don’t speed.
• Be situationally aware.
• Drive with a radar detector, but know its limitations.
• Use Google’s WAZE on your smartphone.
• Know where police like to lurk with radar employed.
• Know the technology employed by police in your jurisdiction.
• Use a ‘rabbit’ vehicle ahead when travelling. Stay 1000 yards behind a speeding vehicle, but be aware that police can clock you from the rear.

Police stealth technology was once employed that could detect your radar detector as a police car passed your vehicle, however stealth systems that could detect weak emissions from superheterodyne radar detectors are no longer in use today, generally.

There are also passive methods of lowering your vehicle’s susceptibility to radar. One company sells an anti-laser coating gel that you paint on the most reflective surfaces of your vehicle. This coating absorbs highly infrared laser radar. You paint this on your vehicle’s headlights and license-plate areas, which are the primary targeting points of police laser guns and license plate scanners. These coatings absorb the IR or infrared used in these systems to prevent speed readings from being displayed on the laser gun and prevent IR digital cameras from taking pictures of your license plate.

Thanks to VEIL Technologies for most of the information. While all of us may inadvertently speed on occasions, be aware that the best way to avoid speeding tickets is by using a throttle control device, or your cruise control. Speeding isn’t recommended as risks, injury and fatalities increase with speed.

Be wise, be safe, be informed.

Ciao…