Tim Russell (russ…@spdcc.COM) replies:

>    Should I count myself lucky?  Don’t most detectors perform decently
> at rearward radar detection as well as to the front?

        I’m sure it’s been explained here many-a-time, but whatever…

        A radar gun’s main component is a ‘horn’ (laymans: a cone shaped thing
that has sensors in it to detect radar waves). Now this gun is at the back
(in other words, the side that doesn’t have the lights on it) and it’s
pointing forward. Now the way the detector senses waves is by the waves
bouncing into the horn. (side note: Radar waves are like superballs; they
bounce off of anything and they go everywhere.. that’s why you pick them up a
mile down the road.)   Since the horn is facing the front, the only way your
detector can sense waves from behind is by the radar bouncing off of something
like a bridge, tree, duck, etc. and hitting you from the front..

Whatever.. I think you might get the idea.

 –    UUCP : tronsbox!irncastl!drone
 – or UUCP : crash!pro-sherwood!drone
 – ProLine : drone@pro-sherwood

better yet, I went up to Hunter Mountain in upstate NY 2 weeks ago, and my
friend was driving his Blazer. We eventually began to follow these 2 jeep
cherokees at 80 mph, and lo and behold, eventually >1< cop pulled all 3 of us
over!

life’s rough…

 –    UUCP : tronsbox!irncastl!drone
 – or UUCP : crash!pro-sherwood!drone
 – ProLine : drone@pro-sherwood

Last night, we had a heavy blizzard here in Northeast Ohio, driving on
my way to work this morning (this is my first drive after heavy snow),
I noticed that the three lane street only have two lanes of car and were
travelling at 20 mph or below (the limit is 35 mph).  This seems logical
to me and I was driving cautiously, I skidded slightly twice (I was moving
forward and sidewards at the same time), I guess this is why the two lane
of cars on a three lane road.

But on several occasions, some maniacs will drive by at 35 mph zigzagging
through the traffic as if the road was in a summer day condition. I dont
see any chains on the tires of those cars .  I cannot rationalize why
in the world would a sane person drive like that particularly with
6 to 8 inches of snow.

–
###############################################
#       "Read my MIPS, no new VAXES              #
#       jx…@po.cwru.edu EMAIL         #
#       216-586-4382            Voice         #

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

In article <37…@netnews.upenn.edu> dep…@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Jeff DePolo) writes:
>>Can people please post some real $ figures here? Also, whether the experience
>>of getting caught speeding is life threatening, jovial, etc. for your favorite

>In article <1991Feb12.034820.12…@eng.umd.edu> burgo…@eng.umd.edu (John R. Burgoyne) writes:
>Well, I’ve donated a few bucks to various states, so here’s all of them
>that I can remember:

>Pennsylvania  86 in a 55       $147.00*Instant-on Radar, I76 N of Philly
>Pennsylvania  90.0 in a 55     $186.00*Helicopter VASCAR, I276 W of Harrisburg
>New Hampshire 80 in a 65       $ 55.00*Instant-on Radar, don’t remember where
>Maryland      76 in a 55       $ 45.00 Instant-on team radar, I95
>Kansas        79 in a 55       $ 57.00?*Instant-on radar, I76 Russell County
>Florida     84 in a 65       $144.00* Instant-on radar, I95 near Daytona

>* indicates that court case was won, or fine/violation was reduced.  Dollar
>amounts are the amounts quoted on the ticket BEFORE any reductions.
> Jeff DePolo  N3HBZ             Twisted Pair: (215) 386-7199                  
> dep…@eniac.seas.upenn.edu    RF: 146.685- 442.70+ 144.455s (Philadelphia)  
> University of Pennsylvania     Carrier Pigeon: 420 S. 42nd St. Phila PA 19104

Massachusetts:  $50, if you are caught 1-10mph over speed limit.
                $10/mile for every mile over that.

        It used to be a flat fee of $50.00, as long as you were under
        100mph.  I got one for 90mph on the Turnpike (good $/mile
        ratio!) a few years ago.  Now it would be $400.00.

New Hampshire:  if the speed limit is

                65mph           55mph or less

1-5mph over     $43.20          $43.20
6-10mph         $72.00          $43.20
11-15mph        $86.40          $57.60
16-20mph        $115.20         $72.00
21-25mph        $216.00         $86.40
                 or M/A*
26-30mph        M/A*            $115.20
31+             M/A*            M/A*

*M/A = must appear in court

NOTE:  It has been rumored that if you have Massachusetts plates
        and you go shopping in southern NH on the weekends, you
        are immune to the fines listed above.

–
—————————————————————-
Roberto L. Landrau    N1ICI/AA              r…@mbunix.mitre.org
The MITRE Corporation             m21373%new…@mbunix.mitre.org
Bedford, MA 01730                           r…@faron.UUCP

Wreck.autos.driving folks might be interested in browsing the last few
postings of COMP.RISKS.  A recent subject of discussion has been the
computer tracking of traffic and parking violations and the amusing/
horrifying stories of how the system can foul up.

–Joe
"Just another personal opinion from the People’s Republic of Berkeley"

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>/ hpspkla:rec.autos.driving / sk…@prl.dec.com (Marcin Skubiszewski) /  8:26 am  Feb  8, 1991 /

>In Europe, radar detectors are, generally speaking, illegal.
>In France, for example, there is a law banning "devices aimed
>at detecting infraction detectors". I deduce from this, that
>European authorities are on the side of the cops, and against
>you, the Lawbreaker.

>And I really can’t understand how it is that in North America
>radar detecttors remain (mostly) legal. This means that the
>authorities don’t really know on which side to go. Maybe the
>law should be enforced: let’s provide police with radars
>and, why not, radar detector detectors; or maybe it’s citizen’s
>right (constitutional ?) to break the law: let’s maintain his
>right to use radar detectors and, if he can find any, radar
>detector detector detectors.

>So, what’s going on ? Is the electronic industry lobby so strong
>in America ?

>Disclaimer: yes, I speed, i.e. I usually go over the French
>maximum 130 km/h (81 mph or so).

Another thing which has happened in this country (USA) is that speed limits
have been set for political purposes and for collecting fines, not for
reasons of safety.  Before the "Oil Crisis" in the 1970′s, speed limits in
many instances were set by survey.  The idea was to set the speed limit at
a speed such that 85% of the drivers would not drive above that speed even
if there were no posted limit.  The idea is that most drivers drive at a
safe speed.  The other 15% allows for those who don’t.

Note that the maximum posted speed in the USA is now 65 mph (about 105 km/h).
Survey after survey show very few people observing these speed limits, and
with good reason–they are set for purposes other than safety.  Before the
"Oil Crisis", many of these same roads had speed limits of 70, 75, or 80
mph, and some didn’t have any limit.  Why are roads which were designed to
be safe at 75 mph now unsafe just above 55 mph (as they are posted in many
locations)?

There are other stories.  One is of a stretch of road in Utah.  The posted
speed limit was too low, and no one observed it.  A new speed limit was
set to reflect the actual speed being driven, using the 85% method.  After
the new (realistic) speed limit was posted, the average speed went
DOWN!  People will generally obey a properly set speed limit.

Now, don’t anybody start flaming me about energy conservation.  Yes, low
speeds will save energy, but more efficient autos have save many times more
energy than the 55 mph speed limit ever did.

So, because of the politically set, unreasonably slow speed limits in this
country, many of us use radar detectors to drive higher, more reasonable,
and still save speeds.

By the way, I wish the speed limits here were 130 km/h.  I would find that
speed limit very easy to obey.

I have a rather simple question regarding the legal aspect
of a radar gun.  Do you have to have a license or permit to
own and use a radar gun.  I have seen several places that sell
radar guns, both X and K band.  In theory, if it was legal to use
one, you could just leave it on and mess up the cops radar. I
know the power of most radar guns is in the 1 to 10 mw range.
While jamming a radar device might be iilegal, it would be
illegal to use a gun to monitor the speed of your own car
for instance?  Does this sound reasonable?

       Jeff Sponaugle       j…@ecn.purdue.edu

From my experiences, which are mostly in the west, New Mexico has got
to be the best state to speed in. Expecially if you want to go for the
top end. I drive from Las Cruces to Denver a couple times each
semester and have cut the drive down to 7hrs (usually 10-12 depending
on how slow you go) but most of the time it takes about 8 1/2 hrs. The
places to watch it are I25 from Las Cruces to North of Alb. There is a
shorter and quicker route east of I25
  Colorado isn’t too bad but they do occasionally use the airplane bit
and I got nailed by vascar last time down (81 in a 65  <sigh> and $69)
  Missouri is also a good place to speed,expecailly if you have a
detector.
   Kansas is good in the rural areas but on 70 it can get
hazardous to speeders.
   Basically in all the states out here if you stick to the two-lanes
and the back ways you may get a bumpier ride but you will save on time!

When to use highbeams?!?!?!?
Well NOT when there is anybody you can blind with them. On the highway
its ok if there is nobody around but if you bright someone they might
get mad. Like me, I’ve got a small rice burner truck with enough
lights to teach anybody who brights me not to do it again. Plus I got
one pointing backwards for those who like to come up behind you with
thier brights on.
Call me whatever you want but I like to see at night and if you bright
me I’ll BRIGHT you.

re: Clocking Speed via Laser

This will probably NOT catch on.

Laser light is not governed under FCC rules, and thus you can jam it at will.
Thus, any laser measurement device can be easily jammed, and at a significantly
lower cost than the price of a detector. The gun will cost about $3500, while a
jammer could be made for $1000, and I would think even less, unless it requires
some sophisticated mounting and/or emitters which would tend to elevate costs.

I doubt that they will make much use of this more expensive technology on a
widespread basis.

There was an article in the New York Times about this, In the "D"/Business
Section, from March 1, 1989.

(It also mentioned something called the "Carbella Stealth Fairing", perhaps
this is what some people here and on rec.autos were disucssing in reference to  
Stealth paint?)

-Doug

dreu…@eagle.wesleyan.edu
dreu…@wesleyan.bitnet