A radar jammer is a device that is mounted or carried in an automobile for the purpose of scrambling, jamming, or otherwise interfering with the radar or laser speed detection methods used by law enforcement. Radar jammers work using an active signal and are illegal in all fifty of the
The method of radar jamming utilizes an active signal that is broadcast from the vehicle and is intended to muffle or scramble the law enforcement official’s radar gun results. The jamming signal is emitted from a radio transmitter which closely mimics or replicates the signal broadcast from the radar gun and sends it back to the gun convoluted with added radio “white” noise that purportedly confuses the detection device so that an accurate reading is impossible.
The effectiveness of both radar jammers are highly disputed between law enforcement agencies, consumers, automobile publications, and the radar jammer manufacturers. Law enforcement agencies have tried to dissuade consumers from buying radar jammers not only because they are illegal because they emit a signal that is intended to interfere with the radar guns but also as self-appointed consumer advocates. Some agencies go so far as to show footage of select radar jammers failing miserably in police-run tests. The credibility of these tests is often questioned by consumer advocates and, naturally, the radar manufacturers.
The effectiveness of radar jammers continues to be in question, however. For instance, many motorists notice that roadside trailers used by law enforcement to alert drivers of their speeds can always detect their speeds. Radar jammer manufacturers claim that these devices use a different technology than what is used by conventional radar guns but law enforcement is adamant that the technology is the same.
Additionally, many consumers are convinced of their jammer’s effectiveness because of the manufacturers’ guarantee that it will pay for up to $100 in whatever speeding fines a customer is charged. However, considering that manufacturing costs of the items are rarely more than twenty dollars and they sell for well over three hundred dollars, the manufacturer can pay a $100 ticket for every customer that they have and still turn a profit.
Effective or not, radar jammers are continuously increasing in popularity as the lure of driving fast still hits many Americans each day, insurance premiums rise, and traffic ticket penalties become stiffer.
Add A Comment