Proper Use of Radar Detectors

Radar & Laser Detectors
Radar is same whether used in your car or by fancy fighter jets. For traffic radar, the two way radar equation assumes that the transmitter and receiver are at the same location. The power level falls off at a rate of one divided by range squared(1/r^2). So the power at the target (your car or enemy aircraft) is 1/r^2 but the power returning to the radar is 1/r^4. This means that the target has the advantage if the target has a decent radar detector(or electronic warning system). So it is fairly easy to build a detector that can detect the radar signal at lower levels than the radar system.

However, the radar operator has a countermeasure. This countermeasure relies on "instant on" techniques that burst high power only when your car is close enough and only for short times. So, the effective way to use a radar detector is to have fast traffic in front of you so they trigger the warning before you are within radar range. You are trying to use the other person's potential misfortune as a radar alert. The typical maximum usable distance for a road radar is probably 1/4 mile, but a half mile is probably much safer. The radar cannot see over hills or through trees. Rain also deteriorates the radar system.

Radar & Laser Jammers
An active jammer can easily defeat a radar by rapidly pulsing the radar with a high power pulses (plays havoc with radar gun's A/D gain control) or by overriding the radar return signal's true doppler shift. However, active jamming techniques like these are illegal and easy to detect. Legal jammers must passively distort the reflected radar gun's energy sent back to the radar gun. In order to confuse the radar detector a reflector would have to cancel the radar return by reflecting a wave that is 180 degrees out of phase. This may be possible with an active jammer, but purely passive reflective method would have no chance at over coming your vehicle's total surface area rf reflections without covering your whole car (Similar to covering a stealth plane with Radar Cross Section materials.) with a passive jamming paint or material. So the passive RADAR scramber does not seem like a very reasonable option.

Laser scramblers might work against lasers and low level lasers are probably not illegal. Perhaps a few leds in the front of your car might work. The problem is that you cannot be sure whether Radar and/or laser are being used against you. Instant on radar is a sure ticket with either device unless you use these devices in conjunction with traffic as mentioned above. Operating a very low to the ground car with lots of composite materials (like a corvette) might significantly reduce police detection ranges (when compared to a high profile vehicle like an SUV).

Traffic Camera Warning Systems
Many municipalities are using automatic ticketing systems. These systems reduce the need for patrols to focus on vehicle moving violations and provide a steady stream of cash. Tickets are mailed to violators and fines vary from $60 to $400. Red light and speed trap cameras systems are being operated by commercial companys ( ACS, American Traffic Solutions, LaserCraft, Nester, Peek Traffic, Redflex, Traffixpax, & Transol ).

If your are unlucky enough to receive a ticket by mail, remember that these municipalities do not want to clog their courts, they just want your money. If you do not pay by mail and instead choose to fight the ticket in court, many times you will get a message saying that the prosecutor has decided not to prosecute. Another tactic is to contest receiving a non-moving violation for a moving violation (running a red light). It is also important to note the blowing through a red light is just as expensive as making a rolling stop when turning. The fines are just revenue generators. Out of principle, many people boycott doing their business with merchants in these municipalities.

Your best solution is to use a traffic camera detection poi database on your gps to warn you of traffic cameras.