|
With the explosion in the numbers and
increase in sophistication and diversity of speed
cameras, motorists need to be able to protect
themselves from worse excesses of the enforcement
business.
The matter of speed has become more of a revenue
earner, hidden behind a pious veneer of safety.
When placed before schools and other accident black
spots, they have some legitimacy, but more often
the are put up in places where they can earn the
maximum amount of money.
Show me a person who says they have never broken
the speed limit and I will show you a liar or
knave. Unless you spend all your time looking at
your speedometer it is very easy to creep over the
legal limit. You will be a much more dangerous risk
to everybody as you will not be studying the road
and its environs.
There are two different ways of keeping the
right side of the speed limit, the GPS type that
beep a warning as you approach a fixed or mobile
speed camera and a radar detector type that will
warn you of a radar speed detector is being used at
that particular time. The latter is becoming a
little difficult to find as more and more police
forces are making them illegal. They would, of
course, like to outlaw the former, but it is a
little late for that, also, it could be argued that
it is, in fact, a safety device that warns drivers
where the accident black spots are located. A touch
of the biter bit!
There are numerous devices on the market, one of
the best dedicated units is the Talex
http://www.talex.co.uk/BTSTEdition
this is a great little unit
that sits on the dashboard and lets you know
when you are approaching a speed camera site.
The nice thing about this is that after the
first warning, it will only give you another
warning if you should accidentally be over
that speed limit. Some units can drive you
mad with constant warnings that you do not
need. Two other makers are also worth a look
at are the Snooper and Road Angel these are
good alternatives with the advantage of
having screens that can also show you your
speed, a handy back up to your vehicles
speedometer. Some of these can have a
laser/radar detector attached which gives you
the ultimate in protection.
With the dedicated units, the databases of
cameras should be up to date but they do have the
advantage of being able to be updated. Either by
downloads or, more currently, by live updates.
These have the advantage of being able to warn you
of a camera being set up in your area as you
actually drive along. These services come at a
price though as they utilise mobile phone
technology and can come with a significant monthly
fee.
Lastly there are the normal GPS 'satnav' devices
that people use to find their way around. These
have become more sophisticated and will often offer
a speed camera location service as well as the
normal route finding function.
Whether you are a casual motorist or a long
distance driver, the speed camera detector can save
your licence and wallet as well as lives. This is
why a good radar detector and speed camera
indicator is an invaluable addition to a cars
cockpit.
Radar Detectors by Ian Richards
|
