There is proposed legislation going through the Senate right now that will ban the use of radar detectors. According to the legislation, it’s supposed “to protect the public from drivers who think they can speed with impunity by using radar detection devices.”
The legislation, sponsored by Senator Steve Oelrich of Gainesville, Florida, would make using a radar detector a secondary traffic infraction, which means you could be ticketed were pulled over for another offense and found to be using a radar detector.
Ken Underwood, President of the National Safety Commission, is praising the bill. I suspect that Mr. Underwood is not a radar detector user:
“This bill is a positive step to protect Florida families on roads and highways from speeding drivers.”
Mr. Underwood went on to say that “Radar detectors give drivers a false sense of security that they can speed as much as they want without facing the consequences of breaking the law,” Underwood said. “Speed limits are important because they are proven to help prevent accidents and save lives, and using a radar detector encourages people to drive at unsafe speeds.”
According to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in 2005, more than 380 Florida drivers were killed in accidents where excessive speed was the major contributing factor in the crash. Apparently to reduce the danger caused by speeding, nine other states have prohibited the use of radar detectors, including Illinois and Virginia.