Ban On Radar Detectors
With over 5000 fixed and mobile camera sites around the UK generating around £68 million pounds each year the ongoing battle between the motorist and the speed camera takes a new turn.
With the cost of being caught speeding in the UK resulting in a fixed fine, penalty points and ultimately an increase in car insurance premium the motorist has turned to technology to turn the tables. This has been done in the form of radar detectors, these detectors are readily available on today's market and allow the user to detect active speed cameras on the road legally. However a proposed change in the law could make the use of these devices illegal. The new law proposes to make all detectors that warn the driver of an active camera or actively inhibit the proper function of a speed camera illegal. The penalty for being caught carrying one of the devices on the road would be a fixed fine and up to six penalty points, which we all recognize can lead to a significant increase in car insurance premiums.
The reason behind the proposed change in the law is the fact that the police and government believe that drivers are taking advantage of this technology to speed when they know they have a minimal chance of being caught. Devices that tell the user whether or not a camera is active surely only promote speeding. It shouldn't matter if a camera is active or not the motorist should be obeying the speed limit and by telling the driver that they have no risk of being caught then why should the motorist stick to that limit.
Motorists disagree and suggest that since using the devices they have become better drivers and have become a lot more aware of the speed limits on the UK 's roads. Drivers that cover a very high mileage each year will be affected the most with the risk of being sacked if they cannot keep a clean driving record. In fact a lot of companies actually supply their mobile staff with these devices in an attempt to keep their employees licence's clean and ultimately keep down the cost of the company car insurance policies.
The government will not impose any ban on the use of satellite-positioning equipment that gives the driver an early warning of the location of a camera. The government believes that with new laws in place stating that the camera has to be visible there is no harm in a motorist having an early warning of a cameras location. The fact is that the government is worried that the use of radar blockers and detectors is jeopardising the safety of the roads, not to mention the loss in revenue these machines are causing.
In closing maybe the ban on this detection equipment isn't such a big deal. If we are following the speed limits imposed on a stretch of road it shouldn't matter whether or not the camera on that road is active. For the motorist that covers a lot of miles and wants the warning of a speed camera then the satellite-positioning equipment will be available. Unfortunately the motorist doesn't have a leg to stand on in this debate with warning systems being legally available it means that the only real victims are the drivers that abuse the technology in the first place. The morale of the story is that if we all slowed down then we wouldn't need the use of detection equipment to reduce fines, penalty points and keep our car insurance premiums down.
