Last November the Arizona Department of Public Safety kicked off its new photo radar program with its first of 20 mobile vans. DPS’s plan is to have these vans along Arizona’s highway system, moving them on a frequent basis for the element of surprise.

Yesterday I caught my first peak at their van as they set it up just down the road from my home, along US 60. 

What first caught my attention were two portable signs placed across from each other in the shoulder of the divided highway saying “Photo Enforcement Zone”. Glancing down at my speedometer I was a few notches over the posted 65 mile per hour speed limit and I was in the passing lane. Slowing down while pulling into the right lane, I glanced in my rear view mirror seeing a black Mustang that was speeding up passing in excess of 80.

A few moments later my Escort 9500i began alerting K band (24.103) and approximately 1800 feet ahead I observed DPS’s photo radar van parked off the shoulder. As the black Mustang passed I saw roof mounted strobes of the DPS van flash, sure that the driver of the Mustang wasn’t smiling.

The portable photo radar equipment found in vans such as DPS’s are normally at a lower output rating then typical stationary or hand held radar guns used by police and they are also aimed at a greater angle, away from approaching traffic, making them more difficult to detect.

As not to put an opportunity such as this to waste as my cache of radar detectors were only a mile away, I drove home and loaded up to see how other radar detectors would alert.

Each listed detector was tested separately and I marked the locations of the first alert with a Stalker laser gun. As not to create a traffic hazard, and not to arose the suspicions of the officer, I drove off the pavement of the shoulder. The STi-R tested was installed in my motor home and the other units were tested in my SUV. Each of the dash mounted detectors were mounted in approximately the same location on the windshield and the SR-7 antenna was mounted in the grill, approximately three feet lower then the dash mounted units.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety’s press release regarding their photo radar program relates that their vans’ are programmed to take pictures and to cite whenever a vehicle is clocked 11 MPH over the posted speed limit. Drivers who drive 6 to 10 MPH over the speed limit will receove a warning letter.

Taking account reaction time of a driver of travelling 80 MPH they would have travelled over 176 feet before applying the brakes to slow down.

So “Zonies” take notice, if you’re depending upon a cheap radar detector to save you from Arizona’s new cash cow then you better pay heed of the yellow warning signs “Photo Enforcement Zone” otherwise you’ll have a few unwanted photos taken of you and your car.

Increasingly, cities in the US and Canada are using photo radar and red light cameras to catch speeders.  While you might think this is a good thing, cities often put the cameras in tricky locations where the speed limit suddenly drops unexpectedly.

You may get a ticket and pay a big fine when you had no intention of speeding and didn’t know you were over the limit at the time.

For example, there is a heavily traveled location in my area where the speed limit suddenly drops from 65 miles per hour to 35 mph.  The city has cameras stationed there and nabs speeders one after another all day long.

This is no isolated occurrence.  Municipalities all over North America have discovered this kind of “speed trap” is a HUGE money-maker.  Normally a camera company is hired to set up a detection location, analyze the photos, and sends out threatening citations for the city.  The city pulls in big revenue with very little expense.

What can you do about it?  Plenty.  New photo radar detection units are staying well ahead of the situation.  One just-released speed camera and red light camera alert system uses GPS to locate cameras far ahead of you.  The tiny unit features a LED display and a voice warning telling you a camera is coming up.  It also tells you what speed you’re SUPPOSED to be driving, and what speed you ARE driving.

With traffic tickets and time lost fighting them often amounting to hundreds of dollars, the affordable detection unit quickly pays for itself.

But isn’t this helping people to get away with driving dangerously high speeds?  Research shows these types of advanced detectors do two things:

1.  These units encourage people to drive the speed limit.  Often people speed because they don’t know what the speed limit is or aren’t consciously aware of how fast they are driving.  The unit corrects that.

2.  Radar and camera detection units allow people to drive faster when conditions safely allow.

This last point is one most consumers aren’t aware of.  Experts have long agreed you can safely drive somewhat faster than the speed limit without creating a danger to yourself and others.

Some states and communities take this into consideration, only handing out tickets when your speed is well over the posted limit.  But many other municipalities use a low speed limit as a license to make mounds of money, liberally handing out tickets to as many as possible.

What can you do if you wind up in court after being nabbed by a speed camera?  Since these cameras aren’t being monitored by a police officer, you can point out the various ways the system could be dishing up faulty information.  If you can shed doubt on the validity of the camera’s report, your ticket could be dismissed.  See my site for a full tutorial on how this works.

Safe driving is important, but it’s also important for you to avoid getting tickets.  If this makes sense for your driving, check out the wide range of photo radar detectors available.

(Radar Roy is a retired deputy sheriff lieutenant and veteran cop and is one of America’s leading experts on photo radar detection.  See his wide selection of Radar Roy tested detectors and reports at http://www.radarbusters.com  Reach Roy from his site.)

I am very excited about the new NavAlert GPS based speed camera and red light camera  system.

The Paradise Valley Police Department was the first law enforcement agency in the USA to use photo radar, back in 1987. Since then the use of automated photo radar and red light enforcement cameras has exploded, especially here in Arizona, as cities found a new cash cow to milk. There are reports that estimate that the increase of photo radar and red light enforcement cameras in the city of Scottsdale Arizona will generate more then four million dollars of extra revenue this year!

Till now, the only way motorists have been able to fight back, have been using license plate covers, sprays, or installing one of the electronic flash back devices. These passive devices have become less effective as newer cameras have been designed to include video capture or to double flash.

The NavAlert is a GPS based system that is programmed with the locations of the traffic safety cameras world wide. Just smaller then a pack of cigarettes, you plug it into your cars accessory plug and place it on the dash. To update the system you go to their website, download the new database into your computer, plug the NavAlert into a USB port and the unit is updated.

To test the unit, we took a drive down the 101 freeway through Scottsdale. There are three photo radar cameras on each side of the freeway, for a total of six. We approached the first camera from the west, in the area of Scottsdale Road. Approximately a quarter of a mile away, the NavAlert gave its first voice audible warning “Camera Ahead” and as we approached it monitored our speed in comparison to the posted speed limit on the highway and also gave a visual and audible alert of the distance. As we passed the camera the NavAlert “dinged” letting us know that the threat had passed.

The next camera we approached was on the opposite side of the freeway, but since we were not approaching the camera and it was not a threat, the NavAlert remained silent.

We tested the unit at all six speed camera locations on the 101, and the NavAlert performed flawlessly.

We then drove to the intersection at Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd and Scottsdale Road, which has installed both a red light camera and a speed camera. A block away the NavAlert gave a voice alert of “Red Light Camera Ahead”. As we approached the intersection, the unit displayed the distance on the LED display.

Another feature of the NavAlert is allowing the user to add their own fixed locations into the device. As an example, our local Highway Patrol has a favorite fishing hole, just outside of town. I drove passed this location, pressing a button on the NavAlert and added it to its memory. Now as I approach this location in the future, I will be reminded to slow down and watch out.

Because of the stellar performance of the NavAlert, I have awarded it “Radar Roy’s Five Star” rating and until November 1st, we are selling it at a special Introductory price of only $224.95!