Radar Detector - LIDAR Detection

LIDAR Detection

Newer speed detection devices use pulsed laser light, commonly referred to as LIDAR, rather than radio waves. Radar detectors, which detect radio transmissions, are therefore unable to detect the infrared light emitted by LIDAR guns so a different type of device called a LIDAR detector is required. LIDAR detection, however, is not nearly as effective as radar detection because the output beam is very focused. While radar's radio waves can expand to 85 feet (26 m) across at 1,000 feet (300 m) from their source, LIDAR's light beam diffuses to only about 6 feet (1.8 m). Also, a police officer targeting a car will most likely aim for the centre mass or headlight of the vehicle and, because radar detectors are mounted on the windshield away from the beam's aim, they may not alert at all. Lastly, with such a focused beam, an officer using a LIDAR gun can target a single car in close proximity to others at ranges of up to 3,000 feet (910 m). This has resulted in some manufacturers producing lidar jammers. Unlike radar which frequencies and use are controlled by the FCC lidar is not. These jammers attempt to confuse police lidar into showing no speed on the display. Many times they are successful and therefore many lidar manufacturers are producing lidar guns that have "jam codes" which show when they are being jammed. They will work on some lidar jammers and not others. In spite of this police can often tell when they are being jammed when they get no reading on their lidar. Many jammer equipt motorists using jammers now try to counter this by reducing their speed to legal limits before they turn their jammer equipment off or "kill the equipment" referred to as "JTK" or "Jam to Kill. Officers can often tell this is going on by just watching for their lidar equipment not being able to lock in a speed properly along with visual indication of sudden deceleration of the targeted vehicle. They will then pull the offending vehicle over and look for lidar jammers on the front of the vehicle and can hit the motorist with an obstruction of justice charge should they be found. Some states also have laws about any police radar or lidar jamming. These are CA, UT, CO, OK, TX, MN, IL, TN, VA, SC. In these states the penalties can be severe.

Despite the advent of LIDAR speed detection, radar remains more prevalent because of its lower price relative to LIDAR equipment and the amount of radar equipment already in service.