How good is a radar detector at alerting to photo speed traps?
A Photo Radar Speed trap
typically uses K or Ka band radar to detect the speed
of your vehicle.
If you are driving towards the photo radar trap, a superb
radar detector (Escort 8500 X50, Bel RX65, Valentine One,
Bel RX75 or Escort SR7) will provide 300 feet or more
radar alert to a photo speed trap pointing at the front
of your vehicle.
Depending on your speed, one could adjust speed accordingly
in about 2 seconds, thus a good radar detector could alert
you in a front encounter with a photo radar speed trap.
However, if the photo radar trap is set up to detect your
speed from the back of your vehicle as you drive past
the camera, then your vehicle gets very close to the radar
trap before it can detect the radar signal, generally
about 100 feet or less. That is not enough time to adjust
your speed; therefore, a good radar detector can not alert
you to a rear photo radar encounter in reasonable time.
