Nothing ruins a great road trip like being pulled over by the local highway patrol. And when you're on a road trip, getting a speeding or traffic ticket in another state can cause a major bureaucratic headache, cost hundreds of dollars, and cause your insurance premiums to go up by as much as 22%. That's why so many drivers invest in radar detectors for their road trips or just for everyday driving. Every year, radar detector manufacturers come out with their latest and greatest models, full of cutting edge features and state-of-the-art technology. Here are the latest top features that you need to look for when buying a new detector.
Direction Indicators
The premium models of radar detectors all have something called a direction indicator. This is a very useful feature because it can alert you to the direction of the radar that it's detecting. Using 360-degree coverage of radar scanning, it will alert you to whether the police radar it's detecting is in front of you or behind you or to either side of you. Little details like this are essential when you're driving so you can anticipate when and where you need to slow down. Some advanced models can even pinpoint the exact location of the radar signal.
Detector Detection
Just like radar detector models are getting more advanced every year, so are police technologies. In some states and jurisdictions, it's illegal to use a radar detector in commercial vehicles so police have installed their own devices that alert the officer when someone nearby is using radar detection. These are known as radar detector detectors or RDD. But have no fear, detector manufacturers are on the case. They've developed detectors that are shielded to protect against the detection of their radar emissions or models that will shut down the minute they sense an RDD device nearby. There are some detectors that can even provide protection against Spectre, which is a recent RDD technology that operates on several frequency bands, picking up more emissions.
Real-time Ticket Alerts
Another handy feature to look for in the latest models is real-time ticket alert information. Using a system of alerts provided by other users of the same device, these devices will gather data and alert you to ticketing hotspots or police speed traps that other users have spotted.
GPS Capability
Detectors with GPS capability use a system of satellites to relay radar information in real-time while your vehicle is moving so you'll know how quickly you're coming up on a source of radar. It can pinpoint the source of radar within a few feet and can store that information to create a database for users.
For more information or help finding the best radar detector for your needs, contact a detector manufacturer.
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