Tell us what tools you use to avoid tickets when speed traps and speed cameras are everywhere
- Radar, lidar, and app-based tools like Waze remain popular speed trap countermeasures.
- Google Maps incorporates Waze’s crowd-sourced police location data in real time.
- Highway Radar offers advanced tracking, including police scanners and aircraft enforcement.
Speeding tickets have fueled what is the longest-running cat-and-mouse game on public roads. Drivers look for ways to avoid getting caught, while law enforcement continually finds new tools to catch them. Our question of the day is simple: what do you rely on when it comes to spotting speed traps?
Radar detectors are the obvious starting point here. They have a long history of sniffing out police radar guns before you’re in range of a citation. Tech has evolved, though. A prime example are lidar detectors, which can catch the narrow beams that officers use often these days.
Community-driven navigation
Then, there’s the community-based approach: Waze. While it’s not available worldwide, millions of drivers use it every day to report police locations, speed traps, hazards, and more, making it one of the most popular anti-ticket tools on the planet.
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What some don’t realize is that Google Maps is directly connected to Waze data, so even if you don’t have the Waze app, Maps can surface crowd-sourced police reports in real time.
The app space doesn’t end there, though. One lesser-known option is Highway Radar, which blends real-time user reports, police scanner data, and aircraft speed enforcement tracking. It’s a little-known but wildly effective system even for those who don’t have a radar/lidar detector.
In addition to all of these options are those who go hardcore and install radar and lidar jammers. Some brands like AL Priority have been leaders in the field for years, but excellent competition is coming along. While illegal in many states, they can certainly be effective to a degree. Of course, other countermeasures aren’t foolproof either.
Limits of every tool
It’s worth noting that Waze and Google Maps only work if enough people are reporting. Highway Radar also depends on various data sources and doesn’t work when someone is out of signal (ask me how I know…). Still, many drivers swear by their chosen setup, while others combine the aforementioned tools to achieve the best outcome.
So we want to hear from you. Do you keep it old-school with a dedicated radar detector? Do you rely solely on community-driven apps like Waze? Or have you gone all-in with detectors, jammers, and third-party apps like Highway Radar to avoid getting a speeding ticket? Share your setups, your success stories, and yes, even the times you got caught.
