Traveling abroad why you would deal with regulations? But you must! The use of radar detectors is strictly regulated in many countries all over the world. It is easy to understand, why. The detectors are used in moving vehicles to receive a special signal. How? Radar and radar detector are two poles of the same thing. Radar guns generate signals, radar detectors perceives them and immediately alert the users, the motorists. The new models and especially the laser radar detectors make alert in a moving vehicle including motorcycle, when perceive the radar signals. The alert means that in the nearby police radar guns are working. As a consequence, the motorist decelerates speed in due time. Why? The kickbacks are known. For high speeding, motorists are punished with heavy fines, tickets, etc. as the regulation defines it in the given country.
Legal-illegal radar use in Europe
In the majority of European and Asian countries the use of detector in motor vehicles is strictly regulated, but there are controversial details. Between the unregulated free use (legal use) and the total prohibition (illegal to have or use) there are important variations.
We start our roundtrip in France. The regulation is very strict: regardless of whether it is used or not, radar detector is illegal. The police may impose fines and confiscate the device.
Radar detector use is in change now in the United Kingdom. Under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949, it was legal to own but practically illegal to use. The rule changed in 1998, motorists had the right to use it legally. The next big change will be made in November 2008: the detector use will be illegal again.
Countries in Central Europe regulate the radar use differently. Police may confiscate it in Germany, in Switzerland and in the Netherlands. However, in Hungary it is unregulated: anybody can use it without restrictions. Driving North, you can own a detector in your car but cannot use legally in Poland. In Finland it is illegal to own, purchase or use. It is legal in Iceland, but radar jammers are illegal (as in nearly all countries in Europe).
Because of the frequently changed rules it is advised to look for up-to-date information before you trip to a European country.
Mike Lindsay deals with banned radar detector in Asia, and different money-saving techniques - see the "Water and Fuel" program.
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