So the question is..... will a laser detector help prevent you from getting a speeding ticket from a Mobile Safety Camera Van.

There are quite a few circumstances that can occur out there. Lets look at a few of the more common ways Laser is used.

The Safety Camera Van and where you place a laser sensor.

Sitting almost anywhere they want on the highway these safety camera vans use much the same type of equipment, Laser Gun, Video Camera, Video Recorder and Printer. The effective range of the safety camera vans is the effective range of the laser gun, some can work a mile away. The effective range of the camera is often much less. 100-500m for number plate recognition.

Most camera vans work quite close to the vehicle in question and this gives a bit of a problem to high mounted laser detectors. Camera van operators also read sites like this to get the edge on drivers. Several police forces are now aware that if they keep the laser sight, (Cross hairs or sight dot), low down on the front of the car, number plate or below, a windscreen mounted laser detector will not see the laser light and will therefore not trigger an alert.

You may recall that in the laser jammer section of this site I tell you to mount the laser jammer low down near the number plate. The same is to be said for laser detectors, place them in a position that the police target, the number plate area.

In an ideal world you would have a laser sensor in the front and back window of the vehicle and a laser sensor by the front and rear number plate. This would give the best coverage.

Several companies do laser sensors that are built into their main units, this is fine for the window coverage but not so good for number plate. Some also do separate laser sensors that are weather proof and can be fitted by the number plate. Check with your chosen company to see what they offer.

So the best place for a laser sensor is both the window and the number plate and they should cover both ends of the vehicle.

The Safety Camera Van and what warning you can expect.

The are lots of scenarios I will cover just a few of the more common ones.

Example 1, Driving from a 60mph to a 40mph. Sometimes the police will target you in the 60mph and follow you in to the 40mph, hoping you don't slow down quick enough. In this case you should get a warning that gives you enough time to slow. You should get away with it and long as you were not over the 60mph.

Effective Laser sensor position - By number plate

Example 2, Safety camera van round bend or over the other side of a brow and you are the first car. You could get a warning but in this case the most likely outcome is that you will be caught before you can react in time.

Effective Laser sensor position - Not much would help.

Example 3, Safety camera van round bend or over the other side of a brow and you are the second car. You could get a warning and might have time to react as they target the car in front.

Effective Laser sensor position - Windscreen

Get the idea, if used in the right way a laser detector can help.

The Laser Beam

Laser guns have a tight beam, so if they target you close and low you window mounted laser sensor may be of no use. Below is an image showing the kind of pattern a leaser beam will have.

To have the most warning you need both a windscreen mounted sensor and a Bumper mounted sensor

 

It is very common to drive towards a camera van and get no warning at all and this could be because.

1, You are not speeding
2, They have targeted you low down and your sensor has not seen the laser beam
3, He is targeting another car
4, He is doing something else.
5, He is not targeting your lane