Buub

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I was going to write this as a reply to an existing thread, but thought it would actually be more useful to a general audience.

One thing I find disturbing a little bit is the guys who claim to have like 37 tickets before buying a radar detector, and none after. No radar detector is a replacement for your own attention.

There is nothing more valuable than constantly being diligent with your eyeballs, constantly scanning the traffic down the road, the roadsides, hill tops, etc. for potential police cars. This will save you more tickets than any radar detector. I have been driving for over twenty years, and have had two speeding tickets. I drive very fast and very "assertively". I have never been stopped for a moving violation other than those two tickets. The vast majority of that time (like 95%) was without a radar detector.

The first ticket I actually got with a radar detector (hit with instant-on over a hill top on a two-lane back road). The second was because I wasn't paying attention. I could have clearly seen him before he clocked me if I had been looking.

I can't stress this enough: there is no replacement for your own attention and constant surveillance. If you can't devote that much attention to driving fast, slow down. I can't count the number of times I have seen the cop before my radar detector has gone off.

Just this morning on the way to work I avoided a potential ticket. I was driving to work, fast as I always do (as fast as you can in dense Seattle-area traffic; but this means I do a lot more lane-weaving than elsewhere). I came up on a Saab 9.3 in the far left lane, the other three lanes being full. I kinda ride his bumper a little because he's going about 5mph slower than I want to be. Not that it ever does any good with the attention-deprived here in Seattle, but still... We're doing about 69 in a 60mph zone. As some traffic move around in the four lanes in front of us I notice a suspicious vehicle: a light blue Taurus. The antennas tipped me off, but it was so plain; someone did a good job stealthing this car if this was a cop. I crept closer while maintaining 67~68mph. Man this was a clean car; it looked very stock. Finally I spot some red and blue lights tucked very tightly into the corners of the rear window. Yep, a cop. As I passed him I also noticed blue lights tucked into little recesses in the bumper where fog lights might be. One of the best stealth cop cars I've seen in some time. My radar detector never went off during that entire scenario. But by seeing him first I didn't draw attention to myself, and he eventually pulled off at an exit down the road.

Here are the key things I look for: First I always look for an excessive number of antennas. This is almost always a sure fire sign of a cop. Sometimes it will be a utility vehicle or some dispatched vehicle, but better to get false positives than miss a real cop. Antennas are probably the easiest thing to spot from a distance. Second, I look for hidden lights or bulges where there shouldn't be any. Look for them tucked in beside the top-mounted brake light, or tucked into the top or bottom corners of the rear window. Unless it's a fire marshal (and if so it will say so on the side of the door), this is almost a sure-fire sign of a cop.

If you aren't paying enough attention to spot a car with these two signs before he spots you, then please slow down. Inattentive drivers are not safe drivers.

Back to my original point. I can't, for sure, say that my V1 has saved me from any tickets. That's because, with only one or two exceptions, I have always seen the cop before my radar detector has gone off (or would have seen him if he wasn't blasting radar miles down the road). I certainly would never drive my Z without my V1. But there is no substitute for diligent attention.

chaz

brother, I think we were separated at birth

wildone_106

what about when they come up behind you, or are hiding at an on ramp entrance, some are very hard to spot, I seen a BMW SUV get busted like this on I90 bridge going into Seattle so watch that one.

xtreme350z

That's why you have to have a virtual 360 degree sense of your surroundings. Are you going to be able to check every 'nook and cranny' while blazing by at 80? Of course not, but when passing areas where there would be a lot of places for Highway Patrollers to hide, you may want to actually back off the gas slightly. It's just a matter of constantly adjusting your surveillance and your driving to your ever changing enviroment.

The CHP on the freeways I travel on tend to pick the absolute blindest spots to hide... but that's your giveaway right there.
Just put yourself in their shoes, where would you park? Chances are, that's where you'll see them.

Whenever I pass freeway on-ramps that decend down hills, most CHP like to park right on the onramp, which would be on the blind side of the hill- so that the only time you'll see them is after you've already passed them. This is just one example, but whenever I encounter a blind on-ramp I usually pull to the right one lane, take it easy, pass the ramp, check the mirror, get back in the left lane and continue blazing my trail...

Check the traffic in your mirror, look for vehicles cutting very quickly across multiple lanes- typically from the right lane to the fast lane. Yeah, it could be a High School kid showing off, or some yuppie in a ferrari, but it could also be johnnie law.

They like to be sneaky too, these guys know what they're doing, I mean they do it for a living, so obviously there's going to be some technique involved. Be aware of your blind spots. Oh, and don't always be so eager to catch the 'fast' car that just passed you doing 90+, many times I've restrained myself from chasing a challenge, AND THEN seeing a patrol car zoom by me in pursuit of him. wheeeww!


Pay attention to the areas off the freeway ahead of you, and be aware of what's going on behind you. It doesn't really matter if you were speeding for a while and all the sudden pulled up right behind one... just don't go and pass him like an imbecile. In this situation they already know that you've been speeding, so they'll pull off the freeway- making you think the coast is clear- and pull right back on the freeway behind you and try to catch you.

I've seen alot of tactics, and all I can say is the more you've seen, the more you know what to look for.

350zroadster

iTrader: (1)

Don't speed at night, you can't see ahead of you and the details of car behind you.

Buub

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I actually look back at on-ramps as I pass them to see if anything is sitting there, or merging on, that I should be concerned about.

And as far as night, it has advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage is, of course, you can't spot hidden cops. The advantage is that your can now looks like every other car, so you won't be singled out just because you look fast.

But I agree, I keep my speed closer to the speed limit after dark because it moves the advantage meter more in the cops' direction, and away from mine.

alphared

Also if there are trucks around check out their speed. They're the best at determining if any cops are around.
Man the person who invents stealth paint for cars will be the riches man in the world

BoostJunkie

Give the scenario of you haulin a little bit of butt. You see a cop up ahead but you are still in the traffic a little. This can play to your advantage big time as i tend to hide behind Semis or another vehile using them to mask my acceleration. This works great in turns.

One thing that cops look for as well are the infamous front end nose dive when people see them. It tells them right off your speeding. Downshift and coast unless the radar is going off. They are usually too far to hear your engine or exaust with the downshift. Try to avoid the nose dive thing. I have a cousing that is a lieutenant and another cousin that's a sheriff.

Buub i do the exact same things as you on the road and could not agree more!

LBSOHK

New York - undercover cops have orange E-Z pass tags on the windshield so i always check for orange E-Z pass tag if the car is behind me , antennas if im behind... also I got to know all the cop cars in the area where i live , they have one black acura w/ tinted windows , no antennas , no blue lights no orange tag completely unmarked , its pretty strange to see a cop car with hid's you dont expect it ...

jesseenglish

Good thread guys, I had to learn all of your tips the hard way. I've seen every trick in the book and it appears like things don't change much around the country.

One thing I'll reiterate that has helped me a couple times if you're driving long distance. Watch the truckers, if they're speeding then you know it's probably pretty safe for a while. Truckers have radios too and they let the other guys know if smokey is nearby. Sometimes it's hard because the truck is just plain slow and doesn't necessarily indicate there's a cop, but if you find one haulin butt, he probably knows what he's doing. The hidden onramps are the best though.

In Colo Springs, the cops like to hide out at main intersections, usually in gas stations or business parking lots. Scan your intersections before you get to them, I see more innattentive drivers get pulled over because they weren't paying attention.

chee-z-name

excellent thread, I couldn't agree with the advice dispenced here more.

The one thing you guys haven't mentioned yet are the cops in Tahoes and Expeditions. Just as much as you've got to be aware of all the Crown Vics, Tauruses, and Impalas in your proximity, you should be on the lookout for American SUVs. The all black Tahoe with radials and seven antennae is definitely trouble. If you see an all black or all white Tahoe/Expedition assume it's a cop until you can prove otherwise. I rather hump along behind some soccer mom and be wrong then take the ticket and the points.

Buub

iTrader: (1)

Yeah the cops around here have an ugly brown GMC Yukon. They also have a Volvo and an Impala, I believe.

drew703

iTrader: (1)

Great thread and advice here Buub. I completely agree with everything you said, and that was added by others here. I've only been driving about five years, so I definitely dont have the kind of raw experience all of the older drivers here have, but I still know for myself that constant awareness of your surroundings and a keen eye are crucial in avoiding tickets, as well as accidents. *duh..hehe But anyways, the only other thing Id add, is sorta what chee-z-name was starting to get into, and thats other unmarked cops! Living in VA, and only about 5 min from DC, I've seen the usual like he said - crown victorias, impalas, tauruses etc. But you also have to try and keep an eye out when you see other people being pulled over. Just from that alone, as well as my everyday driving experiences, I've seen undercover mustangs, camaros, dodge stratuses, even a chrysler concorde! The cops know that their Crown Vics with the 6 or 7 antennas can be easy to spot IF the driver is informed. I mean for me personally, everytime I see a crown vic, ive become almost "conditioned" to slow down, and be sure to check for the driver, just in case its night and you cant see the lights or anything else that might tip you off to the driver being a cop. But the point is, try to be aware of your area's undercover cars too. I've even heard of police interceptors that are corvettes and hooked up mustangs as well. Like Buub said, STAY ALERT!

-drew

'03 DB Performance

mrice

The last ticket I got was a day I borrowed my sons detector. The cop got me head on and I saw him grin as it registered. I think they look for cars with detectors on the windshield and consider it gaming if they can beat one.

Phaneom

Another good giveaway is when you are coming up to a ramp and you see the cars ahead braking. The cops here in Toronto are pretty smart. They will park half there car on the curb of an overpass and radar from above as you pass the other side of the bridge, then they radio to the cop sitting about half a kilometer up the highway and he will just point to you and you have to pull over.

Lestat350z

Speaking of cop cars in north texas watch out for ford f150s the highway patroll in this area has quite a few of them........

wildone_106

I think the most disgusting display of cops getting people was the last 4th of July weekend ( How nice a treat for people going thru an economic depression, on the major holiday event of the year) Heading onto the West Seattle bridge there was about 5 or 6 cops pulled over on the side just waiting to tag people, another 3 or 4 had already caught more on the shoulder and its not like a freeway even. Some had radar guns pulled, others where just standing around smirking, it was rather sick a sight I thought.

Buub

iTrader: (1)

Most of them honestly believe this kind of stuff enhances our safety. You know, us impulsive brainless masses who can't drive a car in a straight line without putting peoples' lives at risk, while "trained" police officers are "experienced" enough to cruise along at 80 in the left lane.

We all know speeding tickets are just a glorified revenue generation system for the police and state patrols. But there are a lot of cops out there that still believe speed is directly related to safety.

wildone_106

yea I really found it hard to believe it was for safety reasons, its a smallish 2 lane road with a speed limit of 45 but its nothing notorius in this area, it was so blatant with the sheer number of cops present, no one was even driving fast that I could see even before the cops became visable. I got lucky too as I was doing like 55 at least before I saw a radar gun pointing at me, but must have squeeked by.

xtreme350z

undercover cars with h.i.d.'s? now that is just WRONG, lol. I consider myself really good at making out vehicle makes and models just by their headlight and blinker configuration (at night). I was actually thinking about that recently too, that if some patrol cars were equipped with h.i.d.'s i'd really be in trouble! "gee, i thought it was a lexus trying to hang with me!" oh well, i think i'm safe from that in my area for the time being.

another dirty one is that here in california, i don't know if it had anything to do with 2002 being the final production year of the current generation f-body, but the state of cal. bought like 300 all white Camaro Z-28's and outfitted them as highway patrol cars.

Now first of all, they're all white- so you don't have that black hood/white roof giveaway. Second of all, they have like these slick, low profile 'red n blues' mounted on the roof. i mean these things are slim, like a really low-pro ski rack.

anyway if you're in cali, and you see a white camaro in your mirror coming up fast, take a good look at it before you go and downshift and try to be speed matched with him by the time he gets to you. Otherwise, you just might end up being side by side with CHP doing 90+, LMAO!