Police Radar Detectors in Norfolk

Police radar detectors are machines that detect the radar equipment used by police officers in Norfolk to determine if a vehicle is speeding. They detect the radar waves in the air that the officers are using, before the radar equipment is close enough to detect the speed of the vehicle. In general, people use radar detectors to avoid speeding tickets, by avoiding being pulled over by an officer who is detecting speed with a radar gun.

People should be aware that, even if they have a radar detector and are trying to avoid being detected by police officers, radar is not the only method that officers in Virginia use to detect people’s speed. They are also using LIDAR equipment and they are also pacing vehicles. It’s very likely that a driver could still be caught by a police officer and pulled over. When they get a speeding ticket, they could get a violation for having a radar detector as well.

Legality of Radar Detectors in Norfolk

In Norfolk, as in all of Virginia, it is not illegal for someone to have a radar detector in their vehicle as long as the radar detector is not plugged in and is not accessible to anybody inside the vehicle. This means that someone can have it in their trunk, but they cannot have it unplugged in their backseat if they are able to reach it.

If someone is driving from another state where it is legal to have a detector, they should take the radar detector and put it in their trunk, turn it off, and unplug it. Doing so is a safe method that will allow a person to keep their device should they be pulled over, as well as protect them from facing additional penalties.

Penalties

The penalty for someone having an illegal radar detector in their vehicle that’s accessible is a fine; they won’t receive any demerit points on their license for it. The arresting officer is allowed to take the device if they believe it is needed as evidence.

Biggest Mistakes to Avoid

The main point that many people misunderstand with radar detectors in Virginia is what exactly is illegal. It is not illegal to have a radar detector at all, but you can’t have a radar detector in your car if it’s accessible and working. If you have a working radar detector that’s unplugged, turned off, and in your trunk, you’re fine. But, even if you have a broken radar detector in your back seat, since you can reach it, it’s still illegal.

Ways an Attorney Can Help

A lawyer can help a driver get their radar detector back. The officers are supposed to give it back, but if it’s been over six months, then the courts are actually allowed to destroy them. The lawyer can help to get it back right away so that it doesn’t get destroyed. A lawyer can also help a driver fight the charge and determine whether what they were doing falls within what is illegal in Norfolk.