Radar detectors are safe and legal in California.

Published Wednesday, December 28, 2005, in the San Jose Mercury News

Private radar detectors are legal, but radar jammers are a no-no

By Gary Richards

Q Mr. Roadshow: What is the penalty for an (illegal in this state)
radar detector if caught? My uncle has one and the sucker works
great. In his business he's traveling all over the state and has to
be there NOW. He does around 48,000 miles a year. He has no tickets.

Gato Pelon
Union City

A Your uncle has been sweating this out for no reason. Radar
detectors are legal in California, but radar jammers are not. Highway
Patrol officers do not rely solely on radar. They first assess the
speed of a vehicle, then verify it with radar. Your uncle may also
have too much confidence in his detector. Spike-the-Former-CHP-Boss
said when asked if radar detectors work: "They do. However, right
about the time it (detector) goes off is when the officer is reaching
for the red light."


Q What are the state laws regarding placement of "Enforced by radar"
signs? I see these signs sometimes, and other times I don't. Are
they required? I assume there must be some law regarding this or
Caltrans wouldn't put the signs up at all.

Peter McClure
Santa Cruz

A There is no state law that requires placement of radar signs. CHP
policy is to set signs out where they use radar and they are placed
where traffic either enters the radar area or county if it's
countywide, which it usually is. You might say these signs are a
courtesy notice from the CHP.

Q Maybe I have spent too much time staring at the side of the highway,
but I am curious about the white line that marks the right side. Just
before an exit, it veers off to the right then stops and restarts.
Also, there is another break in the line where the exit lane begins.
What is the purpose of this?

Clay M.
Tracy

A The white line is a guide for drivers in the fog. The line breaks
before the exit to indicate that a off-ramp is coming up, a helpful
guide in thick fog.


Gateway Blvd. closed: The northbound I-880 off-ramp to Gateway
Boulevard in Fremont will be permanently closed to allow for the
construction of the new Warren Avenue interchange, which will open in
the fall of 2008. Traffic will be detoured to the Fremont Boulevard
interchange, onto Fremont Boulevard and to Gateway Boulevard.


Contact Gary Richards at mrroadshow@... or (408) 920-5335.