GENERAL & LEGAL SPEEDTRAP INFORMATION

With today's increased average road speeds and advanced technologies, it is all too easy to inadvertently get 'done' for speeding by a Gatso type speed camera, hand-held radar speed trap or hand-held laser speed trap. In order to drive safer and protect your licence you need equally hi-tech solutions!

No doubt you've seen various adverts for many different brands of laser/radar jammers and radar detectors, BEWARE!!, as not all similarly priced devices perform equally (or at all in some cases!).

We are not interested in selling you products which do not work. All of our products have been vigorously tested both by ourselves, U.S. motoring magazines and 'Speed Measurement Laboratories Inc.' (a.k.a. 'Speed Labs') an independent scientific measuring body in the U.S.A.

Within the pages of our Web Site, you will find various articles, reports and test data validating the effectiveness of the products we offer.

The Facts

After much research into the subject, we can provide you with the following facts:

• UK Static 'Gatso' speed cameras and hand-held radar speed guns ('hairdryers') work on the principle of emission and reflection of K band radio waves. The often advertised 'Ka' band is only used in other parts of Europe and the USA. Some forces in Britain also use the high energy 'Ku' band, although the use of this and X band is relatively rare.
• So called 'passive' radar jammers (such as a 'Sprite II', 'Phazar' etc.) DO NOT WORK. If you don't believe us, we will gladly provide you with one of these units, so you can take it to an engineer to ask if they can find any components inside which could actually jam, delay, emit or in any way affect an X/K band or laser emissions.
• UK Police mostly use two models of laser speed gun, the Kustom Pro Laser 11 and LTI 20/20 Marksman. These both fire a 904 nanometre wavelength Galium Arsenide laser beam, usually aimed at the most reflective surfaces of a vehicle (number plate or headlight) to obtain an almost instantaneous real-time velocity reading.
• Many of today's quality radar detectors (e.g. Beltronics 855sti, 990 etc.) are very good at detecting X and K band ('Gatso' and 'Hairdryer') emissions and can usually give you a healthy warning if a radar based speed device is being used within a few hundred yards.
• Some units may also detect a laser speed gun being used; however be warned, by the time they actually give you a laser warning you have ALREADY BEEN SPEED TRAPPED ! This is because laser speed timing devices can measure your speed within 0.3 OF A SECOND. Not even the best reacting driver in the world with the biggest brakes is going to decelerate quickly enough to make any difference!

The Deal

We at C.A. Automotive believe in a no-nonsense approach to speed trap countermeasures, we simply 'tell it how it is'. If for any reason you are not satisfied with any product we will refund your money (less carriage) on the proviso that the units are returned undamaged within 30 working days.

Whilst other companies offer many different manufacturers' products, we deal exclusively in products and devices we can prove actually work best.

We use our products on our own personal vehicles, so feel free to contact us for any advice on operation, fitting etc. or to view our products in action on our demonstrator BMW M3.

Until further notice, we will offer you the cheapest deal anywhere. Telephone us with your best alternative quote and we will beat it on the spot by a minimum of £5.

THE LEGALIITIES

Radar Detectors
As of Feb 1998 these units are legal to own and use in the UK.

RCD X u K band jammer:
This is an 'active' radar jammer and as such it's use in the UK can contravene the 1948 Wireless and Telegraphy Act. Therefore, these units are sold on an export basis only.

Laser jammers (K40 8t Target 850/Laser ECHO):
Slight 'grey area', but generally considered non-criminal. If questioned never admit to the laser jammers true function. They also double up as remote control senders (really) to open garage doors for example, so this is the use you should state.

Our best legal advice suggests Laser jammers may be considered legal to own and use as there is no statute against the emission of infra red or laser light, as long as it is not causing harm or injury to persons, animals or property.

Technically there may be a case for prosecution under the Intent to Pervert the Course of justice Act, but only if you admit its intent to jam! However, this is somewhat of a general-purpose-law originally intended for serious infractions of the police/court system and as we are currently unaware of any such successful prosecution for the use of a jamming device, the debate is open as to whether the Crown Prosecution service would carry through such a prosecution.

GPS Devices.
Products such as Origin Blue; Road Angel; Cyclops etc are completely legal to own and use.

Stealth Plate.
Legal to own and use, until you hit the switch and blank out your number plate.....

Disclaimer.
These products are sold on the understanding that they are for export/off-road use only. C.A. Automotive does not condone the use of any of our devices in any situation that would contravene local or national laws.

THINGS THE POLICE WON'T TELL YOU...

• In 1999 a government funded research organisation, the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) teamed up with the Department of the Environment Traffic and Regions (DETR) to answer the question "What causes road accidents?"
  
  They undertook a six-month investigation in conjunction with eight police forces into contributing factors of accidents. The results were eye-opening and not entirely what the government and local authoroties would like you to know.
  
  According to the report, excessive speed was only one of many contributing factors in only 7.3% of accidents over the six month test period. The study concluded excessive speed was a definite cause of an accident in only 6% of all accidents they investigated.
  
  
• Another TRL study (also government funded) reported "it cannot be assumed that reductions in speed by a particular driver will result in any accident reductions whatsoever".
  
  
• The reports establish that there is an association between speed and accidents, but that also many important variables come into play, such as age, experience and exposure.
  
  
• Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 states "You are obliged to inform the police of who was in charge of the vehicle when it was detected speeding by a Gatso or other speed measuring device that takes a photograph of the speeding offence". However, a law was passed on 2nd October which gives everyone the right to a fair trial. Incriminating yourself by admitting you were in charge of the vehicle contravenes this new law and also your rights under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
  
  Whilst you still have to tell the police who was using the vehicle at the time of the offence, you should still be able to challenge any attempt to use this information in court. If they can't prove who the driver was, they can't prove their case.
  
  
• A Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) is the letter telling you the police are going to prosecute you for a motoring offence. The police must give you this notice of fixed penalty or give you written or verbal confirmation that you are going to be convicted within 14 days. If they fail to do this, THEY CANNOT LEGALLY CONVICT YOU. This includes offences by Gatso or similar.
  
  Always check on the details on the NIP; is the date of the offence correct? The registration of the vehicle etc? If there is any misspelling or anything wrong, you should write back to whoever it came from, informing them of the error and saying you look forward to hearing their thoughts on the matter. They can't legally send you an amended one and will reply saying it doesn't matter. Politely tell them this is not the case, or seek a lawyer who will do so.
  
  

Advice from a magistrate (anonymous).

• If you get a letter requesting the identity of the driver for a speeding offence taken by a Gatso camera, write back saying "I am unable to supply the information." You may get another request; do the same again. However they threaten you, keep tight lipped and whatever you do, don't lie. They may drop it. Your defence is you can't supply the details as it may be a confession and you are not obliged to confess anything. They may charge you with failure to supply the information, but stand firm and say you are going to appeal. It is illegal for the police to coerce you into a confession with threats of any kind.
  
  
• If you are stopped by the side of the road for speeding, be nice, be polite. It may save your licence. Once the policeman has finished informing you of the charges and speed, ask him to produce the Certificate of Calibration for the laser, radar, Vascar or other device that he has used to 'speed trap' you. If he cannot produce this, you cannot be prosecuted.
  
  We hope the above is of some use to our customers.
  
  

  Remember............ It's not how FAST you drive SAFELY but how SAFELY you drive FAST