USA: Photo Enforcement Buying Guide

FOX TV Interview of the Super Protector The Fox television network investigation of the Super Protector and interview with Radar Roy.

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MSN-NBC Countdown Interview Radar Roy was interviewed on Countdown With Keith Olbermann on the Photo Stop spray.

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Photo Enforcement Cameras

Photo enforcement in used with several different methods, but all use a computerized photo system.

Photo speed enforcement is set to photograph vehicles traveling above a predetermined speed (5 to 10 miles-per-hour over the speed limit).

Some fixed speed cameras use sensors that are embedded in the roadway to measure your speed, others use radar.

Red light camera also use sensors in the roadway to capture your violation.

The results are reviewed and a ticket is mailed. Each negative contains the date, time, location and vehicle speed. The photo radar company develops the film and gets the owner information.

There are five different types of counter measurement devices that you can use, to defeat the enforcement cameras.

GPS Based Warning Systems

These devices have become very popular in European countries, especially where radar detectors are illegal.

However, they have not become available in the US market as of yet.

The way this system works is that you download the latest locations of the speed enforcement cameras into your GPS system from the provider. Then when you approach the location of a known camera, the GPS warns you to slow down.

Radar Detectors

There are two different methods used in the USA that speed enforcement cameras use to measure your speed, radar and embedded sensors.

Commonly referred to as photo radar and the most popular of the speed enforcement cameras, use radar to measure speed. A good radar detector such as the Escort 8500 X50 or the Beltronics RX65 will detect these type of enforcement cameras in enough time for you to slow down.

However, radar detectors will not work with speed enforcement or red light cameras that use embedded sensors in the roadway to measure speed.

Flash Back Device

A flash back device installs on your license plate and sense the flash of a photo enforcement camera and simultaneously flashes its own strobe light onto the license plate, washing out the numbers to the photo enforcement cameras. These devices are expensive, but will save you the cost of paying the citation.

The only flash back device that has been tested and approved by Speed Measurement Laboratories is the VF Photo Jammer.

Radar Roy has also tested the VF2 in January of 2006, just after the city of Scottsdale, Arizona installed their sensor based photo enforcement cameras along the 101 freeway. During this period the city of Scottsdale were sending out warning letters to violators captured by their cameras. In over four runs the VF2 failed to work as advertised by the manufacture.

Plate Covers

A less expensive alternative if they are allowed in the areas you drive, are the anti-photo enforcement license plate covers, such as the Super Protector.

These covers go over your license plate(s) and keep the plate visible while you are directly behind the vehicle. However, if you are offset on an angle, where the photo enforcement cameras would be positioned, a portion of your license plate is blocked.

Washington D.C. has strict laws regarding these covers and violations can cost well over $300.00.

Many people use and buy these covers as maybe evident to you as you drive around your local streets. But it is recommended that you check with your state and local departments on laws in your area regarding these covers, prior to you applying them.

Photo Spray

The least effective method of beating the photo enforcement cameras is the photo spray such as the Photo Stop.

The spray is at best 70% effective in reflecting the flash from the camera, thus over exposing the photo of your plate.

However, since the Photo Stop spray cannot be detected when applied to plate, this maybe a good alternative to the plate covers, in area where they are prohibited.