LIDAR guns are used by many law enforcement traffic police officers to quickly and easily determine the speed of a vehicle travelling either towards or away from the laser gun. These laser guns function using the "Doppler effect" in a similar way to radar based devices. The laser light pulses are reflected off the vehicle bodywork, headlights and number plate returning to the laser gun in extremely short time periods measured in Nano and Pico seconds. The laser gun firmware logs the time it takes for the laser signal to bounce back and uses this time to calculate the speed of the target vehicle. There are several makes and models of laser gun used in Australia at this time (April 2014)
- LTI Ultralyte 20/20
- Kustom Pro Laser III
- LTI Ultralute 20/20 Compact 125 pps
- LTI TruSpeed
- LTI TruCAM
- LTI Truspeed S (2000pps)
- VITRONIC PoliscanSpeed Tripod/Vehicle mounted laser speed camera
A laser jammer is not necessarily
illegal for use by motorists in all areas, though some countries and regions
have outlawed their use. Western Australia has no specific laws banning the use
of LIDAR jammers or radar detectors. New South Wales has laws against the use
of laser jammers, however their law allows for other equipment that my
accidentally interfere with laser speed detection equipment.
It is interesting to note that the light spectrum that is used for laser speed detection is NOT licensed to the police or anyone in particular. It is a free light spectrum and the frequency and can be used by any manufacturer in their devices. Examples of this light spectrum being used are Parking Assist devices which use LIDAR to detect stationary objects. Because this light spectrum is open to the public to freely use, it is ludicrous that some states have outlawed "inadvertent interference." (www.blinder.com.au Laser Park Assist)
It is interesting to note that the light spectrum that is used for laser speed detection is NOT licensed to the police or anyone in particular. It is a free light spectrum and the frequency and can be used by any manufacturer in their devices. Examples of this light spectrum being used are Parking Assist devices which use LIDAR to detect stationary objects. Because this light spectrum is open to the public to freely use, it is ludicrous that some states have outlawed "inadvertent interference." (www.blinder.com.au Laser Park Assist)
Also called laser scramblers, a laser jammer sends out a
carefully crafted signal that mimics the returning signal of the LIDAR speed
gun. Laser jammers with poorly crafted signals, may cause an alert to be
generated on the laser speed gun, alerting the police officer that his speed
reading is being disrupted. A modern European designed laser jammer should
never give off jamming error codes.
LIDAR guns are not prone to "reflection errors"
that plague radar guns readings. Hence laser speed readings are replacing radar
as the preferred method of obtaining a speed reading. Police Officers prefer
the fast operation of laser speed reading devices that can obtain a reading in
fractions of a second. A laser jammer
sends out a light signal that effectively "tricks" the laser gun, so
that it is unable to properly calculate and display a correct speed. While the
laser jammer is communicating with the laser gun, it also sends out an audio
alert to warn the driver that someone is attempting to gain a speed reading of
the vehicle.
Laser Jammers from Blinder even tell drivers the make and model of
the laser gun threat through voice alerts. Once the signal is detected and alert
sounds, the driver has 3 to 5 seconds to take remedial action, check the speed
of the vehicle and if necessary, reduce speed and the switch off the laser
jammer. When used by an expert, this "brake and switch off" event can
take less that 4 seconds.
The sensors for a laser jammer can be mounted in the grille or bodywork of the vehicle. Although most speed readings are obtained from the front of the vehicle, many drivers also mount sensors to the rear of the vehicle to avoid speeding fines from rear aimed laser guns.
The sensors for a laser jammer can be mounted in the grille or bodywork of the vehicle. Although most speed readings are obtained from the front of the vehicle, many drivers also mount sensors to the rear of the vehicle to avoid speeding fines from rear aimed laser guns.
The use of a laser jammer is not necessarily illegal in all
areas, though some regions have passed laws to ban the use of such devices.
While many countries have laws that forbid the use of radar jammers to disrupt
the use of older radar speed detection guns, these laws do not necessarily
cover the use of laser jamming devices. In the US, individual states have begun
passing laws to ban the use of a laser jammer. This means anyone driving from
state to state and using such a jammer should be aware of the legality of using
such a device in each state. That being said, the sensor sfor these devices can
be very discrete and difficult to notice. Some drivers use "lift
kits" that elevate the sensor out of view when the laser jammer is
switched off. You can use an old computer DVD player as a cheap Lift Kit with
the sensors attached to the slide tray.
Many motorists with high end vehicles are more than happy to
fork out the $600+ to necessary to purchase a full Quad sensor system from
Blinder Australia. Over time, the accumulated savings from avoided speeding
fines, can make the initial outlay look cheap in comparison to demerit points
and a lost driver's licence.
If you have any questions, please ask you Blinder
representative (blinder.com.au)
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