Police Radar Detectors in Colonial Heights
A police radar detector is a device that can be placed in a motorist’s vehicle to detect the radio frequencies and waves from law enforcement radar guns. These devices also can determine how far away those frequencies are, letting the motorist know when a police radar gun is nearby.
It is illegal to utilize a functioning police radar detector in Colonial Heights. If you are facing allegations of illegally possessing one of these devices, you should speak with an experienced reckless driving attorney.
Transporting an Illegal Detector
If an individual is driving from a state where it is legal to utilize a radar detector into the state, they should unplug the device and place it in the glove box or center console until they leave the state.
If police catch someone with one of these devices, an officer may ask the driver to unplug it and ensure that they put it away. If the officer so chooses, they may charge this motorist with possessing the illegal radar detector. Colonial Heights drivers can face serious penalties and fines for possessing a police radar device.
Mistakes to Avoid
The biggest mistake to avoid with radar detectors in Colonial Heights is thinking that because the device is unplugged that someone cannot be penalized. However, police radar detectors must also be removed from their power sources.
When encountering this device in an individual’s vehicle, law enforcement officials may be interested in whether or not the power source or the radar detector were readily accessible by the driver or a passenger in the vehicle. Subsection B of the Virginia Code §46.2-1079 states that a person cannot be guilty of a violation of this section when the device in question at the time of the alleged offense had no power source and was not readily accessible for use by the driver or any passenger in the vehicle.
One of the best ways for drivers to most likely avoid penalization for having a police radar detector in their vehicles is for motorists to not only unplug the radar detector, but also move it away from its power source, the drivers themselves, and any passengers.
Radar Jammer
Jammers are similar to detectors in that they find police radars. However, radar jammers are devices designed to scramble the frequency of a police officer’s radar gun, disabling the device’s ability to function properly. These jammers are illegal in Colonial Heights, and drivers caught with them may be subject to harsh penalties and fines.
Contact a Colonial Heights Attorney to Learn About Police Radar Detectors
A lawyer could help you if you have been charged with illegally possessing a radar detector by examining applicable laws and legal caveats to build an individualized defense. More specifically, an attorney could use their extensive knowledge and research of the law to argue on your behalf that the radar detector had no power or that there was no readily-accessible energy source available for the device to be used by anyone in the vehicle. Call today and schedule an initial case consultation.
