Radar Detector Reviews UK

Detector Reviews - Archives.

  Evo Magazine - May 2001
  AutoExpress - Nov 2003. [NEW]
  AutoExpress October 2000
  Evo Magazine - Late 1999
  Geodesy GPS Detector Review - Sunday Times - June 24th - 2001

GEODESY GPS DETECTOR REVIEW - THE SUNDAY TIMES- JUNE 24, 2001

With the number of speed cameras likely to triple in the next few years, is there anything I can do - short of slowing down - to avoid a fine?

Yes. There are several high-tech gadgets that can be fitted to your car which will alert you to speed cameras ahead. Radar detectors banned in America but not in this country - are the best known. There is a whole range readily available, typically costing between £200 and £600 , but their effectiveness is open to question.

They cannot detect all the varying kinds of cameras and are susceptible to further advances in police technology. What is interesting, however, is that they appear not to be used by lunatics hell-bent on flouting the law. A recent Mori poll suggested that those who used detectors were actually less likely to be involved in an accident.

Is there any other way of reliably and legally locating cameras? 

Yes. A company called Morpheous has introduced a device called the Geodesy that is entirely legal and, if kept updated, should reveal the location of all fixed radar, laser and Gatso sites in more than enough time for you to be able to check your speed. Its price £350.

Tell me more.

In essence, its no more than a global positioning system (GPS), which uses the same technology as satellite navigation. The principle is that it knows in advance where the cameras are sited and, once plugged in, will use satellites to determine the position of your car relative to those cameras. When you are within a mile you are warned with increasing urgency.

But what about all the extra cameras that are being erected?

It comes with a desktop modem connector that can be used to download information about all new sites.

Anything cheaper?

There are several free access websites giving the locations of cameras, including the Association of British Drivers (www.abd.org.uk/cameras/map.htm) and www.ukgatsos.com, for Gatso sites only.

What are the catches?

Mobile cameras. Though these cost less than fixed cameras, they are less popular with the police because they require more manpower to operate. The Geodesy is powerless against them. It also has no answer to standard police road checks, nor will it alert you when a police car has started monitoring your speed on the Motorway. It's at its most effective on major urban routes where traffic speed and volume means an increased frequency of accidents and where fixed speed cameras are therefore likely to have been placed.

Is there any campaign to cut the number of speed cameras? 

The AA says cameras in genuinely dangerous areas command public support in excess of 70%, but it is concerned that such support will be eroded if cameras are used simply to raise revenue. It says cameras should always be prominently mounted and clearly signed. 

What do the Police say? 

The Association of Chief of Police Officers says speed cameras play a major part in reducing deaths and injuries at accident black spots. And with the government raising huge sums of money from the cameras, don't hold your breath for any U-turn.

Andrew Frankel - THE SUNDAY TIMES- JUNE 24, 2001