What would you suggest?

[barryswanson]

I need some advice. I live with my cousin and he's to the point where one more ticket and he loses his license. He's also low on cash atm and when he asked how much my STi-R cost the $600 price tag scared him away from the subject. I think an RD is necessary for him at this point even if he is trying to do the speed limit constantly. We're in VA which means RDs are illegal but that also means 90% of cops just use c/o. Since a ticket for having a RD is no points and c/o is the main threat I'm thinking a less expensive model would give him alot of protection for his situation.

Do you think that a lower end RD would be worth it for him even if he's not trying to speed?

I'm not to familiar with the budget detectors but after using the search button it seems the escort refurbs sold on ebay (by escort) are a real bang for the buck, and theres a new whistler coming out that the veil guy talked about on his blog. Would anyone suggest a different model or a preference between the 8500 50x and the new whistler?

He needs to get a 2 x 2 inch block of timber under his accelerator

[Google Adsense]

[Riptide]

He needs to get a 2 x 2 inch block of timber under his accelerator

Maybe he should just think of not mashing to the floor, till the points start coming off. A detector will give him the hope that he can speed.

I agree with the fellow members, tell your cousin to drive normal. Some young studs think that a RD is a free permit to speed and then get hit with I/O or laser, to late. He did the crime twice, now he needs to do the time, to late to change things. Tell him to drive normal and safe but I bet on the odds a RD will get him into more trouble.

See below

"and he's to the point where one more ticket and he loses his license" Tell your cousin to save his money and drive the speed limit until he cleans up his driving record. I can guarantee you that he will get a detector, act and think like now I'm safe and BAM I/O or LIDAR. Then he can't drive and has no money now to pay for a good lawyer, or Fines, or cab fare and bus tickets. Not being able to drive is the biggest POA that I can think of. Slow down it just ain't worth it.

I guess I wasn't clear in my first post. He did slow it down. Even people that drive the speed limit can accidentally go over, and since any more points will result in a loss of license my suggestion was to not only drive PSL but also get a RD to know when to be extra careful.

[Swamp]

If you haven't already, invite your cousin to come here to learn about how speed enforcement works, how counter measures work, how they can and can't help, enforcement tactics, technology, the Rules of Speed, fighting tickets, etc--in short, he can learn how to drive!

[North Alabama]

"Slowing it down" is not driving ticket safe and not within the speed limit in general. It says "speed/drive as much as he can get away with/without a RD and not get the 3rd ticket". As Swamp said, "learn to drive" is the problem. Fix the problem first, that is, drive normal and ticket safe and learn the ways of traffic enforcement because he has 2 strikes already. He did the crime, now do the time! I have never seen a driver who drives the speed limit speed, because if he is speeding, he does not drive the speed limit! The question is, if he gets a RD, will he let caution fly out the window and continue his same ways? Will he be attempted to push the speed limit again and chance another ticket? Sounds like you are a great cousin who cares!

[swift07]

tell your cousin to slow down

[hiddencam]

Here's what I think he should do:

1. Buy a refurb Escort 8500
2. Drive the speed limit for at least 3 months while he learns the behavior of the new device.
3. Follow your advise to join this forum to fully learn about countermeasures.
4. Once "up to speed" and armed with knowledge of device and threats out there, and what his new tool can and can't do, he'll realize that for full protection he'll need lidar defense.
5. Save up for and install said lidar defence while his points recover and continue to drive the speed limit and resist the temptation to roll the dice (if he had points left he could have rolled the dice)
6. When he has some buffer on his license start playing the game. It's definitely pay to play. An he can't afford to play right now.

But definitely get that 8500. It will quickly teach him what's out there, and give him heightened awareness of his driving. I know when I got my first detector I was immediately more focused on what was around me.

[Riptide]

Here's what I think he should do:

1. Buy a refurb Escort 8500
2. Drive the speed limit for at least 3 months while he learns the behavior of the new device.
3. Follow your advise to join this forum to fully learn about countermeasures.
4. Once "up to speed" and armed with knowledge of device and threats out there, and what his new tool can and can't do, he'll realize that for full protection he'll need lidar defense.
5. Save up for and install said lidar defence while his points recover and continue to drive the speed limit and resist the temptation to roll the dice (if he had points left he could have rolled the dice)
6. When he has some buffer on his license start playing the game. It's definitely pay to play. An he can't afford to play right now.

But definitely get that 8500. It will quickly teach him what's out there, and give him heightened awareness of his driving. I know when I got my first detector I was immediately more focused on what was around me.

Good suggestions from those that read the whole post
Heres what I'm going to try and talk him into

1. Buy a Whistler Pro78SE (per Chariot's point of spectre detection distance)
2. Drive the speed limit for at least 3 months or until he has a points buffer on his license whichever comes later.
3. Follow your advise to join this forum to fully learn about countermeasures.
4. Once "up to speed" and armed with knowledge of device and threats out there, and what his new tool can and can't do, decide if he needs laser transponders. (He probably won't need them if he doesn't drive much out of our immediate area since they have no laser here.)
5. When he has some buffer on his license start playing the game. It's definitely pay to play. An he can't afford to play right now.