A man has taken to TikTok to claim something he probably doesn’t want to talk about too much. He stated that the premium radar detector he bought failed him, as he was clocked speeding by police. However, he was also doing 180mph in a 30mph zone.
TikTok user @azbdbjunior bought a premium radar detector to alert him to the locations of mobile speed radar guns. These are usually used in very tightly controlled areas, and where speeding is a well-known problem. In theory, a detector will alert you to where one is.
However, attempting to do 180mph in a 30mph zone and try to detect these radars probably isn’t the best strategy. We aren’t really sure if it’s something that you should be talking about in a TikTok video. But if the police have already pulled you over, as was the case here, then so be it.
It does open the debate about what speed people think is acceptable to drive by in certain areas. Do some think going well over 100mph over the speed limit is suddenly acceptable? It appears this TikTok user was happy to do that.
The TikTok User Was Going 120MPH Over the Speed Limit
@azbdbjunior I need my refund asap to pay bail #fyp #viral ♬ original sound – azharbdbjunior
The video has gained over 137,000 views on TikTok, and in it, @azbdbjunior said he was “cooked” because the radar detector he bought had failed him. “Bro. They just clocked me at 180 in a 30,” he said. It’s quite possible his radar detector simply couldn’t detect the radar given the speed he was traveling at. The video shows him being pulled over by a police officer.
His text overlay says “bought the Uniden R8 for no reason.” “All my radar’s fault,” he said in the text. His caption read, “I need my refund ASAP to pay bail.” In reality, a radar detector like this is probably best used when you are going 5-10 mph over the speed limit and in an area where speed limits are strictly enforced. Attempting to use it at these high speeds is just asking for trouble.
A caveat: this may have been a joke, but the officer doesn’t make it sound funny. If you are going well over 100mph in a 30mph zone, there is no way the cops would need a speed-detection gun to pull you over. If a cop sees you obviously and dramatically exceeding this speed limit, they will clearly chase you and ticket you, and that will let them clock your speed in the process.
Are Radar Detection Devices Any Good?
There is perhaps a case for using a radar detection gun like this. In some areas, speed limits are very tightly enforced, and just going slightly over the limit could land you in trouble. But they are not the most accurate devices. As reported by Vortex Radar, they can give false positives or even miss the radar completely. So you might think you are safe, but in reality, you aren’t, or you might get jumpy about a radar up ahead for no reason.
The best use for one of these guns is if you simply lose a bit of focus, creep over the speed limit, and need to get back on the limit. A radar detector will alert you to the radar and act as a reminder to check your speed. There is, however, a simpler and much cheaper way of avoiding getting a speeding ticket. That is to simply not speed. Drive at the limit of the road or conditions, and you will be fine.