DPS turns tables on radar detectors

The Department of Public Safety is stepping up efforts to get big rigs to slow down.

Supplemented by federal grant money, the DPS has purchased 101 radar detector detectors for use by License and Weight troopers. Another 43 could be purchased by June. Federal law forbids commercial vehicles from using radar detectors and they can be pulled over and ticketed for simply operating a radar detector during travel.

“The combination of size and speed can make large trucks a lethal combination,” said DPS Director Col. Thomas Davis Jr. Because of their sheer mass, truck drivers have a special responsibility to drive safely.

Hopefully, this additional enforcement tool will make them think twice about violating the speed limit.”

Some License and Weight troopers have been using radar detector detectors for several years now, but the new and future purchases will eventually equip nearly every License and Weight patrol vehicle in the state with the technology to spot active radar detector devices in commercial vehicles.

The units cost about $1,500 a piece and were purchased with the help of grant money from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
“It’s important for the public to remember that truck drivers often are not the culprits when it comes to dangerous driving habits,” said Davis.

“Driving with big rigs presents special challenges for everyday motorists.”