Police (radar & speed) - Smart Car of America Forums : Smart Car Forum

artist · 10-02-2008, 07:30 PM

Is it possible that with so much plastic on the smart that police radar has a hard time picking up the car's speed.

NCC1701 · 10-02-2008, 07:31 PM

I doubt that. You know those unattended roadside radar signs, the ones that display your speed as you approach them? They spot my speed pretty dang precisely.

**jwight** · 10-02-2008, 07:32 PM

I don't know, about as hard as clocking a Corvette is my guess, and they don't have any trouble with those.

**JPaul** · 10-02-2008, 07:52 PM

the smart is not a stealth, it has enough mass and reflective parts to be picked by radar.

BTW: added to the title for clarity.

Kermit · 10-02-2008, 08:00 PM

Ditto on what NCC1701 said. Several of us go jogging in the morning and a housing area has a speed limit sign with a "your speed" radar attached to the bottom of it. For myself, there is plenty of metal in me but it still read the others with me too. (no I'm not the Terminator

). Each one of us take turns running past it on sprints to see how fast we can go - one at a time is enough mass to trigger the radar.

mmmeat · 10-02-2008, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by artist

Is it possible that with so much plastic on the smart that police radar has a hard time picking up the car's speed.

The Smart has PLENTY of metal.

However, it may not have the mass. If you're travelling next to a Mack truck, the chances are pretty good that the radar gun is going to pick up the truck rather than the Smart.

Your pal,
Meat.

**SmartDigger** · 10-02-2008, 08:40 PM

That is one reason we here in Ohio have front license plates. A target for the laser gun. Radar works on reflective waves and only needs a flat part no matter what it is made of.

NCC1701 · 10-02-2008, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmartDigger

That is one reason we here in Ohio have front license plates. A target for the laser gun. Radar works on reflective waves and only needs a flat part no matter what it is made of.

Seems an odd line of thinking to me. No front plate is necessary for radar detection.

xcrew229x · 10-02-2008, 08:45 PM

A word of advice for those who think they can hide from radar by passing a semi. Newer generation traffic radars have a "fast" button, which let's you lock out the larger target's speed, and get a read on the car coming around. That, the visual confirm, and a good narrative will bag ya.

**SmartDigger** · 10-02-2008, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NCC1701

Seems an odd line of thinking to me. No front plate is necessary for radar detection.

The plate is for laser target and is also a good back stop to bounce radar waves off of. Early radar struggled with pointy front ends like on a vett.