Volkswagen Automobiles Forum banner

Are Laser Detectors Illegal In Ireland?

2227 Views 28 Replies 14 Participants Last post by  Gaff
As I have one. wondering what would happen if I went through a checkpoint or something? Would/could they take it off me?
1 - 20 of 29 Posts
yeah they are! its leagal to own one, but ilegal to use it!
That's all that will happen though, they'll take it off you. Which is bad enough cos they're feckin expensive but chances of further action are slim to none.
Illegal: yes/absolutely...

Chances of being caught: very small unless you have it in the middle of your windscreen...

I have one hardwired in, up near my rear view mirror, very hard to spot unless you are in the car. It's saved my bacon on a good few occasions...
QUOTE (pdxa4 @ Jan 9 2006, 06:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Illegal: yes/absolutely...

It's saved my bacon on a good few occasions...

Any problems with false alarms? You probably get hardly any with laser, but loads with one that detects radio waves...
QUOTE (RiccsonTDI @ Jan 9 2006, 06:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Any problems with false alarms? You probably get hardly any with laser, but loads with one that detects radio waves...

Yes on the x-band...(such as automatic door openers at shops, etc) But there are still some guns that use this frequency so I keep it on always. I have a mute button beside my steering wheel so I can turn the alarm off easily...
I have a Valentine-1 and it is very good, it also has arrows so one can tell what direction the radar is coming from...
i had one, but dunno where it is now, seems like a good idea at the time but ud never use it!

Ive been told the best way to go about installing them is to extend the laser to the front head light and rear brake light.

Never to be seen again!

Mine had a city button on it, to allow for shop doors, traffic light sensors etc..

For safety sake, I dont condone the use of it!
Yeah mine has the same city button. It gets a bit annoying sometimes even the traffic light sensors set it off.
QUOTE (pdxa4 @ Jan 9 2006, 06:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Illegal: yes/absolutely...

Chances of being caught: very small unless you have it in the middle of your windscreen...

I have one hardwired in, up near my rear view mirror, very hard to spot unless you are in the car. It's saved my bacon on a good few occasions...

I'd be interested in having a look, purely for educational purposes
See less See more
If it's legal to own, how can the cops rightfully take it off you?
Its illegal to buy one, sell one, fit one, have one in your possesion and use one, if they catch you it will be taken off you and you most likely WILL go to court.
QUOTE (VST @ Jan 10 2006, 09:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Its illegal to buy one, sell one, fit one, have one in your possesion and use one, if they catch you it will be taken off you and you most likely WILL go to court.
That smacks of a dictatorship, not a European democracy.
QUOTE (Winger @ Jan 10 2006, 09:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>That smacks of a dictatorship, not a European democracy.

Why, you are attempting to pervert the course of justice, its understandable that any equipment to aid you in the process would be illegal.

I'm not saying that I disagree with laser / radar detectors, nor am I saying that I agree, just that I don't see why making something thats purely designed to allow someone to commit an offence illegal makes this a dictatorship. Credit card copying equipment is illegal, that infringes on the forgers "rights" to copy your card, does that make this a dictatorship? Hand guns are illegal, that infringes on my "rights" to blow annoying drivers on the roads away, does that make this a dictatorship? No, it makes it a normal country with rules and regulations.
See less See more
They're controlled under the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1849, to do with the unlicenced use/broadcast of radio waves.

And being from 1849, the Wireless Telegraphy Act wasn't an act of the Irish parliament at all, so we can't blame our democracy
See less See more
QUOTE (Gaff @ Jan 10 2006, 04:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'd be interested in having a look, purely for educational purposes


If you are in work I can scoot over and you can see it in the car park...send me a txt...
See less See more
I know of somebody that got caught and the cop made him drive over it.
There was a recent case here in Galway were a cop saw one mounted on a dashboard of a van. Since the van was parked in a Loading Bay the cop waited around for the driver. When the driver came back the cop went to confiscate the radar detector but the driver refused to hand it over and contested the use of it. The driver was later summonsed to court and the judge threw the book at him. The cops would have let him go if he had handed it over. So my advice; don't risk it.
QUOTE (GSBellew @ Jan 10 2006, 09:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Why, you are attempting to pervert the course of justice, its understandable that any equipment to aid you in the process would be illegal.

I'm not saying that I disagree with laser / radar detectors, nor am I saying that I agree, just that I don't see why making something thats purely designed to allow someone to commit an offence illegal makes this a dictatorship. Credit card copying equipment is illegal, that infringes on the forgers "rights" to copy your card, does that make this a dictatorship? Hand guns are illegal, that infringes on my "rights" to blow annoying drivers on the roads away, does that make this a dictatorship? No, it makes it a normal country with rules and regulations.
I was being dramatic, obviously!

It's illegal because of the Wireless Telegraphy Act, not because it's 'designed to allow someone to commit an offence', and confiscating it seems to be to be done with the latter in mind, not because of the law it violates. Do you think a cop would be so quick to confiscate/send you to court if he/she found an iTrip in your car?

Do ye think we have to right to know when you are being trapped by the police? (Obviously a slight difference to knowing when you are ABOUT to be trapped).
See less See more
Some of the ones designed to be permanently installed are very small - the componentry is spread around, so visible parts are fairly compact. Of course that means that if they stop you and have a good look around you've no way of hiding it at all, but then it's harder for them to ask you to dismantle it too
See less See more
QUOTE (Winger @ Jan 10 2006, 11:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I was being dramatic, obviously!

It's illegal because of the Wireless Telegraphy Act, not because it's 'designed to allow someone to commit an offence', and confiscating it seems to be to be done with the latter in mind, not because of the law it violates. Do you think a cop would be so quick to confiscate/send you to court if he/she found an iTrip in your car?

Do ye think we have to right to know when you are being trapped by the police? (Obviously a slight difference to knowing when you are ABOUT to be trapped).

You'll be a long time waiting to be trapped by the police in Ireland
See less See more
2
1 - 20 of 29 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top