Valentine One Radar Detector Moment of the Month
July 2003: V1 on Top Down Under
The scene was New Zealand, the North Island: it was late, and I was
driving at a determined pace towards the mountains for a weekend of
snowboarding. New Zealand Police have become extremely ruthless at
enforcing our low speed limits.
With no other cars on the road, I was the vulnerable one. After
swinging down a long hill, I turned a corner—directly into instant-on K
band. V1 went to full alert. I hit the brakes almost instantly, slowing
from around 50 percent over the limit to just under. The cruiser was
nearly hidden. Its park lights were masked by small trees. Nasty.
His lights came on, and I was pulled over shortly afterwards. The man
was furious. He demanded to know what sort of radar detector I had, and
tried to bluff me into a ticket. I asked him what speed had he clocked me.
He had to admit that he could not actually lock on to my speed as I had
slowed down too fast. So he had no evidence apart from numbers doing a
flashing roll over his display.
The V1 had done its job in a tricky situation.
From then on, all enforcers in the area were on high alert, with V1
picking up three more radar traps within the next 10 kms.
Simon Longdill
Auckland, NEW ZEALAND