Calls for crackdown on sale of illegal speed camera laser jammers online as Brits try to dodge fines
Despite being illegal to use in the UK, devices that block a speed camera's signal were being sold with major online retailers as recently as last week - and any driver that chooses to install one on their car could face time in jail
A CRACKDOWN on lasers that can stop speed cameras from catching reckless motorists is needed, according to safety campaigners.
Private sellers trying to shift the laser jammers that fool police tech have recently been spotted being promoted on major online retailers.
And while legally sold as parking sensors or garage door openers, the devices are illegal if they are used to interfere with police radars and fixed speed cameras.
The laser jammers are able to detect a radar beam and automatically send out another signal on the same frequency, preventing the car's speed from being read.
According to , a number of adverts were posted with online sellers such as Amazon and eBay, where the user was promoting their ability to act as a cloaking device against speed cameras.
Drivers that choose to fit a laser jammer can be charged with perverting the course of justice - a crime which carries jail time for offenders.
How a laser jammer interferes with a speed gun
- The jammer comes pre-tuned to the same frequency used by police speed traps.
- It intercepts the beam coming in from the speed gun and sends a beam back on the same freqency.
- This means the only thing on the speed gun screen is an error message. The car's speed is not recorded.
- The device, which transmits through a laser head under the front number plate, continues to jam the police radar for a further five seconds.
- It also triggers an alarm which warns the driver to slam on the brakes so by the time he passes the speed camera for a second time they are abiding by the speed limit.
Just last week, a 67-year-old driver an received and eight month jail sentence after using a radar jammer and giving police the finger while speeding in his Range Rover.
Road safety charity, Brake, has now called for harsher regulation on the sale of lasers by online retailers.
Joshua Harris from Brake, told The Telegraph: “It's shocking to see laser jammers being advertised and used to pervert the course of justice and allow drivers to avoid being caught speeding.
“Breaking the speed limit is extremely dangerous and puts innocent lives at risk and those who do so deserve to be caught and punished.
"We urge the Government to crackdown on the sale of these morally reprehensible devices and ensure our roads are kept safe of dangerous drivers.”
A representative from the AA also called for the devices to be "outlawed" all together.
the road laws you need to know
An eBay spokesman said: “We have banned the sale of these types of items on our site, and our policies in this area are stricter than UK law requires. Listings that don’t comply with our policies will be removed.”
At the time of writing, it did appear that both Amazon and eBay had removed listings of actual laser jammers from their site.
But they did have a number of similar items for sale that are used to detect police radars and speed cameras, and warn drivers when there is one ahead.
As these don't interfere with the camera's ability to read a car's speed, they are currently legal in the UK.