Laser Countermeasures
Laser detection capabilities are touted by all manufacturers in their advertising and brochures but in reality, how important are these claims? Fors puts it into perspective: "Laser warning in a radar/laser detector is of no use. There is no advance warning. You will receive a ticket."
This means that pairing your radar/laser detector with a laser jammer, or the more politically correct "shifter" or "blocker" terms, is essential in building a total protection package. Unlike radar, which is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, lasers are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and there are no current national statutes governing the scrambling, jamming, or otherwise countering their use. (California, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Utah do prohibit or restrict their use.)
This year SML tested laser jammers from BEL, Escort, and Blinder X-treme. All work on the principal of scrambling the laser signal aimed by the police officer, typically at the front plate or headlight reflectors. When the signal is reflected back to the operator's gun, the officer sees an error message and will be unable to get an accurate reading. By the time the officer realizes he has a problem, you will have driven by, as laser-generated tickets are issued when tracking a vehicle within a thousand feet.
The BEL Laser Pro 904 and Escort ZR3 (both $499 installation included) are essentially the same type of unit: two modules mount up front, typically on each side of the license plate protecting each vulnerable targets (the front plate, bright grilles, and headlight reflectors) and a third unit mounted above the rear plate. An interface module allows for integration with selected BEL and Escort dashtop detectors, letting you know you've jammed a laser signal. In this year's tests, the Laser Pro 905 and ZR3 effectively jammed laser 86 percent of the time. Both BEL and Escort include professional installation as part of the practice and have a nationwide network of installers in place to provide this service.
A second solution comes from Blinder X-treme, which offers two units, the M-20 X-treme (front only, $349.95) and the M-40 X-treme (front and rear, $599.95) with installation priced separately (typically $100 for the M-20, $150 for the M-40). This is the Ferrari Enzo of laser jamming devices, effectively neutering police laser an incredible 92 percent of the time. As it is a standalone product, it can be matched up with any radar/laser detector.