Radar detection use and speeds of large trucks were measured on interstate highways in 17 states throughout the continental United States. Data were collected from a passenger van travelling below the truck speed limit using a "radar detector detector" (RDD) device to determine radar detector use and nondetectable radar to measure speeds. At leat 52 percent of all trucks and 50 percent of trucks carrying hazardous materials were using radar detectors. Among tractor-semitrailers, at least 59 percent were using radar detectors with rates ranging from 39 percent in California to 69 percent in Oklahoma. Trucks with radar detectors were more likely than those without radar detectors to be travelling at illegal speeds. Overall radar detector use among trucks in these largely midwestern and western states was considerable higher - about one and a half times - than that observed in an earlier study conducted in seven eastern states. (A)
Abstract