Repeal of radar detector ban advancing in Virginia House

RICHMOND -- For motorists hankering to zip along the highways unfettered by the heavy hand of law enforcement, this is shaping up to be a very friendly General Assembly session.

Already, the Senate and House of Delegates have voted to raise the speed limit on interstate highways to 70 mph, a measure championed by Gov. Bob McDonnell.

Now a proposal to repeal Virginia's ban on radar detectors is advancing through the House.

Del. Joe May's bill, HB 674, was approved 11-8 by the House Transportation Committee on Thursday and now moves to the House floor. May, R-Leesburg, is the committee chairman. The ban on radar detectors has been on the books since 1962, and similar laws have been enacted in other states. However, all but Virginia have repealed them.

"In Virginia, we never rush into things," May told a subcommittee that considered his bill. "This is one of those things that we haven't rushed into, and I think it's time we did."

He said the law has outlived its usefulness and creates an inhospitable climate for visitors passing through the state.

Moreover, "I have never seen any tangible evidence that radar detectors cause an increase in speeding," May said. "I think it has the opposite effect: It makes people slow down."

The bill was approved over the objections of the State Police, the Virginia Sheriffs' Association and the insurance industry.

"It's a device that's solely manufactured to violate a law," said Del. Bill Carrico, R-Grayson County, a former state trooper. On duty once in the 1990s, Carrico said, he spotted three cars in a row traveling faster than 80 mph, and he activated his radar. The lead driver, whose car was equipped with a radar detector, slammed on his brakes and caused a three-car pileup.

Carrico also suggested the measure would benefit drug runners by helping them avoid traffic stops.

Another bill giving motorcyclists a break won a favorable 2-1 vote in a House subcommittee Thursday. HB 1267, sponsored by Del. Tom Gear, R-Hampton, would lower the fine for not wearing a helmet to $25 with no court costs assessed.

Under current law, violators pay $76, including court costs, and if they fight the citation in court the penalty can rise to $250.

Chris LaGow, an insurance lobbyist, called it "a stimulus bill for hospital emergency rooms."