If you’re a firm believer that every motorist should have a radar detector and know how to use it effectively, this petition is for you. So, the main question, “Why should it be legal to own a radar detector in Virginia, when its only purpose is to help you break the law?” In reality, assisting someone with a regulatory violation is not the "only" purpose for a radar detector. In fact, that’s not even one of its purposes. Many of the new radar detectors provide other vital information such as traffic updates, road construction, and changing weather conditions. A radar detector will help you clear the roadway for an approaching ambulance, observe the Safety Alert system (or several other systems like it), gain advance warning of a construction zone, or reroute around a traffic accident. The simple fact is that driving without a radar detector is considerably less safe than driving with one. Radar detector owners are aware of ambulances, emergencies, construction and accidents long before anyone else. Additionally, some models allow you to set speed warnings that notify you if you are close to exceeding the posted speed limit. This is very helpful in areas of Virginia where the speed limit drops by 10 MPH for short distances; often in the middle of a construction zone where the multitude of tractor trailers constantly block a driver’s view of almost every highway sign.