Will HID lights weaken police radar?

[NetViper]

I remember reading an article in Car and Drive a while ago that mentioned that when you turn your headlights on, you weaken the reading of the radar gun. I am wondering what kind of effect HID lights have? Anyone know? Was the C&D writer on crack?

 

[Jonathan]

Originally posted by NetViper:
I remember reading an article in Car and Drive a while ago that mentioned that when you turn your headlights on, you weaken the reading of the radar gun. I am wondering what kind of effect HID lights have? Anyone know? Was the C&D writer on crack?

Maybe I'm crazy, but somehow I would think with the headlights up you would have more of a direct target for incoming radar/laser, but I am also no physicist

 

[Jimbo]

I can't think of any reasons why visible light, however strong, would adversely affect a radar beam.

The wavelengths aren't even close.

-Jim

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1992 NSX Red/Blk 5 spd #0330
1991 NSX Blk/Blk Auto #3070 (Sold)
1974 Vette 454 4 spd Wht/Blk
http://homepage.mac.com/jimanders/PhotoAlbum1.html

 

[NetViper]

It was in an article, probably a year old. They tested with headlights on, and then ever added more lights and it weakend the radar detectors ability to get a reading distance wise.

 

[nsxtasy]

Two details have been omitted above: (1) The lights that made readings more difficult were high-beam conventional headlights, not low-beam HID lights; and (2) they made readings more difficult for laser guns, not radar guns.

 

[nsxxtreme]

Anyone have a light meter? Laser radar operates at 904nm. If your HID lights where emitting this, than it would probably reduce the laser radar guns range.

 

[Gerard van Santen]

Are we talking about laser or radar?

Gerard

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by Gerard van Santen:
Are we talking about laser or radar?

The magazine article talked about laser. A few people here mention radar but I assume this is in error; I've never heard a reliable source say that lighting could foil radar.