There are two types of speed camera detectors - passive and active.
Passive units work on GPS and recognise the location of sites where the whereabouts of the speed camera has been published. The police often cooperate in providing this information to the manufacturers. This is relevant to static cameras such as Gatso's and Truvelo's.
Active camera detectors actually detect the beams from a camera as you approach. It is this type of speed camera detector that is more controversial and that is illegal in many European countries and some States in America. More Below
The Law
A case in 1998 ruled that active speed camera detectors were not illegal. However in 2005 the Government proposed legislation that would ban them. This legislation was dropped.
New Proposals
As of 2007/8 it is again proposed to introduce legislation that may make them illegal. There is not yet any timetable or detail of such legislation. It is not likely that passive systems will be outlawed by such legislation. Units that can work passively and actively and which can be switched off will probably be allowed still, providing that the active element is switched off.
