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Radar detectors could be back on shop shelves soon after the government announced it would not ban them, following six years of uncertainty.
The devices, which scan for radar or laser signals emitted by cameras and mobile speed funs, alert drivers if they are detected.
The devices, which scan for radar or laser signals emitted by cameras and mobile speed funs, alert drivers if they are detected.
And unlike GPS systems, radar detectors are clever enough to identify whether cameras are active or not and spot police speed traps. The law was changed in 2006, according to The Sunday Times, granting ministers the right to ban the devices without having to go through parliament.
As a result, car retailers such as Halfords removed the products from their shops. But last week, the new road safety minister Stephen Hammond confirmed that these powers would not be enforced.
He said: "We do not plan to ban radar detectors as our general approach is to make speed enforcement visible and fair - encouraging improved driver behaviour and making the roads safer for all."
Auto Express product expert Kim Adams said that clarification on what is legal "has to be a good thing".
However, he warned that it was unlikely to make a big difference to drivers with sat nav speed camera databases having vastly improved in the past six years, plus they can now be updated live.
He added: "Detectors rather than locators only really had an advantage with mobile, temporary speed traps. And do you really want something else stuck on the screen? A detector is a one-trick pony while a live sat-nav can also alert you to speed cams but do so much more as well."