Most of us face the same handful of headaches in our daily commute, from aggressive drivers and traffic to the occasional speeding ticket. Detroit, where I live, has unique road and infrastructure designs that can make driving difficult even during rush hour.
Over the past few years, I’ve picked three pieces of technology that solve some of these problems while also having the potential to save you money. None of them changed my car, but they did change my handling.
Here’s a look at the radar detector, dash cam, and usage-based insurance program that made the biggest difference in my daily commute, and why each could be added to yours.
Radar detectors help me avoid speed traps
My Escort and Uniden detectors pick up police cruisers hiding in traffic
The average fine for speeding in the United States is around $150, but the true cost often comes later. According to Insurify, with drivers speeding ticket on their records pays an average of $127 per month for liability insurance, compared to $98 per month for drivers with a clean record.
A high-quality radar detector can prevent this, provided you know how to use it where you live.
For example, law enforcement officers in metro Detroit often drive Ford Explorers and Chevy Tahoes with low-profile roof lights. Given how common Explorers and Tahoes are, they blend into heavy traffic and can be difficult to detect visually from any meaningful distance. And then there is Michigan Sol.
The best way to describe a Michigan Left (ie, an indirect left turn) is that in order to actually turn left, you first turn right. At certain marked intersections, you cannot make a direct left turn. Instead, you’ll turn right into the far left lane, which becomes a special U-turn lane. At this point, you will make a U-turn and go back the way you came and through the intersection, essentially completing an extended right turn.
Michigan Sol infrastructure is designed shown to reduce congestion and accident rateslaw enforcement agencies can use this to their advantage to pull over speeders.
Telegraph Road in metro Detroit is a good example. You may be in the left lane, passing in front of traffic, but in the opposite direction, also in the far left lane, is a law enforcement officer. They can time your clock, swerve into their own special U-turn lane, spin around, flash their lights, and pull you over.
In the fast-moving but almost bumper-to-bumper traffic on Telegraph Road, it’s hard to see the officers driving the unusual Ford Explorer or Chevy Tahoe until they’re right behind you. However, with a radar detector, you will get advance warning of them coming the other way.
My primary radar detectors are an Escort MAX 360 MKII or a Uniden R8. The dual antenna design of both radar detectors extends the range and provides directional warning arrows on the screen, so I know where the radar source is coming from. Both units have solid material constructions, including matching power cables and windshield mounts.
- Radar band detection
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X, K, Ka
- Companion App
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Drive smarter
The Escort MAX 360c MKII is a follow-up to the standard MAX 360c radar detector. This upgraded version features a longer detection range with an updated dual antenna platform and increased false alarm filtering through Blackfin DSP integration.
If an accident happens, my camera will protect me
G-sensor and parking mode save shots before they go
Although I don’t have many dash cams like radar detectors VIOFO A119 MINI 2 The unit I bought back in 2023 has served me well. Granted, I don’t use all of its features like voice-activated commands and the smartphone app every day, but the built-in G-sensor and emergency recording features are what I like the most.
The G-sensor works by detecting sudden changes in speed such as a collision or hard braking while trying to avoid an accident. When it senses one of those events, the camera automatically locks the frames in that clip so it can’t be overwritten by loop recording. While there are many benefits to having a dash cam, proving that you were not at fault in an accident is at the top of the list.
My VIOFO unit also has a feature called “buffered parking mode with automatic event detection”, which means it can record footage before and after a “trigger event”. For example, if someone drives past my car or crashes into it, the camera will automatically start recording, saving footage 15 seconds before and 30 seconds after the event. When I bought the A119 MINI 2 I didn’t have the kit at first, but after that I did.
At the same time, I also ordered the optional circular polarized lens that VIOFO sells. The filter reduces reflection and glare from the windshield, road surfaces and infrastructure. The images above were taken during Detroit High Air Quality Alertshas a small polarizing lens attached to the camera.
Usage-based insurance makes me a better driver
I don’t know if I’ll keep it, but it looks promising
Usage-based car insurance generally falls into two categories: pay-per-mile or safe driver. The program through my insurance provider is the latter, I can get a discount if I score high in these specific areas:
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Zero phone distractions.
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Observing and obeying the speed limit.
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Steady braking, acceleration and turning.
Usage-based insurance is a new addition to my daily commute, so it’s interesting to see if my rate will eventually drop (although I did get a $53.00 discount on my six-month premium for signing up). I expect to save about 10% per month on my premium if all goes as planned. I will take those deposits and then apply them to my car loan on time.
My insurance provider sent me a small beacon to attach to the top of my windshield, near my rearview mirror. Once that was done, I downloaded the companion app, entered my vehicle information, and connected it to the beacon.
My 14 day credit card currently has 12 trips and 272 miles. App wise, I need an improvement in the distraction category of the phone, but I’m also wondering if this is a false positive that will count against me over time. In four of those 12 trips, I You need to use Google Maps. Even though my phone is parked in the center console, I think the tracking software from my insurance provider sees that my phone’s screen is on and docks me.
I’m undecided about maintaining usage-based insurancebecause I want to see what potential discounts can be realized in the future. If nothing else, for now, it keeps me honest about watching my speed and riding more defensively.
He taught me how to use all three
If you spend a lot of time behind the wheel in a big city where traffic, weather, and law enforcement are constantly changing, it’s worth looking into one or more of these tools.
For me, a radar detector keeps me honest about my speed on roads with officers. The dash cam gives me proof if something goes wrong, proof I don’t have otherwise. A usage-based insurance program, while still new to me, will likely be a financial incentive.
Again, none of these three tools are a substitute for being a sober and alert driver, but each gave me a layer of awareness or protection that I didn’t have before.
