I immigrated to San Francisco in my early 30s, and before I knew it, I was over 40, and these days my driving has become quite calm.

Just ten years ago, I was driving all over the place on Highway 101 and 29 heading to Napa, the northern section of I-5 going to Oregon, I-80 and US-50 going to Lake Tahoe, and I received several speeding tickets, which really put a hole in my wallet. The fines were hefty, and even worse was the insurance premiums. Once they went up, I had to keep paying more for several years. That's when I thought, 'I need to find a way to deal with this.'

So, back then, I decided to invest in a top-of-the-line speed gun radar for about $300.

Is it still useful? Not as much as before, but it still works. However, its effectiveness has changed a bit.

Ten years ago, speed gun radars were almost a godsend. When it went off on the freeway, you could think, "Oh, there's a cop," and if you slowed down, you were right over 90 percent of the time. Back then, radar enforcement was the main method, and the equipment was simple. So just having a radar detector helped avoid quite a few tickets.

Now, the situation is a bit different. Police equipment has evolved. Laser methods have increased, instant measurement devices are more common, and mobile enforcement has grown. In these cases, the detector might go off after you've already been caught. So if you expect it to "100 percent prevent tickets," you will be disappointed.

However, there is something important. A significant portion of highway enforcement is still radar-based.

Especially on suburban freeways, highways, and county roads, there are still many radars. In those areas, when the detector goes off, it often means there is an actual enforcement vehicle ahead. This is both a feeling and a common story among drivers today.

And the real benefit is not just avoiding tickets but managing driving habits. When the warning sound goes off, my foot automatically goes to the brake.

If this happens repeatedly, I keep realizing, "Oh, I'm speeding right now."

So my average speed naturally decreases. This is the biggest reason it helps avoid tickets.

Now, speed gun radars are not the "all-purpose radar" they used to be. They are powerless against lasers.

But in radar enforcement areas, they are still quite effective.

And above all, I believe they still hold value as a device that changes driving habits.

So I think it's more accurate to see it as a speeding prevention trainer rather than just a warning device for speeding.