Have you ever been saved by a radar detector? Was it one with the little arrows on it, to tell you where the cop actually is? If so, you have Michael Valentine to thank for that money you saved. Pour one out for him today in honor of his death last week at the age of 74.
Valentine created the Valentine One line of radar detectors, famous for their arrows that show where your threat is relative to your car. Valentine Ones are immediately recognizable, having graced dashboards across the country largely unchanged for decades — I think my parents had their Valentine One detectors before they had me, and they’re still kicking.
Valentine’s background was in electrical engineering, which he used to found the company Cincinnati Microwave before moving on to Valentine Research and the world of helping us all exceed the posted limit. His success allowed him and his wife Peg to give back to their local community in Cincinnati, funding arts centers and supporting the renovation of the local ice rink, according to his obituary.
Now, radar detectors have passed their heyday, with the advent of instant-on radar and speed trap location sharing through apps like Waze, but Valentine’s impact on the speeders of yore is one that will be felt for years to come. Next time you see that black box with the red arrows suctioned cupped to someone’s windshield, remember that Michael Valentine put it there.
