It has been disproved that red cars get pulled over most often. However, the type of vehicle you are driving could very well play a part in how much attention you get from law enforcement.
According to a study conducted by Insurance.com, the most ticketed car in the United States is the Subaru WRX. Almost 34% of Subaru WRX drivers reported having recently received a traffic citation. Rounding out the top twenty most ticketed cars on the road behind the WRX were the:
- Pontiac GTO- 32.7%
- Scion FR-S- 32.6%
- Toyota Supra- 30.8%
- Subaru Tribeca- 29.7%
- Volkswagen Rabbit- 29.6%
- Mercury Topaz- 28.8%
- Scion tC- 28.8%
- Toyota FJ Cruiser- 28.4%
- Mazda2- 28.1%
- Hyundai Veloster- 28.1%
- Volkswagen GTI- 28.1%
- Suzuki Reno- 28.1%
- Scion xA- 27.8%
- Pontiac G8- 27.7%
- MINI Cooper S Countryman- 27.5%
- Mitsubishi 3000 GT- 27.4%
- Saturn Aura- 27.1%
- Infiniti QX56/ QX80- 27.1%
- Toyota Prius C- 27.0%
The list was compiled from online quote data from over 57,000 drivers and 526 vehicle models and between January 2013 and July 2014.
Ironically, many of the cars on the list are not known for their strong acceleration or horsepower, and many of them are no longer manufactured. Experts at Insurance.com acknowledge law enforcement’s bias toward young drivers and hypothesize that young motorists are the ones behind the wheel of these cars because they are more affordable, or perhaps hand-me-downs from parents.
The bias toward young drivers, or perhaps, any less affluent drivers, might be substantiated by examining the list of top ten automobiles least likely to be ticketed. This list includes luxury and/or family vehicles, and all but one have base MSRPs of approximately $30,000 or greater. The list includes:
- Buick Lucerne- 60% less likely to be ticketed
- GMC Sierra 1500- 60%
- Buick Rainier- 63%
- Oldsmobile Silhouette- 63%
- Mazda6- 66%
- Buick Park Avenue- 68%
- Chevrolet C1500, K1500, 2500HD, 3500HD- 72%
- Chevrolet Tahoe- 79%
- Chevrolet Suburban- 84%
- Jaguar XJ Sedan- 89%
Tips for Avoiding Being Ticketed
Every year, tens of millions of traffic citations are issued, creating serious revenue for states and municipalities. Just one ticket can increase a motorist’s insurance premiums for several years, and multiple citations can send your rates soaring. However, by following some simple guidelines, you may be able to avoid those dreaded and costly tickets:
- Drive safely and defensively- always wear your seatbelt
- Keep your vehicle maintained- avoid drawing attention to yourself with busted tail lights or a cracked windshield
- Use a radar detector and scan the road ahead for cruisers
- Drive the speed limit during ideal conditions- slow down accordingly if the situation necessitates
- If you are pulled over, be polite, respectful, and follow the established protocol
Contact a Boulder Traffic Offense Lawyer
If you are arrested and charged with a serious traffic offense or a crime, you need a Boulder criminal defense lawyer on your side from the very start. Remember—what you say can—and will be used against you in a court of law. Contact the Boulder criminal defense lawyers at Steven Louth Law Offices today for a free consultation and review of your case. Call us at (303) 422-2297 to start building a solid defense against these serious criminal charges.