It’s Not a Myth: Certain Colors and Makes Get Pulled Over More Often

Take a hard look at what you drive. Does your car seem like the type that would get pulled over easily? Is it a sports car or an SUV? What color is it? You wouldn’t think that these things necessarily matter when it comes to getting stopped. Unfortunately, according to a recent study, they just might.

Take a look at the information below—it might surprise you!

Does the Color Really Matter?

Does having a flashy colored car mean you’ll get pulled over more? Some studies show that things are a bit different than you’d expect. Urban legend says that red is the color that gets pulled over more often, but red actually came in second place in this study. The top color is white, with gray and silver coming in third and fourth place, respectively.

It seems like flashy-colored cars don’t get pulled over as often as we think. But what about the model?

Does the Model Matter?

Let the data speak for itself—the top three models that got pulled over the most were the Mercedes-Benz SL class, the Toyota Camry Solara, and the Scion tC. Each was between 300 and 400 percent more likely to get a ticket than any other car.

By contrast, the cars that were least ticketed were the Jaguar XJ, the Chevy Suburban, and the Buick Park Avenue. Each were around 90 percent less likely to get a ticket than the rest of the cars surveyed.

Interestingly enough, the top cars were more sporty models, such as coupes and cars designed for the “younger generations.” In contrast, the lower cars appeared to be more family-friendly sedans and SUVs.

Another report nearly echoed this data, and included minivans in the cars that were least likely to get pulled over. In this report, Scion and Mercedes models appeared on the “most-likely” list multiple times. Most cars on this list were sporty sedans as well, including the Acura Integra and Pontiac Grand Prix. The Hummer H2 was strangely ranked fourth, under the tC.

Will You Get Ticketed?

It’s inevitable that you’ll probably receive a speeding ticket sometime in your life. But as the data show, some colors and models get pulled over more than others. Other contributing factors include driver gender and age, as well as speed.

Males are more likely to get pulled over, topping females by about 30 percentage points. The typical millennial ages of 19-21 received over 70,000 tickets, with age 20 receiving the most, with 80,000 tickets. From a speeding range of 9 to 16 mph, 15 miles over the limit is the speed at which most people are caught—and by a wide margin.

Police Look for Certain Things

If you ever thought that police have bias towards certain cars, you’re half right. Police keep an eye out for certain features, but all of them have to do with aggressive driving or simply not following the rules. If you were hoping for an excuse to drive however you like, it won’t necessarily cut it when you read this list.

Edmunds surveyed three police departments and two traffic agencies, and they reported five ways to get pulled over easily:

  1. Speeding
  2. Distracted driving/using a cell phone behind the wheel
  3. Hazardous driving, such as running stop signs, illegal U-turns and failure to yield
  4. Equipment violations, such as tinted windows, expired tags and loud exhaust
  5. Tailgating and improper lane changes

Know Where You Stand

It seems ridiculous that police favor certain colors, makes and attitudes of drivers. What you do with this information, however, is up to you. Be cautious if you decide to take a stand against this subtle issue.

Scott Huntington writes about and drives cars around the Harrisburg area and has been featured on Yahoo Autos, Business Insider, and more. Check out his site Off The Throttle and follow him on Twitter @SMHuntington.

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