The Truth About Traffic Tickets
Ok, so which car gets the most tickets? A red Corvette? Jack Baruth’s Phaeton? Any Porsche? Wrong on all counts.
Quality Planning is a company that provides statistics to insurance companies. They relate cars to the people who drive them and especially how those people drive them. Quality Planning’s findings can cost you or save you money in terms of insurance. Ok, none of the above is on top of the list.
The Mercedes SL-Class roadster is not only a babe magnet, it has a fatal attraction to cops. But wait until you hear what the #2 car is.
It’s the alleged blandmobile, the vanilla Toyota Camry Solara. Followed, get this, by another Toyota, the Scion TC. Followed by a dead car, the Hummer. Even more interesting: The nation’s #1 hoonmobile, the Mercedes SL, is driven by an old and reckless driver who is 53 year on the average. And 59 percent of its ticketed drivers are women. Did I mention it’s a babe magnet? The runner-up, the Camry Solara, has a similar average age (50 years), 61 percent of its ticketed drivers are driverettes.
Vehicle with highest percentage of violationsMakeModelBody StyleViolations*Average Age% MaleMercedes-BenzSL-ClassConvertible404%5341%ToyotaCamry-SolaraCoupe349%5039%ScionTCCoupe343%3039%HummerH2/H3SUV292%4673%ScionXBHatchback270%3740%Mercedes-BenzCLS-63 AMGSedan264%4658%AcuraIntegraCoupe185%3360%PontiacGrand PrixSedan182%4041%Mercedes-BenzCLK 63 AMGSedan179%4744%VolkswagenGTIHatchback178%4044Violations/100,000 miles driven, expressed as percentage of average. For a complete list,
see www.qualityplanning.com.
Now what about cars that are nearly ticket-proof? If you don’t want to send checks to the DMV or the court, get an SUV or minivan. Best, get a Buick Rainier. Average age 61, 71 percent driven by men. Cops pretty much ignore them.
Vehicles with lowest percentage of violationsMakeModelBody StyleViolations*Average Age% MaleBuickRainierSUV23%6171%MazdaTributeSUV26%3629%ChevroletC/K- 3500/2500Pickup26%4086%KiaSpectraSedan27%4044%BuickLacrosseSUV32%6550%SaturnAura HybridSedan37%5914%OldsmobileSilhouetteMinivan37%4150%ChevroletUplanderMinivan38%4054%HyundaiTucsonSUV38%4740%PontiacVibeSUV39%4132%Violations/100,000 miles driven, expressed as percentage of average. For a complete list,
see www.qualityplanning.com.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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What is surprising is that most all the cars listed are primarily female driven. Now why was my insurance so much higher when I was learning to drive...
@Steven02, your insurance wasn't higher, the insurance of your female contemporaries was lower, because they got fewer claims against them. They'd just cry after bending a fender and the other driver would work something out with her dad. The same other driver would have called you a reckless punk and made sure you got points on your license, and all your male contemporaries would pay the price.