The Truth About Traffic Tickets

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

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%4044

Violations/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
Bertel Schmitt

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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  • Steven02 Steven02 on Oct 18, 2010

    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...

  • Lorenzo Lorenzo on Oct 18, 2010

    @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.

  • Dukeisduke Is the Volvo EX30 even on sale yet? It was pulled from the NACTOY awards because they were having software problems with the vehicle.
  • Wjtinfwb If you've only got 5k to spend on transportation, I cannot imagine a worse way to spend it than on a GM orphan from Sweden that's 15 years old with 150k on the clock and limited plus expensive parts availability and dwindling techs who'd even want to work on it. Go find a similar vintage Camry or Accord with 150k miles or even a Ford or a Chevy, whatever. Hell, even an old Jaguar is less of a crapshoot than a Saab. At least you can still get parts.
  • Kwik_Shift Brands that were considered from China include BYD, Dayun, Great Wall Motors, Maxus, Nio, Omoda/Chery, Seres, XPeng, and Zeekr. KG Mobility from South Korea also made the list of candidates.That's a lot of car companies from there ready to head here.
  • Analoggrotto Clean sweep and unanimous victory for the world affluence engine of 22nd century : Hyundai/Kia/Genesis. Toyota and Lexus, for 120 years of history have not been able to capture the zenith superlative status of Hyundai Motor Corporation the most awarded, decorated and revered automotive corporation in the history of historical. Featuring best ever, first ever and greatest ever e-ATPs the Hyundai Genesis Kia lineup is posed to become the envy of every country club, ivy league college and fortune 500 corporation in the world. I've been taking a roadtrip in my loaner Elantra N, visiting colleges from east to west, elite universities of higher learning to inspect their parking lots. WHat did I find? Leagues of Genesis models, outnumbering Lexus 3 to 1. When I interviewed faculty and staff at these places of greater learning, their response was unanimous : they chose HMC for the ATPs.
  • Mikey 2019 Chevy Impala Premier FWD with 20 inch factory Bridgestones. I'm looking at replacing tires at the 65,000 KLM's (40,000 miles ) mark ....It doesn't thrill me .. I'm pricing Michelin Cross Climate 2 tires ouch !! ..Up here in Canuckastan ....Big $$$$$
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