Is your vehicle a cop magnet?

[Buttercup]

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/850/is-your-car-a-cop-magnet

No. :)

It seems that Hummer drivers get more traffic tickets than drivers of any other make of car.

Not sure if your car attracts more cops than a donut shop? [ :lol: ] Check out the list to see if your ride is getting you unwanted attention.

[Jay200MPH]

I don't believe any specific car is a "cop magnet" but certain types of drivers (hoons) are attracted to certain cars, so they show up in statistics like this.

I tend to drive older sports cars (http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x308/jay200mph/elansig.jpg) and I don't get tickets, whereas a friend of mine got so many in his navy blue 2000 Camry they yanked his license for a month. (Tip: if you get stopped going 45 km/h over, try not to get pulled over again the next week by the same cop. It never helps.)

- J

[Buttercup]

I don't believe any specific car is a "cop magnet" but certain types of drivers (hoons) are attracted to certain cars, so they show up in statistics like this.

:eh:

That didn't occur to me. :)

[BigDon]

No, the one I like is when knuckle heads who actually transport and use drugs while driving advertise this fact on the rear windows of their vehicles with various symbols and phrases, because, well all police are born in their 30's so don't know what word's like "Dub" and "Hooba" refer too.

And in case THAT was too vague then they will sport the outline of a burning joint done in that white taping used to make the words. (Hmmm, did I just see an improper lane change? I think so, hit the lights Bob.)

Now if you are just a kid "faking it" to look cool that's bad enough, but I can understand that. It's the guys who are REALLY doing illegal crap while advertising they are doing illegal crap that astound me.

I talked to a young man who sported such decorations, part of the "barbershop" crowd, prior to his subsequent arrest on DUI and possesion charges and you would be amazed at how many people seemingly earned their law degree by watching CSI and other such shows on TV.

"Oh no, it's safe because then that would be "profiling" and I can get the case thrown out." Hell of a dumb thing to bet your freedom on, in my honest opinion. Didn't work either. On top on everything else he's on five years probation! (If he gets arrested for anything he has to do the remaining time in jail!)

[Euniculus]

My husband's car is a black Toyota Corolla with tinted windows. He's been pulled over a few times because the cops say the tinting is too dark or the car looks suspicious.

I've lovingly nicknamed his car the "ghetto mobile."

[captain swoop]

Dark tinting will get you stopped in the uk and the traffic cops carry a light meter to test the level of tint. If it's too dark you get a prohibition of use order and to have it tested by a ministry approved MOT centre winthin 7 days.

[captain swoop]

It always amazes me that people engaged in illegal activites like drug running, driving with no licence etc, will chug around in a car with a visible defect or break the speed limit. I would keep a low profile.

[gzhpcu]

I tend to drive older sports cars (http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x308/jay200mph/elansig.jpg) and I don't get tickets, whereas a friend of mine got so many in his navy blue 2000 Camry they yanked his license for a month. (Tip: if you get stopped going 45 km/h over, try not to get pulled over again the next week by the same cop. It never helps.)


I drive an older sports car too. I don't get tickets either, but now and then when I go across the border to Italy, Italian cops stop me because they want to look at the car...:)

[novaderrik]

one way to never get pulled over is to drive an ex cop car.. i've had 3 of them- 87, 92, and 94 Chevy Caprices- and i rarely ever got pulled over- and the few times i did get stopped, the cop let me go without a ticket.. one older cop even told me how much faster and sturdier the Caprices were than the POS Ford Crown Vicky he was stuck driving. one young cop pulled me over becasue he thought i was impersonating a police officer because my car still had the spotlights on it- i told him to please write me the ticket so i could embarrass him in court. he let me go.
but the best part of owning one of those cars is the way the other drivers on the road get out of your way and are afraid to pass you, even when you are going 5mph below the posted speed limit. it's also fun to see the fronts of oncoming cars dive down as the driver slams on the brakes when they see what they think is a cop car coming right at them when they come over a hill.. ..

[eric_marsh]

About a week ago an orange "General Lee" Dodge Charger lookalike drove by. I like cars, so I caught up with it and checked it out. The guy was driving perfectly legally. When we entered the community of Mustang Ridge, a cop car pulled out and got on the Charger's butt, tailgating him until we reached the city limits.

I think that "harassment" is the correct term for what I saw.

[Neverfly]

Having driven everything from fast cars to big clunky trucks and even minivans, I would say that although some police officers might be swayed by a sporty car, most experienced officers know better.

I have been pulled over for three reasons Only:
-Driving badly or speeding
-Expired tags (stickers)
-Driving through a suspicious area at odd hours

That's it.
Whatever vehicle I drove made no real noticeable difference.

Now that I'm older and I drive much more responsibly than in my youth, my chances of getting pulled over have plummeted greatly.

[tdvance]

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/850/is-your-car-a-cop-magnet

No. :)

Not anymore--I got a couple tickets on my SUV, but so far, none on my Toyota Camry. Mom got her first ticket ever when she started driving an SUV. I can believe Hummers are the biggest ticket magnets, given this experience!

I've heard "red cars" get lots of tickets. It could be a noticibility thing--or it could be a "go after the apparently affluent" thing. (yeah, a friend of mine was harased going through a checkpoint to Canada about her SUV..."so, how exactly can you afford an SUV if you're retired?").

[tdvance]

I don't believe any specific car is a "cop magnet" but certain types of drivers (hoons) are attracted to certain cars, so they show up in statistics like this.

I tend to drive older sports cars (http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x308/jay200mph/elansig.jpg) and I don't get tickets, whereas a friend of mine got so many in his navy blue 2000 Camry they yanked his license for a month. (Tip: if you get stopped going 45 km/h over, try not to get pulled over again the next week by the same cop. It never helps.)

- J

It is true that driving is a bigger factor than the car. I suspect (and have no idea how to test it!) if one could subtract the big influence, the small influence would be nonzero.

[tdvance]

My husband's car is a black Toyota Corolla with tinted windows. He's been pulled over a few times because the cops say the tinting is too dark or the car looks suspicious.

I've lovingly nicknamed his car the "ghetto mobile."

In some states, tinting of the front driver's side window is illegal--so might not be a bias so much as enforcing a law, depending on where this happens!

[tdvance]

one way to never get pulled over is to drive an ex cop car.. i've had 3 of them- 87, 92, and 94 Chevy Caprices- and i rarely ever got pulled over- and the few times i did get stopped, the cop let me go without a ticket.. one older cop even told me how much faster and sturdier the Caprices were than the POS Ford Crown Vicky he was stuck driving. one young cop pulled me over becasue he thought i was impersonating a police officer because my car still had the spotlights on it- i told him to please write me the ticket so i could embarrass him in court. he let me go.
but the best part of owning one of those cars is the way the other drivers on the road get out of your way and are afraid to pass you, even when you are going 5mph below the posted speed limit. it's also fun to see the fronts of oncoming cars dive down as the driver slams on the brakes when they see what they think is a cop car coming right at them when they come over a hill.. ..

didn't work for me when I was in college..pulled over in my Crown Victoria by a cop car that was a Crown Victoria. But I had this awful trouble with people slowing down when I approached them....

[nauthiz]

It is true that driving is a bigger factor than the car. I suspect (and have no idea how to test it!) if one could subtract the big influence, the small influence would be nonzero.

That might be hard to subtract, though, since I suspect that there's a reasonably strong correlation between the driver and the car.

I'm also thinking of that study that was mentioned in Quirkology that indicated that the "soccer mom" stereotype has some truth in that minivan drivers really are more likely to do things like blow through stop signs than drivers of other vehicles are.

[captain swoop]

If you want to get pulled in the UK just add some 'aftermarket' bits. Low profile tyres and over size rims, big bore exhaust, body kit etc.

[Gillianren]

I'm also thinking of that study that was mentioned in Quirkology that indicated that the "soccer mom" stereotype has some truth in that minivan drivers really are more likely to do things like blow through stop signs than drivers of other vehicles are.

This minivan driver isn't.

[novaderrik]

This minivan driver isn't.
that's what every minivan driver says...

[Gandalf223]

didn't work for me when I was in college..pulled over in my Crown Victoria by a cop car that was a Crown Victoria. But I had this awful trouble with people slowing down when I approached them....

LOL as history repeats itself. When I was in college, the typical cop car around the area was a white Plymouth Fury. My roomie happened to have a white Fury, and any time we wanted to have fun (or get past a slow driver) all we had to do was turn on the emergency flashers. Most of the time, whomever was in front of us would obediently pull to the shoulder. Of course, we didn't pull over with them...

[Gillianren]

that's what every minivan driver says...

Maybe. However, I even drive slowly in parking lots, let alone obey stop signs. I even always use my turn signal, even in parking lots. I wish more drivers were as sensible about those two things.

[SharkByte]

I have a 1981 Corvette and my daily driver, a 2004 Corvette Convertable... I'm not depressed that neither of my cars made the list:lol:

[gzhpcu]

About a week ago an orange "General Lee" Dodge Charger lookalike drove by. I like cars, so I caught up with it and checked it out. The guy was driving perfectly legally. When we entered the community of Mustang Ridge, a cop car pulled out and got on the Charger's butt, tailgating him until we reached the city limits.

Maybe color plays a role. My previous 911 was speed yellow (guess the name tells it alll...) and attracted more attention than my current black metallic one (stealth mode...)...:)

[novaderrik]

Maybe. However, I even drive slowly in parking lots, let alone obey stop signs. I even always use my turn signal, even in parking lots. I wish more drivers were as sensible about those two things.
so you're driving that minivan that's always in my way in the Wal Mart parking lot...

[Tog_]

LOL as history repeats itself. When I was in college, the typical cop car around the area was a white Plymouth Fury. My roomie happened to have a white Fury, and any time we wanted to have fun (or get past a slow driver) all we had to do was turn on the emergency flashers. Most of the time, whomever was in front of us would obediently pull to the shoulder. Of course, we didn't pull over with them...

When I was in high school I had a friend who lived with his grandparents. They owed a Mercury Grand Marquis, which is close enough in size and shape to the Crown Vic that pulling into the parking lot of the local park 2 hours after it closes gets shadows to scatter. Add a Maglight resting on the side mirrors for added effect.:)

[korjik]

I am suprised no one tries to sell cop degaussers for cop magnet cars. :)

[Gillianren]

so you're driving that minivan that's always in my way in the Wal Mart parking lot...

Ah. You're the one going too fast. (And no; I don't go to Wal-Mart.)

[Fazor]

:) Tell you, my main line of business is auto insurance (I write home/renters and commercial aswell, but auto accounts for 90% of what I do). You see a lot of funny things. It's nice that most clients aren't aware of my law enforcement background, and I come across as a naieve youngster.

Here's a line I actually had someone who we insure say to me within the last month; "Yeah, they're taking away my license for hit-skip [hit-and-run]. But hell, that's better than a DUI like I woulda got if I stuck around, right?"

Yes, advertise to us that you were actually drunk. Lucky for him, there really isn't anything we can do about it. Hearsay. But when he has an accident, I can sure tell the adjuster "By the way, he's admitted to me that he drives drunk."

And as others have mentioned, I too love people that drive illegally but do whatever they can to get caught. I can't tell you how many people come in to start auto policies because they got caught driving without a license, without insurance, drunk, all of the above ... and were pulled over for doing 80 in a 25. Why in the world would you drive so stupidly knowing you're driving illegally? People are brilliant...

[closetgeek]

Why in the world would you drive so stupidly knowing you're driving illegally? People are brilliant...


Fazor because no one thinks they are going to get caught. they think they are playing odds.
I had a cop magnet and yes, cars that attract attention, usually attract the law too. It was the Pearl white1993 high performance Maxima with blacked out windows, headlight blackouts, and NIN on the back window. Every time I was pulled over, they asked for permission to inspect my car. They thought they had me, once, when my bottle of Motrin IB was spilled in the passenger seat. If I so much as went 1mph over the speed limit, there were lights on, behind me. It didn't take long for me to learn to obey all laws.

[Fazor]

You should obey them anyway ;)

I've only been pulled over twice, knock on wood. The first time was within a year of me getting licensed. I was mad at my parents, it was night, and I was relieving my stress by rocking out to some loud music. In otherwords, I wasn't really paying attention. Cop got me speeding, but only like 8 over.

The second was due to a burnt-out headlight. He saw my police academy stuff in back and I was on my way again in about 30 seconds.

Moral of the story? Deck your car out with police academy books and logos instead of drug-related stickers and tint. :) You lose "Street cred" but you don't even get questioned when you're driving home from the bar at night. ;)

[BigDon]

Ah yes, street cred.

Most street cred and a dollar will buy you 3 to 5...

[jt-3d]

Mine's a grey 91 cavalier. I think if there is a less cop magnety car, it's probably in another country.

Great car though...well, it would be if I spent some time on it. but being in my 50s and well aware of my mortality (and coolness) I have better things to do than work on my car....oh and I work on stuff for a living so no bringing work home for me. :)

Gees, beer and the interwebs make me chatty.

[Fazor]

Oh, admit it BigDon, you roam the streets of San Fran wearing your oversized jersey, pants around your knees, and more bling than I could physically carry. Werd!

[BigDon]

Oh, admit it BigDon, you roam the streets of San Fran wearing your oversized jersey, pants around your knees, and more bling than I could physically carry. Werd!

You forgot the ballcap on sideways and the unlaced shoes...

[Fazor]

I thought about the cap, but decided against it. The shoes on the otherhand... your pointing that out just proves I'm right. :lol:

[closetgeek]

DJ BeeDeez in da hizzouse!

[Fazor]

I was going to come up with some verse that includes the Navy, heavy lifting and something regarding aquariums.

I quickly found out I'm too suburban/rural to even fake it.

Oh well, I tried.

[raptorthang]

One of my buddies is a Mountie. He stops the same type of 'idiot' over and over.... Want to be pulled over? Easy. Crank up the boom box.

'thump, thump....thump' ....the music translates to:

'Here I am, Mr policeman...I'm an obnoxious punk who generates dozens of calls to the police station by good citizens trying to sleep at 1 AM.'

He says the real fun is getting behind one of these braindead idiots and puting the siren on but no lights. They usually don't hear it and he adds a 'failure to stop' ticket to whatever else he can get them for.

[BigDon]

Hey Fazor, it's the thought that counts. Consider me dissed

[Fazor]

Or, according to the South Park episode I saw last night (I don't oft watch that show), "You got served!" ... though with your wit and knack of observation, I'm sure I've been served in the past...which apparently means "It's on!"

...guess I'll see you Saturday at the dance-off. :)

[closetgeek]

Hey Fazor, it's the thought that counts. Consider me dissed

I was about 13 and extremely suburbish, the first time I heard the term dissed. I corrected her about four time. "Ditched?" I thought she had a speech impediment.