Color vs. Cops

[Drdogface]

Conventional wisdom is that bright colors...i.e. red or yellow...cars get more speeding tickets. Is that really true? Or is this just that guys who have those color cars drive faster. I wonder if these colors really 'attract' tickets. Love to hear from some law enforcement types on this.

[stomachmonkey]

Bought a metallic red IROC in my younger days.

Pull up to my fathers house one day and a buddy of his who is on highway patrol is sitting there.

Get out of the car and he says, "nice color, we're gonna see that coming for miles"

I'd say it makes a difference.

Scott

[CBRacerX]

Red = Most Tickets
White = Least Tickets

Had several cars of each color and my empirical experience was that this is true.

[mmm]

Originally posted by Drdogface
Conventional wisdom is that bright colors...i.e. red or yellow...cars get more speeding tickets. Is that really true? Or is this just that guys who have those color cars drive faster. I wonder if these colors really 'attract' tickets. Love to hear from some law enforcement types on this.

My Audi S4 Avant (wagon) is BRIGHT yellow. You'd think it would draw additional attention, but I've not found that to be the case at all. No additional attention on the road in my experience from cops or the public at large really over the color.

I think it's more HOW you drive than what color your car is.

[84porsche]

I have had my guards red p-car for almost 2 years and no tickets (knocking on wood). I think that its possible to think that driving a red car might reduce the amount of tickets you get because you know subconsciously it is very visible and that the officers will see you. However, you also look like an easy target so they in fact avoid you. Just my opinion.

[RoninLB]

If i have to paint my car it'll be satin black.

[Randy Webb]

It would be easy to check this by analyzing ticket info and comparing that to the relative proportions of those colors in the car popn. Anectdotes are not gonna show anything.

But I suspect it's true - I always have nice soothing blue colors for my 911s. My Gulf Blue one never got me a ticket, and I am going to get my red '73 painted Gemini Blue.

It is known that red cars are more likely to be involved in accidents than are other colors. That doesn't tell us why. Ins. Co.s - who did this study - suspected that more agressive drivers chose red.... AFAIK they don't charge more for a red color.

[jrdavid68]

From Traffic School several years ago - White cars = more tickets. Mostly because there are more white cars on the road - law of averages.

[Murwin]

I think once the cops see the gray hair they seem to leave you alone.

[Yellowbird RS]

red or yellow =more tickets
silver, black or grey=mor accidents

[copper]

Okay, since I've been using all of you for your Pcar knowledge, finally a topic I can lend some experience to...

Having been a cop for the last 13 years, I can tell you that colors don't make any difference when picking out potential stops.

There are tons of other factors which peak the interest of uniform officers. There is not one sole indicator which would cause the average officer to stop a particular vehicle. (This can be argued in the odd instance however, as cases have shown that 'some' officers have been guilty of racial profiling etc...)

But, as I was saying, there are all types of people in all types of vehicles. A number of criteria come into play though. Fancy cars will get a second look. But a fancy car with flourescents, and a thumping pair of subs, driven by the owner's 17 year old kid is far more likely to get stopped than the mature owner driving his nice car, whether slightly exceeding the limit or not.

I've engaged in many duties. From static radar operation, to mobile selective enforcement, to interdiction. For static radar operations, you are basically picking up the cars based on speed, not what they look like or who's driving. You generally have your readings before you even can tell the color of the car or anything else about it.

For selective enforcement, numerous criteria are used. The types of vehicle, the time of day, the location, modifications, signs of mechanical safety issues, seat belts, tags, to name a few.

And for interdiction, well we would need a whole lot more time that anybody's gonna take reading this to explain how this works.

So to sum it up.

NO, color has no bearing on tickets, or being stopped by the police.

Jim

[PorscheGuy79]

hmmm, i wonder if radar absorbing paint comes in spary paint cans?

[copper]

I believe the Area 51 gift shop probably has some radar absorbing paint...

[Fishcop]

Ditto on Copper's answer... although when I performed traffic duties the general appearance of a car could sometimes earn them a second look. Often a crappy/rusty hulk = dangerous/unroadworthy.

Working on the water it's the same, it's not the boat itself but rather the manner in which it's being operated.

[copper]

I wanna police in a boat too!!!

Let's trade for a day.

Watersports for Narcotics.

Jim

[LakeCleElum]

Copper - Good to know I have some company here. Just rode my m/c thru Ont. in July. Anyhow, I was a m/c cop for 10 yrs, a Pursuit driving instuctor for 20 and a radar instuctor before I got promoted to Commander of Detectives. The only bearing color MIGHT have is that an Officer on traffic patrol would see a brightly painted vehcile sooner than an pale colored object. Many car buffs seem to think the police are out to get them. From my 30+ yrs of police experience - the biggest problem is police officers that are lazy and don't want to stop anyone. This may surprise some, but as a police supervisor and later an administrator, you are far more likely to not be pulled over by an officer that "just doesn't care" than by an over-zealous young officer trying to meet a "quota"....I'm like the rest of you - I occassionally speed in my P-car or one of my many motorcycles. I don't get stopped for even 1% of the violations I commit. The few times I do get stopped, I have to just say - Hey, If I have it coming, write me up...That's the game we all play...If you wanna dance, you have to pay the band....

[copper]

Next time you're in Ontario, if you're near london (midway between Toronto and Windsor/Detroit) let me know.

I have been riding sport bikes for the last 18 years. Sold mine to a friend at the beginning of the season. (CBR 1000)

Must say though, with the Pcar, I really didn't miss it. It's much easier to stop for groceries in the Pcar.

Stay Safe

Jim

[copper]

Fishcop, since we're both in Law Enforcement, and both have 69 911T's, it only makes sense that we arrange a work exchange program. I'll go live/work in Australia for a year and you come here.

[LakeCleElum]

Jim - Rode thur London on that trip. Have 2 or 3 friends in the Loundon area. I was going to the Blue Knight Convention just east of Montreal; campaining to be the International Secretary. I'll give you a shout the next ride thru....Let me know if ur ever in Washington State...

FISHCOPY: I'll be back in Queensland in Nov '05, visiting a good friend that a retired NSW M/c cop. Send me a PM and we'll get together of a beer....A XXXX or Foster's - they're all good....


.Bob S.

[djmcmath]

Originally posted by copper
For static radar operations, you are basically picking up the cars based on speed, not what they look like or who's driving. You generally have your readings before you even can tell the color of the car or anything else about it.

If you can't tell the "color of the car or anything else about it," how do you know you've stopped the right vehicle? If the vehicle is so far away you can't tell the color, and you're using radar with say, a 3 degree wide beam, how do you know you're getting a return from the vehicle that you can't see?

Dan