Are you a traffic ticket magnet?

Radioactive · 10-15-2010, 07:40 AM

Sorry no P-content.

I wonder what geographic area they studied.

Got pulled over for speeding? It may be the car you're driving | Money & Company | Los Angeles Times

Joeaksa · 10-15-2010, 07:55 AM

Knock on wood, not here. No tickets in over 20 years...

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

No doubt the car makes some difference. A red convertable has to be near the top.

No tickets here in over 25 years.

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

Been pulled over 3 times... Only once in the red car... No tickets yet, knock on wood...

masraum · 10-15-2010, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

No doubt the car makes some difference. A red convertable has to be near the top.

No tickets here in over 25 years.

That's why I almost didn't buy this a couple of months back.

To make matters worse, it's a turbo.

87911jon · 87911jon's Garage

Sometimes it's the stupidity of the driver and not the car. My daily driver: e39 540i Sport, full Dinan, exhaust, chip, coil overs, black on black, 6 speed, well you get the picture. Wednesday I met my spouse for her Dr's appointment in town. We live way out in the country and on the drive home I decided to pass her in a passing zone for fun (cornfields both sides). And way in the distance I see someone pointing at me to pull over. 86mph in a 40 zone. *****. Long and short of it, three county cops pulling people over right and left, I immediately pled guilty, showed him my soft underbelly, blurted out that I was not in a hurry but I was stupidly passing my wife... etc. Cop conferred with the cop in charge then went over to his car with my license and registration. 10 minutes later walked up and told me it was my lucky day. Handed me a warning. WOW. So I'm still with a clean driving record! Post script; Immediately went home and pulled the Radar detector from the 911 and put it in the 540.

patssle · 10-15-2010, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Immediately went home and pulled the Radar detector from the 911 and put it in the 540.

I've never had a radar detector and I've never gotten a ticket in my 7 years of driving. And I'm a chronic speeder.

But I speed smartly...no 86 in 40 zones

pwd72s · 10-15-2010, 10:40 AM

Too bad the article didn't list the "top ten"...really only mentioned 3 vehicles.

87911jon · 87911jon's Garage

I don't rely on it, but the Radar detector give me piece of mind. Trap was in the middle of nowhere. Certainly is a good safety device to have when you live in the country.

pwd72s · 10-15-2010, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 87911jon

I don't rely on it, but the Radar detector give me piece of mind. Trap was in the middle of nowhere. Certainly is a good safety device to have when you live in the country.

Far as I'm concerned, the V-1 is the best self defense device since the single action colt revolver...It saved me twice yesterday, going to and coming home from the coast.

Jeff Higgins · 10-15-2010, 11:54 AM

I think the article touches on a very key point - it's not the cars, per se, but it's the kind of folks who choose those cars. Those folks would be getting tickets regardless of what they drive; it's purely driving habits and attitudes. And just where they choose to speed.

I'm an unapplologetic, incorrigable life long speeder. Yet I've only gotten maybe five tickets in my entire life. I don't speed in town or other populated areas, I don't speed on the freeway (other than "keeping up with traffic" - I just do what the rest of 'em are doing), and I don't speed on major two lane highways. I don't speed when just getting around, actually going somewhere. When I do speed, it's because I've planned to do so, and have gone out to a place just to do so.

I just don't see owners of the cars listed having that attitude or taking that approach. They are the kind that speed when they are just going somewhere, in their normal, day to day driving. They are kind of a hazard (although not nearly the one our authorities make them out to be) and an annoyance. Weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, cutting others off, and that kind of thing. Generally driving like a bunch of tools. They would do that even if they were stuck driving a loaner Prius while their status machince is in the shop.

I don't dispute that car type, or motorcycle type, has a big influence on who gets stopped, even if everyone in sight is doing exactly the same thing. I have had several experiences with this myself, several in the 911 and one on the Ducati. In all cases, I was in with a pack of vehicles all going exactly the same speed. In a few of those cases, I was very much mid-pack, and the cop had to wade in and fish me out of it.

That may be the basis for an interesting study. Send a mixed pack of cars and trucks past a speed trap, with one "exotic" (not a 924...) in the middle of it, and see which one gets stopped. Or put a sprt bike in the middle of a bunch of minivans, pickups, RV's, and whatnot doing 80 mph on the freeway and see which one gets stopped.

WolfeMacleod · 10-15-2010, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

That may be the basis for an interesting study. Send a mixed pack of cars and trucks past a speed trap, with one "exotic" (not a 924...) in the middle of it, and see which one gets stopped. Or put a sprt bike in the middle of a bunch of minivans, pickups, RV's, and whatnot doing 80 mph on the freeway and see which one gets stopped.

I'll second what Jeff says here. Shortly after buying my 911, I got stopped on the way to an AutoX. In a pack of cars. Doing 65 in a 60. I was being passed by other cars.

Superman · 10-15-2010, 01:40 PM

Couple of mornings ago, I was behind a lifted pickup truck that was following a small car in the passing lane at a distance of less than one car length with his left two wheels in the HOV lane. I wanted to drag him out of that pickup truck, shoot him and leave the corpse in the ditch.

The morning before, I was riding the motorcycle in the HOV lane when I saw a radar trooper (car) with his lens pointing at me. I slowed of course (was prolly going 70 or so, maybe 75) and thought I'd been had. He didn't follow, so I wondered for a moment if he was uninterested in motorcycle guys (in the olden days, they didn't care how fast you rode). Then I noticed his buddy who had pulled a motorcycle over. I guess I was just lucky.

But yeah, I choose my times and locations. And I keep my eyes peeled. I honestly think I generally am paying WAY WAY more attention to detail than most drivers.

Superman · 10-15-2010, 01:43 PM

BTW, Jeff's 911 is what you'd call a "911 Outlaw." It's an unobtrusive dark blue color, but it's also obviously a purpose-built car. You know what they say: Don't argue with a trooper while you're buckled in a five-point harness.

Icemaster · Icemaster's Garage

Maybe a regional thing, but I find the irony in the fact that the SUV's and minivans are least likley to be tagged.

Round here, they're the ones most likely to ripping past me and driving like the proverbial $chithead. I'm usually +5 on surface streets and +10 on the posted speed limit on the highway, I'm always getting passed by moms in vans and Yukons that suddenly need to be in the far right lane or they'll miss their exit RIGHT NOW!!!!

cbush · 10-15-2010, 01:55 PM

No tickets in the last 10 plus years, but I have been stopped a couple of times and luckily got of with a warning. My 993 is definitely a magnet for police attention. I get out of it by being very polite, humble and apologetic. I got stopped last week doing 53 in a 35 (It was downhill, and turning into a 45 zone). While the one officer was checking my papers, his partner just wanted to look at the car

The lead officer came back and said "I know you have a fast car, but you need to slow down". I agreed profusely with him, and drove off thanking my lucky stars. My wife, who was with me was disgusted about how lucky I am

syncroid · 10-15-2010, 02:01 PM

No tickets for me in over 25 years. Do I deserve one? Not really. I'm pretty conservative.

patssle · 10-15-2010, 02:51 PM

Quote:

I'm always getting passed by moms in vans and Yukons that suddenly need to be in the far right lane or they'll miss their exit RIGHT NOW!!!!

Men get into accidents, women cause them!

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

Those are NOT accidents. They are wrecks. Big Difference.

gtc · gtc's Garage

There are a few motorcycle cops that regularly operate a speed trap across from my office. From our 2nd floor window we can see who they target and pull over. Despite predominately commercial traffic passing by, they never pull over trucks or work vans, even if they are obviously well over the speed limit. It is always passenger cars... often women in minivans.