Commonly Ticketed Vehicles

The common claim that faster sports cars receive more traffic tickets has recently been backed up by a yearlong research study. From this study it is easy to draw the conclusion that drivers of particularly speedy automobiles are more likely to misbehave on the highway.

From the findings of this study, meant to help insurance companies identify risks, Hummer SUV owners proved to be 4.63 times more likely to get a traffic ticket than the average driver. ISO Quality Planning in San Francisco is responsible for reviewing 1.7 million drivers’ records for the completion of this study. Among the most ticketed vehicles were well known fast cars like the 507 horsepower Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, the Audi A4 sports sedan and the primarily younger driven Scion series of hip customizable joy rides.

There were some surprises in the top ticketed vehicle list like the Subaru Outback, Toyota Camry Solara and the Toyota Matrix. These modest automobiles do not exactly attract the most aggressive or rebellious drivers. On the other end of the spectrum, the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban were among the least ticketed vehicles despite having almost identical mechanical characteristics as the infamous Hummer SUVs. Other less ticketed types of cars included Buicks, pickup trucks and minivans.

An ISO Quality Planning representative was glad to provide further insight on Hummer owners that can be drawn from the findings of this research study:

"The sense of power that Hummer drivers derive from their vehicle may be directly correlated with the number of violations they incur," said Raj Bhat, president of ISO Quality Planning. "Or perhaps Hummer drivers, by virtue of their driving position, are less likely to notice road hazards, signs, pedestrians and other drivers."

Insurance companies usually adhere to this risk assessment performed by ISO Quality Planning and enforce higher premiums for drivers who choose to own a Hummer or one of the Scion series. It makes sense that insures will want to adjust liability and collision coverage rates for vehicles that are prone to draw negative attention and are statistically proven to be involved in more accidents.

Source: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourCar/which-drivers-get-the-most-tickets.aspx?GT1=33004