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Is your car a ticket magnet? A new study shows owners of Mercedes-Benz vehicles and Toyota's trendy Scion models pop up on law enforcement's radar more often than the average car. Here are the Top 10 cars most likely to get a traffic ticket.
Is the car you drive a ticket magnet?
Researchers at Quality Planning, a unit of Verisk Analytics Inc., in Jersey City, N.J., that validates policyholder information for auto insurers, recently released its updated list of cars that are most likely to get a traffic ticket. The study looked at various vehicle types and the likelihood of each to be ticketed by law enforcement based on the number of moving violations per 100,000 miles driven.
Drivers of the Mercedes-Benz SL-class convertibles topped the list, with four times the number of tickets compared with the average, according to Quality Planning. Violators tend to be people (more likely men) in their peak earnings years. On the other end of the spectrum is the car Toyota designed expressly for the “Y” Generation, the Scion. The model shows up twice in the Top 10. The ‘90s icon, the Hummer, the Pontiac Grand Prix and the Volkswagen GTI also made the list. Overall, SUVs and hatchbacks received fewer tickets on average than standard two-door and four-door vehicles.
So who are the biggest offenders? Here are the Top 10 cars that are most likely to get a ticket:
1. Mercedes-Benz SL-Class.
4 times more likely to get a ticket (on average).
Average driver gender: 41% male; 59% female.
Average driver age: 53.
2. Toyota Camry.
3.5 times more likely to get a ticket.
Average driver gender: 38% male; 62% female.
Average driver age: 50.
3. Scion tC.
3.4 times more likely to get a ticket.
Average driver gender: 39% male; 61% female.
Average driver age: 30.
4. Hummer H2.
2.9 times more likely to get a ticket.
Average driver gender: 73% male; 27% female.
Average driver age: 46.
5. Scion xB.
2.7 times more likely to get a ticket.
Average driver gender: 40% male; 60% female.
Average driver age: 37.
6. Mercedes-Benz CLS-63 AMG.
2.6 times more likely to get a ticket.
Average driver gender: 58% male; 42% female.
Average driver age: 46.
7. Acura Integra.
1.9 times more likely to get a ticket.
Average driver gender: 60% male; 40% female.
Average driver age: 33.
8. Pontiac Grand Prix.
1.8 times more likely to get a ticket.
Average driver gender: 41% male; 59% female.
Average driver age: 40.
9. Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG.
1.8 times more likely to get a ticket.
Average driver gender: 44% male; 56% female.
Average driver age: 47.
10. Volkswagen GTI.
1.8 times more likely to get a ticket.
Average driver gender: 44% male; 56% female.
Average driver age: 40.