vehicle profiling

http://articles.mcall.com/2010-06-28/news/mc-road-warrior-profile-20100627_1_profiling-drive-car-talk

Can the model car you drive attract undue police attention? I know a young man whose job puts him on the road at 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. Driving a Volkswagen GTI, he was constantly pulled over by police. After he switched to a four-door Chevy Malibu,police stops dropped to zero. Drive a red, sporty something and you are a target. Drive a dark-green Buick sedan, nothing. [...] Some car models are widely considered lures for aggressive drivers, and not solely because of engine size and horsepower. The compact Volkswagen Jetta, for example, is known as a magnet for hard-driving young guys — and gals. Tom and Ray Magliozzi, of the "Car Talk" public-radio show (whose companion column we publish Fridays in the "Scope Out" classified advertising section), have mapped this phenomenon, and many listeners agree with the proposition. Assuming there is validity to this — and I buy into it — target marketing could be a factor. Also, compared to American-designed models, German and other European cars tend to feature stiffer suspensions, tighter steering and other design aspects that sacrifice comfort for better handling and agility.

One of my favorite memories was driving my Subaru 4wd wagon (the year was 5 BWRX) with the cruise control set (pin throttle to the floor) and blowing past a trooper running LIDAR. I was going 87. The highway was a 50mph construction zone, all bumps and rough-grooving. Did I mention that the exhaust system consisted of just enough pipe after the converter to exit under the rear door?

Trooper didn't even look in my direction.

Wagons are awesome. They have a built-in SEP field.

I know I have been "profiled" because of my red civic hatchback (its lower than stock and has a carbon fiber hood, therefore I must ALWAYS be speeding) . I can admit 2 times it was warranted. one ticket I fought and won, another was just someone on a powertrip. But anymore I drive so slow or "normal" that even my friends get mad at me for not going faster.

Local cops don't vehicle profile. You are most likely to see a mini van pulled over in my town than anything alse. Reverse profiling?

I have never recived any unwarrented attention from the racing stripes and the fart can it had when I bought it.

i got profile stopped in the vette one night. i was going 48 in a 50, cop whipped around and flew up behind me and rode me for half a mile until i put my turn signal on and bam - lit me up. gave me the whole you must be hiding something from me because you are nervous bit - harassed me for 15-20 minutes. of course i was nervous, i got pulled over for no reason.

I bought an SRT4 when I was 18. I had a two foot tall afro. I would get pulled over at least once a month.

I kept the car but cut the hair and I might have gotten pulled over once or twice in the course of the next five years.

patgizz - I've only had my z06 for two months now, but I've noticed cops don't even give me a second glance in this car. It seems like cops are way more lenient with Corvettes when it comes to stupid stuff like no front plate or loud exhausts.

I hate to post this, but I have never attracted undue attention in my black, limo-tinted Focus SVT with an aftermarket exhaust.

Back in my hometown, cops used to flip u-turns when I would drive past late at night. I'm talking the second they saw me whipping around and following me for a while. Why? Apparently Miata + loud + young male = speeder regardless of my current rate of travel.

I was pulled over and ticketed in the WRX for doing 70 on the highway once. I'm sure that the speed was accurate, because I was stuck behind a Jeep in a long line of traffic and I didn't even bother to slow down when the radar detector went off. I would have been going faster if I could have.

I'm convinced that I was singled out of of the middle of the line because of the hood scoop and spoiler.

I was pulled over in my '97 coupe, it was "too loud." A pack of Harley owners drove by and literally deafened me as the cop was standing by my door telling me my car was too loud. I nearly laughed in his face. He only gave me a warning, which I promptly trashed when I got home.

Knurled wrote: Wagons are awesome. They have a built-in SEP field.

Quoted for truth!! When I had my 77 Corolla Wagon I was late for work and blew by a cop at 80 (I was very young and stupid). He never even blinked and I was the only person on that stretch of road.

On the other hand I have been pulled over in heavy traffic, going 10 under the limit along with every one else and had my car pulled apart. This was in MO just west of 6 flags. My hair was well past my shoulders and I had a full beard. I am fairly sure they pulled me over because of the hair and the TX plates. I MUST have been transporting drugs because I looked like a hippie.

Only time I ever got profiled was driving my ms3 through WI. I was in a small town that CLEARLY had never heard of turbo four banger hatchbacks. Obeying the speed limit, the whole bit. Cop flips a u turn as SOON as he passes me... follows me RIGHT to the city limit, and lights me up. Comes up to the door, I have my hands on the steering wheel and you can TELL the car isn't running. He's got one hand on his gun, and the other on his radio. Said something about my "registration wasn't correct". Started peering around the car... checkin' for suspicious activity. Silly little hicktown cop didn't know what to do with me, had nothin' on me. Couldn't even get me for my tint, because I have MN plates!

My friend had an 88 Lincoln Town Car. We got pulled over four times in one night.

My VW Pedo-Eurovan will fly way under radar!

I've only ever been pulled over once. It wasn't in my obnoxious red Elan (which is always driven with the top down, me in sunglasses and a loud shirt, sporting a ponytail), nor my black-on-black-with-tint ST184 Celica, nor the terminally rusting AE86 which I drove for two months on essentially an open downpipe. It was in my old plane-jane Mitsubishi Mirage, and it was for not having a front plate. I drive pretty conservatively in the city... Maybe I've never lived in a podunk Southern town but I do think that goes a long way in not attracting police attention no matter what car you have.

I have gotten a bunch of photo radar tickets in the Elan but that's a different story.

I used to work rotating shifts, and every time I worked afternoons, I'd get pulled over on my way home. Long haired freak driving a 69 Chevelle at midnight? Must be a criminal.

My last ticket was in my Subaru wagon...doing 68 in a 60 zone...so they aren't immune...

racerdave600 wrote: My last ticket was in my Subaru wagon...doing 68 in a 60 zone...so they aren't immune...

What color? The rally blue ones get a lot of notice down here.

I drive a red (maroon) BMW... and I am either going to work or coming home from it at 5am.. never been profiled.

I do remember driving to Philly one foggy morning. in the slow lane with a silver honda minivan in front and a silver Hyundai sonata behind me. We are doing 65 in a 65 and pass a cop.

Cop comes whipping out, pulls up behind the sonata and reads his plates.. then pulls up behind me. I am looking at the two anonvehicles behind and in front of me and thinking I am going to get pulled.. instead he speed up, reads the plate on the minivan.. hits his flasher to pull in front of me.. and lights up the van.

I thought for certain driving a red BMW between two silver ho-hum cars was a pullable offense

My bright red ZX2SR with a slightly loud exhaust never attracted the police. The two times I got stopped for speeding , when the officer discovered it was being driven by a 70+ year old man instead of a teenager, I got off with a warning that I should really watch my speed.

Kia_racer wrote:

racerdave600 wrote: My last ticket was in my Subaru wagon...doing 68 in a 60 zone...so they aren't immune...

What color? The rally blue ones get a lot of notice down here.

Green...not a WRX, but a plain '97

I was once pulled over for "speeding" after the officer followed me (in traffic) for several miles. Yes, I was over the posted limit, but I was simply pacing myself with everyone else on that four-lane, urban interstate section.

Since the car was a lowered, fat-tired and supertrapp-equipped CRX, I'm sure the officer was certain he had found a youthful serial-offender. When he discovered the driver was a clean-record, thirty-something wearing a shirt and tie, I got off with a written warning.

Maybe he just wanted a better look at the car.

Dude it is a sliding scale in California.

Under 5K, instant ticket plus fix its, 10-40K car Instant ticket, 50-90K warning. 100K due what you want. I have flown by cops in a expensive car out here no problem, and they will pick the old Chevy next to me every time.

Not saying its right but its the reality out here.

White cars rock. Small white sedans with a Korean nameplate = invisible to radar.

my silver ms3 was farily invisible to cops, although i didnt try very hard to attract their attention. i will usually set the cruise to 70-72 on long trips, and stick to the right lane. not going to get there much faster anyways, and it'll take a whole lot longer if theres an extra stop to chat with local law enforcement. also the last 3 vehicles i've bought drop 3-5 mpg when driving 75 compared to 70.