When it comes to getting pulled over by the police, some cars are more likely to attract attention than others. Car choice can play a role in how often drivers get stopped by law enforcement. Understanding what types of vehicles tend to get pulled over frequently can help drivers make informed decisions when purchasing a car.
Most Pulled Over Cars
According to research and data on traffic stops, some of the cars that get pulled over the most include:
- Ford Mustang
- Dodge Charger
- Toyota Camry
- Honda Civic
- Chevrolet Silverado
- Nissan Altima
- Dodge Challenger
- Ford F-150
- Subaru WRX
- Volkswagen Jetta
Sports cars, muscle cars, and modified vehicles tend to attract more police attention than standard sedan models and family cars. Drivers of Mustangs, Chargers, Challengers, and Camaros often get profiled for speeding or reckless driving. Pickup trucks like the Silverado and F-150 also get pulled over frequently for traffic violations.
Reasons for Frequent Stops
There are a few key reasons why these vehicle models tend to get pulled over more often than others:
- Speeding – Sports cars encourage fast driving, leading to speeding tickets.
- Illegal Modifications – Modifying cars illegally (tinted windows, loud exhaust) draws police attention.
- Driver Stereotypes – Police often profile young male drivers of sports cars as reckless.
- High Theft Rates – Hondas and Toyotas are pulled over to check for theft.
- Equipment Violations – Pickup trucks often have equipment violations (lift kits, lights).
While driver behavior is the biggest factor, the car model itself influences the likelihood of getting stopped by police.
Sports Cars and Speeding
One of the biggest reasons Mustangs, Challengers, Camaros, Chargers, and other sports cars get pulled over is a tendency for drivers to speed. Models with powerful engines built for speed encourage fast driving habits that draw the attention of police patrols.
In a national survey asking police officers which cars they see speeding most often, over 50% identified Ford Mustangs. Sports cars make up the majority of the top models officers see breaking speed limits. While personal driving style is more important than car choice, sports cars do enable and encourage driving at higher speeds.
Modified Cars
Drivers who modify their cars, especially with illegal modifications like tinted windows, loud exhausts, lowered suspensions, and external lights, are also more likely to get pulled over. While some modifications are legal, many others can violate state laws and equipment regulations. Police notice when cars appear to be illegally modified.
Cars like Subaru WRX models, Ford Mustangs, and pickups are commonly modified. Owners add enhancements to improve performance and customize their vehicles. But illegal modifications almost guarantee increased police scrutiny and traffic stops. Simply standing out can draw extra attention from law enforcement looking for violations.
Driver Stereotypes
Law enforcement officials often mentally categorize drivers based on stereotypes linked to age, gender, race, and car type. These prejudiced assumptions lead officers to more frequently stop and ticket targeted motorists.
Younger male drivers of sports cars and muscle cars get profiled as reckless or speeding more often. Police expect certain behavior from drivers based on their demographic profile and vehicle type. These biased police practices increase stops for vehicles favored by younger drivers, like Hondas, even with no traffic offense.
Theft and Equipment Issues
Some models attract attention for theft or equipment issues. Hondas and Toyotas get stopped regularly so officers can check vehicle identification numbers and look for signs of theft. Trucks often get targeted for equipment violations like lift kits, illegally tinted windows, poorly mounted lights, and missing mud flaps.
While theft recovery checks and regulating truck equipment are normal police duties, officers sometimes overscrutinize models considered high-risk. This leads to more frequent traffic stops for legal vehicle owners.
Reducing Stops
Drivers concerned about getting profiled and pulled over excessively do have some options to reduce attention from police:
- Follow traffic laws carefully, especially speed limits
- Avoid illegal modifications
- Choose less conspicuous colors like gray or black
- Install temporary covers over specialty plates
- Choose family car models like minivans and sedans
While some extra police scrutiny is unavoidable with sports cars prone to speeding, cautious driving in well-maintained vehicles can help limit unwarranted stops.
Traffic Stop Data by State
Official data on traffic stops by state also provides insights into models that tend to get pulled over frequently in different regions of the country.
| State | Most Pulled Over Car | Second Most Pulled Over |
|---|---|---|
| California | Honda Civic | Toyota Camry |
| Texas | Ford F-150 | Chevrolet Silverado |
| Florida | Toyota Camry | Honda Civic |
| New York | Toyota Camry | Honda Civic |
| Washington | Subaru Impreza | Ford F-150 |
California and New York put more focus on stopping the most popular imports, while Texas focuses on American truck models. Unwarranted stops of vehicles common among minority groups are an issue in many jurisdictions.
Avoiding Racial Profiling
Racial profiling plays a significant role in why minorities face more traffic stops in many states. Nationally, black drivers get pulled over about 20% more often than white drivers. Even though white people use and sell drugs at similar rates, black drivers are much more likely to get profiled and searched for contraband during minor stops.
Hispanic drivers also face higher stop rates in states like Arizona and Texas. Biased policing practices mean drivers of color face more traffic enforcement scrutiny, elevating their stop rates.
Why Police Profile Vehicles
Law enforcement officers learn to associate certain vehicles with higher chances of offenses based on past experience. Profiling drivers by vehicle type is an unsound generalization, but a common mental shortcut.
Seeing illegal behavior frequently from certain groups in the past subconsciously biases officers to target members fitting the profile. Common reasons police profile drivers include:
- Observing frequent offenses by a group
- Failing to track individual driver histories
- Stigmatization in police culture
- Believing behaviors derive from inherent traits
Assumptions based on past offenses lead to over-scrutiny of entire groups, even drivers with no violations. Vehicles driven mainly by minorities face higher scrutiny due to racially-biased profiling.
How Race Influences Stops
Studies clearly show race significantly impacts traffic stop rates after accounting for differences in offense rates. Blacks and Hispanics face much higher stop rates per capita than whites in most jurisdictions.
While whites drive more total miles, minority drivers face a disproportionately high rate of traffic stops per miles driven. This discrepancy clearly demonstrates discriminatory racial profiling, rather than purely objective enforcement.
The Outcome of Traffic Stops
Stops of black and Hispanic motorists are also much more likely to involve police searches than stops of white drivers. Yet searches of white drivers actually yield contraband and evidence at higher rates.
These biased search patterns demonstrate worse treatment of minority citizens by police. Officers search black and Hispanic drivers based on unfounded stereotypes more often than statistical evidence would support.
Recommendations for Police Reform
Ending disproportionate traffic enforcement requires improving police training, accountability, and statistical monitoring processes. Some reforms that could help include:
- Improved anti-bias training for officers
- Banning stops based solely on vehicle type
- Monitoring and analyzing stop data to identify discrimination
- Having officers document detailed justifications for stops
- Following up on complaints about profiling practices
By holding officers accountable and correcting biased practices through policy and training, police departments can increase the fairness of traffic enforcement.
Conclusion
In summary, sports cars, modified cars, and imports tend to get pulled over most often on American roads. Model stereotypes, theft risks, equipment issues, and racial bias all contribute to increased stops of certain vehicle types. Drivers can take steps to minimize unwarranted police attention through legal compliance and inconspicuous vehicle choices. Ultimately, ending excessive enforcement against minority groups will require proactive reform of police culture and practices.
