The Most Ticketed Cars

There are all sorts of theories about which cars police officers are most likely to pull over, but cars aren’t breaking speed limits — drivers are. Rather than being cop magnets, certain cars get labeled as ticket targets because of the drivers they tend to attract: fast ones. On Insurance.com’s list of cars that get the most tickets, some sporty cars top the rankings.

“Cars don’t get tickets, drivers do,” said Des Toups, Insurance.com managing editor, in a news release, “but those drivers like the WRX.”

In an analysis of 557,238 drivers who sought quotes from Insurance.com, 33.6% of Subaru WRX owners reported having been cited for a traffic violation in the past three years. Among all vehicle models included in the data, an average of 19.6% of their drivers had traffic violations in their recent past. The list includes cars for which at least 50 quotes were sought from January 2013 through July 2014.

It’s important to note that this list highlights the overlap of drivers’ vehicle choices and their driving records — the consumers were not necessarily ticketed while driving the cars for which they requested quotes. It’s interesting to see the correlation, but beyond their appeal to certain types of drivers, the cars have nothing to do with your tendency to receive a ticket while driving them. According to the analysis, here are the cars preferred by drivers with a history of traffic violations:

10. Mazda Mazda2: 28.1% of drivers have tickets

9. Toyota FJ Cruiser: 28.4%

8. Scion tC: 28.8%

7. Mercury Topaz: 28.8%

6. Volkswagen Rabbit: 29.6%

5. Subaru Tribeca: 29.7%

4. Toyota Supra: 30.8%

3. Scion FR-S: 32.6%

2. Pontiac GTO: 32.7%

1. Subaru WRX: 33.6%

As the report noted, the rankings reflect the drivers’ tendency to speed, rather than speedy attributes of the cars. For example, some cars with high-speed capability weren’t among the most ticketed, perhaps because they are pricier and attract older, sometimes more responsible drivers.

To a certain degree, you have control over how much you pay for car insurance, though there are many thing that factor into the monthly premium you pay. Responsible driving may help you save on premium costs, and in some states, having a good credit standing allows you to save a bit, as well. It’s one of the many reasons you want to regularly review your credit scores (you can get two credit scores for free on Credit.com), but no matter what influences how much you pay for insurance, make sure you shop around for affordable coverage that meets your needs.