Information from Quality Planning: Quality Planning, the ISO company that validates policyholder information for auto insurers, has released proprietary findings that confirm a strong correlation between what people drive and how they drive.
The findings show that drivers of high-performance vehicles are by no means in the lead when it comes to counting the Top 10 most-ticketed vehicles. Topping the list with the most violations was the Hummer H2/H3, with 4.63 times the number of violations compared to the overall average. At the other end of the spectrum is the old standby — the pick-up truck.
Speculating why certain vehicles (and their drivers) are ticketed more or less frequently is a subject of great debate. The driver behind the wheel of one vehicle may be eager to express his individuality, while another views his vehicle as nothing more than a way to get from A to B. Mark S. Foster, author of A Nation on Wheels: The Automobile Culture in America Since 1945, offered his assessment on the statistics: “Hummer drivers feel like kings of the road because of their elevated driving position. As these statistics show, they are leading the pack when it comes to violating the law, which may reflect their driving attitude.”
“The sense of power that Hummer drivers derive from their vehicle may be directly correlated with the number of violations they incur,” said Dr. Raj Bhat, president of Quality Planning. “Or perhaps Hummer drivers, by virtue of their driving position, are less likely to notice road hazards, signs, pedestrians, and other drivers.”
Another surprise that emerged from the statistics: three different Scion models made the Top 10 list of vehicles with the highest percentage of violations. According to Toyota, the Scion tC’s average customer is under 25 years old, and the Scion demographic skews to early 30s. Youth typically does correlate with a higher incidence of violations, and Toyota’s popularity with youthful drivers may partially explain this new-found notoriety. Not so surprising is that two of the most powerful cars on the road, both sold by Mercedes, also appear in the Top 10.
| Make | Model | Body Style | Violations* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hummer | H2/H3 | SUV | 463% |
| Scion | tC | Coupe | 460% |
| Scion | XB Station | Wagon | 403% |
| Mercedes | Benz CLK63 AMG | Coupe | 397% |
| Toyota | Solara | Coupe | 306% |
| Mercedes Benz | CLS63 AMG | Coupe | 276% |
| Scion | XA | Hatchback | 275% |
| Subaru | Outback Station | Wagon | 266% |
| Audi | A4 | Sedan | 264% |
| Toyota | Matrix | Hatchback | 264% |
* Violations/100,000 miles driven, expressed as percentage of average.
For more information, go to QualityPlanning.com.
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