Color Selection and the Law
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Three Wheelin'
Joined: Nov 2002
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Color Selection and the Law
Does anyone have any opinions or experience on the color of your car and how "attractive" it is to Law Enforcement?
I feel that black or silver cars blend in much better than obviously a red or yellow car especially when driving over the speed limit.
Has anyone owned, or currently own, a bright coloured vehicle and a black or silver coloured vehicle and have noticed any difference in the way you are treated or attracted to Police, or even attracted to vandals.
I feel that black or silver cars blend in much better than obviously a red or yellow car especially when driving over the speed limit.
Has anyone owned, or currently own, a bright coloured vehicle and a black or silver coloured vehicle and have noticed any difference in the way you are treated or attracted to Police, or even attracted to vandals.
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From: Blacksburg, VA
If you're thinking of buying a stealthy color Porsche, I don't think there is such a thing. There is research demonstrating the obvious; that brightly colored cars have greater visibility to everyone who isn't completely color blind. Size contributes to visibility too (duh). But I'd guess that the most powerful variable in attracting the attention of the police (and everybody else) is how the car is being driven. Thus, I'm convinced that a stone grey Honda Accord doing 20 mph over the limit is much more likely to get pulled over than a fly yellow or arrest-me-red Porsche doing 5 mph over. Car color and make are insufficient to support a conviction, but radar read-out qualifies as supporting evidence.
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From: Southeast Michigan
I had a gray honda and I once saw a red camaro get pulled over after I passed him. I don't know the whole story (they may have been looking for him). But I myself notice that brightly colored cars catch my attention more than dull cars, even when dull cars are driven in a spirited fasion.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: SF Bay Area, CA
A traffic cop once told me that policing traffic on a California highway was pretty routine and and full of easy pickings, so aside from always nabbing the *unsafe* speeding drivers they'd play games like "I'm looking for the next speeding blue car" or "I'm looking for the next speeding Ford". He also said that the patrolling objective wasn't to hand out as many tickets as possible, but to provide a visible presence so that drivers thought twice before doing idiotic things. Nothing there about a sustained bias towards any particular make or color.
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From: san francisco
Well I have to say heading back home on a residential street a woman in a squad car paused as I was parking my car to not exceed the speed limit(I was going 25mph on a 25 mph). Funny though she assumed I'm goin fast the other times : ). But you got to choose the color you like whether bright(yellow/red) or subtle ones. The "LAW" part doesn't figure into the equation for me in determining color. Regards. Mike
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As regards driving high end sports cars, I have noticed no discernable color preference from the contablary. Ancedotally, they do seem to fixate more on corvetts for some reason. Just my own experience.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: palm city, fl
i remember reading somewhere (road and track?) that red, yellow and black cars are more likely to get tickets based on computerized data of traffic citations. obviously it is impossible to know if drivers who choose these colors are more likely to speed. 
i believe that my prior guards red 911sc attracted more unwanted attention from cops than my current lapis blue c4s. i also believe that stickers from your local police union on your bumpers also lead to more lenient treatment--i.e. warnings instead of actual citations. <img border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" title="" src="graemlins/bigok.gif" />
my 2 cents...
i believe that my prior guards red 911sc attracted more unwanted attention from cops than my current lapis blue c4s. i also believe that stickers from your local police union on your bumpers also lead to more lenient treatment--i.e. warnings instead of actual citations. <img border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" title="" src="graemlins/bigok.gif" />
my 2 cents...
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Drifting
Joined: Sep 2001
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From: redmond wa
Two points. I drove two Ford country squire stations, each for over 200k and only got stopped once. I had a 72 Mustang fastback in the fire engine green color which seemed to attract speed enforcers like bees to honey.
Second point. Fight each and every ticket you get. Remember that the first ticket is just as important as the third. Cops don't like to spend time in a courtroom, develop a reputation for taking them there and not making it easy for them.
Second point. Fight each and every ticket you get. Remember that the first ticket is just as important as the third. Cops don't like to spend time in a courtroom, develop a reputation for taking them there and not making it easy for them.
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: san francisco
used to drive a gaurds red 944 in LA.....no doubt I felt more visible on the road. my opinion:
bottom line - red, yellow you stick out like a sore thumb no matter what the cops are predisposed to look for, not to mention every road crazy.
-blues, greys, whites, greens, you blend in
-black....well that was an 80s thing.
-just pick your favorite color, drive maturely and learn the stealth techniques (should start a thread on that) if you're in california, most cops can eyeball you before your radar detector goes off and can judge your speed to the mile by sight.
enjoy!
bottom line - red, yellow you stick out like a sore thumb no matter what the cops are predisposed to look for, not to mention every road crazy.
-blues, greys, whites, greens, you blend in
-black....well that was an 80s thing.
-just pick your favorite color, drive maturely and learn the stealth techniques (should start a thread on that) if you're in california, most cops can eyeball you before your radar detector goes off and can judge your speed to the mile by sight.
enjoy!
Banned
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Northern VA
IMHO, I believe yellow followed by red are the two most visable colors seen on cars. I personally have seen more yellow and red cars on the side of the road busted. Mustangs and Vette's seem to come to memory more than others.
Just my $.02.
Just my $.02.
Pro
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Westhampton Beach, N.Y.
I know a couple cops and my opinion from talking to them is that if you're speeding your speeding.
Speed limit here is still 55 and one used to tell me he didn't chase anything under 70. So you figure he locks on to you before he realizes what color your car is anyway, therefore negating a preference for color. Now in the case of a "visual" speed rating, he may have not looked at you in the first place to place a visual reading on you so that might cause a higher average of tickets. But in the case of a guy shooting from the side of the highway as soon as you go above his "limit" he's coming after you.
My 2 cents.
Speed limit here is still 55 and one used to tell me he didn't chase anything under 70. So you figure he locks on to you before he realizes what color your car is anyway, therefore negating a preference for color. Now in the case of a "visual" speed rating, he may have not looked at you in the first place to place a visual reading on you so that might cause a higher average of tickets. But in the case of a guy shooting from the side of the highway as soon as you go above his "limit" he's coming after you.
My 2 cents.
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From: Walnut Creek, CA
It seems obvious to me. What's the average age, driving style, etc, of people that drive red or yellow cars, vs. white or siler cars? Also, what types of cars are available in red or yellow, and what types are not? This to me explains why brightly colored cars get more speeding tickets.
If you want to be really stealthy, keep your car dirty. I notice cars that are clean and shiny more than anything to do with their color.
If you want to be really stealthy, keep your car dirty. I notice cars that are clean and shiny more than anything to do with their color.
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From: Arkansas
I was at the Porsche dealership in Las Vegas about 6 years ago and a man was taking delivery of his new 993. It was purple with dark green interior with purple piping in the seats!!! This guy deserves a ticket. Just my opinion though...
Robert <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />
Robert <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />
Racer
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Bay Area, CA
Data in car mags at various times has suggested silver and grey cars get in more accidents at twilight, yellow and red cars get more speeding tickets.
Ocean Blue attracts dust, other people's doors.
Ocean Blue attracts dust, other people's doors.