Notices
996 Forum 1999-2005
Sponsored by:

Color Selection and the Law

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 03-26-2003, 09:59 AM
  #1  
RR
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
 
RR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,317
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Post 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.
Old 03-26-2003, 11:57 AM
  #2  
Jim Michaels
Rennlist Member
 
Jim Michaels's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Blacksburg, VA
Posts: 2,040
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Post

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.
Old 03-26-2003, 12:17 PM
  #3  
Patrick
Addict
Lifetime Rennlist
Member - times 3
 
Patrick's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Southeast Michigan
Posts: 9,964
Received 230 Likes on 140 Posts
Post

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.
Old 03-26-2003, 12:36 PM
  #4  
redcab
Racer
 
redcab's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Posts: 362
Received 21 Likes on 6 Posts
Post

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.
Old 03-26-2003, 12:50 PM
  #5  
996FLT6
Rennlist Member
 
996FLT6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: san francisco
Posts: 14,705
Received 261 Likes on 217 Posts
Post

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
Old 03-26-2003, 01:09 PM
  #6  
Gretch
Range Master
Pepsie Lite
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
 
Gretch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 54,291
Received 1,235 Likes on 755 Posts
Post

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.
Old 03-26-2003, 01:39 PM
  #7  
ignacio
Burning Brakes
 
ignacio's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: palm city, fl
Posts: 776
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Unhappy

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...
Old 03-26-2003, 02:16 PM
  #8  
wwest
Drifting
 
wwest's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: redmond wa
Posts: 2,467
Likes: 0
Received 14 Likes on 9 Posts
Post

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.
Old 03-26-2003, 07:24 PM
  #9  
996blue
Advanced
 
996blue's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: san francisco
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

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!
Old 03-26-2003, 08:01 PM
  #10  
DCFLAT6
Banned
 
DCFLAT6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 136
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

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.
Old 03-26-2003, 09:46 PM
  #11  
LanceK
Pro
 
LanceK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Westhampton Beach, N.Y.
Posts: 537
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

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.
Old 03-27-2003, 10:10 PM
  #12  
dp35
Pro
 
dp35's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Walnut Creek, CA
Posts: 645
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

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.
Old 03-29-2003, 09:15 AM
  #13  
Mrs. Venom
1st Gear
 
Mrs. Venom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: DC Suburbia
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

I must be lucky no tickets yet on my silver 996 cab or my bright red/white stiped gts. and it is not like I havent tried
Old 03-29-2003, 11:57 AM
  #14  
RJT
Addict
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
 
RJT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 13,207
Received 357 Likes on 158 Posts
Post

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" />
Old 03-29-2003, 12:00 PM
  #15  
NMoore
Racer
 
NMoore's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 345
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

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.



Quick Reply: Color Selection and the Law



All times are GMT -3. The time now is 10:53 AM.