Drivers of These Cars Get the Most Speeding Tickets

Many people believe the kind of car a person drives says something about the type of driver he or she is. If that’s the case, one might assume that those who drive cars known for their horsepower and speed—such as a Corvette, Camaro, or Mustang—get more speeding tickets, while those who drive more conservative, low-cost models have more caution behind the wheel. 

A new study show reveals this to be false: drivers with the most speeding tickets tend to drive more moderately priced and moderately powered cars. The insurance website Insurify looked at various vehicle models to determine which ones had drivers with the most speeding tickets. The results were surprising, and don’t match up to most expectations.

On average, 11.28% of drivers had a speeding ticket on their record. There was no one manufacturer with the most vehicle models represented, and seven manufacturers saw at least one of their models in the top 10 spot. Many vehicle manufacturers known for their racing models, such as Ferrari, Chevrolet, Ford, and Honda were not represented in the top 10 at all. 

Japanese carmaker Subaru took the No. 1 with the Subaru WRX. Insurify found more than 20% of Subaru WRX owners had speeding tickets on their driving record. The Subaru has just 268 horsepower, so drivers only have to put a moderate amount of effort into going fast. The vehicle in the top 10 with the most horsepower was the Dodge Ram 2500, which boasts 383hp. About half of the top 10 models had 200hp or less. 

The vehicles with the least amount of speeding tickets showed no specific pattern, with both high-performance models and economy models represented. 

Not included in the analysis is the exact number of each model on the road, which could affect the likelihood of a driver getting a speeding ticket in that model. However, when examining the best-selling models of 2018, only one appeared in either the top 10 or bottom 10 list: The Dodge Ram 2500. 

In New York State, police wrote more than 675,000 speeding tickets in 2018, according to early figures from the DMV. Speeding tickets in NYS comprise about 18.6% of all traffic tickets issued statewide. Speeding tickets in most states are costly; in New York, they can run from $150 to $600, sometimes even more. A conviction for speeding is also likely to raise insurance rates by hundreds of dollars for each year the ticket is on one’s driving record. This doesn’t even include the impact of points, which can lead to additional fees and even a possible suspension of one’s license.