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Ever since I can remember, I was told police target red cars and pull them over more often compared to cars bearing other finishes. Though many believe this to be true to this day, there’s next to no correlation between car color and traffic stops. Some studies, however, suggest there are statistical trends related to car color and getting pull over.
Red Cars
Let’s knock out red cars first, shall we? First and foremost, police officers don’t target cars by their color. The idea that red cars get pulled over most often seems to stem from their bright, attention-grabbing color.
According to iSeeCars, red cars make up just over 10% of car colors in the United States. When it comes to traffic stops, in reality, red cars actually come in at second place on the list of paint finish pulled over most often.
White Cars
The reigning champion of car color most likely to be pulled over is none other than white! This likely comes down to statistical correlation, though.
For nearly a decade, white has been the most popular car color with nearly a quarter of cars coming equipped with the bright finish. It makes sense, then, that it’s the color pulled over most often.
Black Cars
Black cars make up just shy of a quarter of car finishes in America. They come in third place after red cars in the race to get pulled over. Again, this comes down to statistical evidence.
Additionally, black cars are less visible in bad weather and at night, resulting in them being involved in more accidents. On the bright side, a black finish holds its resale value slightly better than lighter colored counterparts.
On a related know, because I know you’re wondering, the car models most likely to be pulled over, in order of first to third, are the Subaru WRX, Scion FR-S, and Volkswagen GTI.
Car Color and Traffic Stops
Considering white and black finishes come on nearly half of all cars, it’s no surprise they’re among the top three most likely to get pulled over. Typically, police officers don’t target specific car colors, though red is an outlier. Instead, they focus on violations, such as speeding, recklessness, and distracted driving. While it can be beneficial to consider color in your next car purchase, it’s even more beneficial to pay attention when you’re behind the wheel!
