Nobody enjoys when police pull them over, especially when they’re in a hurry to get to their destination. Of course, practicing car safety, like avoiding distracted driving, speeding, or busted taillights, will help prevent traffic stops. But it turns out certain types of cars might also reduce drivers’ chances of getting a ticket. Could it be that driving luxury cars could help?

Common reasons for getting pulled over

According to National Motorists Association Blog, the most common reasons police stop drivers are speeding, distracted driving, tailgating or unsafe lane changes, hazardous driving, and equipment violations (like expired tags or overly dark-tinted windows). The blog also reports that men get pulled over about 30 percent more than women, and 20-year-olds get stopped more than any other age. Plus, the speed at which drivers are ticketed most frequently is 15 mph over the limit. 

So, if you’re a 20-year-old male going 15 mph over the speed limit while driving in a hazardous way with expired tags, chances are good a cop will pull you over. This is especially true if you drive a certain type of car. But the makes and models that are likeliest to get stopped are quite surprising.

Are luxury cars pulled over less than other vehicles?

Generally speaking, it doesn’t appear as though luxury cars as a whole are pulled over less than regular cars. However, some models of luxury cars are less likely to get stopped than other luxury cars. YourMechanic reports that the most ticketed luxury car in 2016 was the Lexus ES 300, with 33.4 percent of ES 300 drivers getting a ticket. On the other hand, the Lexus IS350 was the least ticketed model in the luxury car class, with only 3.4 percent of drivers getting a citation. 

Those percentages are comparable to other categories, such as the most and least ticketed SUVs. The Mazda Tribute saw 29.9 percent of owners receiving a ticket, whereas Buick Encore drivers got a ticket only about 3.2 percent of the time. 

So, no, driving a luxury car alone doesn’t necessarily make you less likely to get a traffic ticket. But certain luxury models might play a role in getting you fewer tickets. Other factors, like color and type of vehicle, also come into play. 

Colors or types of vehicles likeliest to get stopped

National Motorists Association Blog says the color of your vehicle might play a role in how often the police stop you. You might think cars with flashy paint jobs are the likeliest targets. But, no, the top color in a 2016 report was white. Red came in second, gray in third, and silver in fourth. So maybe avoiding tickets is as easy as taking your car in for a new paint job, perhaps a nice black or blue shade. 

Beyond color, sporty cars, like convertibles and coupes, often associated with younger generations, tend to get pulled over more. By contrast, vehicles typically associated with families, like minivans and sedans, are less likely to get pulled over and ticketed. Interestingly, one of the least likely vehicles to get ticketed is the Chevy Suburban, a huge SUV known for toting large families.

It’s definitely not fair that cops would top some vehicles more than others. But it’s also possible that some vehicles are likelier to attract owners who tend to drive recklessly. It could be one of those classic chicken-or-the-egg scenarios with no clear answer.