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List of cars with most reckless driving infractions full of surprises

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Old 10-13-21, 07:37 AM
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Hoovey689
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Default List of cars with most reckless driving infractions full of surprises

No Mustang's or 3-Series here




Insurify is a site for comparing auto insurance quotes. Because insurance shoppers need to submit information like the vehicles they're driving and the infractions they've compiled while driving those vehicles, Insurify has quite the database of correlations tying certain models to a habit of breaking certain laws. When the site's data analysts decided to compile a list of the top ten models for reckless driving citations in the decade from 2010 to 2019, the ranking contained a few wild entries. The Dodge Challenger making the countdown will surprise precisely zero people. But the Saturn L200?

First, a definition: USLegal.com defines reckless driving as "driving with a willful or wanton disregard for safety. It is the operation of an automobile under such circumstances and in such a manner as to show a willful or reckless disregard of consequences." So this list is a caution about particular drivers more than the cars. For a baseline, according to Insurify data, for any random model, 15 out of 10,000 people who drive that model have picked up one citation for reckless driving.

Back to that Challenger, then. No shocker for being here, but it's actually number 10, with 44 out of 10,000 Challenger drivers nabbed for a willful disregard of consequences on the road. That's better than the first surprise entry, the Saturn L200, a sedan only on sale for six years, with the least horsepower on the list, and out of production since 2005. The data set put drivers of GM's extraterrestrial sedan at 45 reckless pilots per 10,000 drivers.

There are two pickups on the list, the only modern one being the Ram 1500 at eighth, with a rate of 46 in 10,000. Somehow, drivers of the third-best-selling pickup in the U.S. outrun the overwhelming numerical superiority of the best-selling vehicle in the States, the Ford F-150. The other pickup is the Chevrolet K1500 at number five, with a rate of 56 in 10,000. This is not only the oldest vehicle on the list, it went out of production in 2002, before any other vehicle on the list. Between the trucks, the Volkswagen CC slotted in at seven with 47 in 10,000 reckless driving chits, the Cadillac ATS slipped into sixth with 48 in 10,000.

The top four is a bag of unexpected. The Nissan 370Z is the first hardcore sports car on the list at number four, with 61 in 10,000 Z drivers flaunting their Fairladys in the face of Johnny Law. And we mean that, Insurify saying 370Z drivers are in the top 25 for both speeding and hit-and-run violations. The only SUV on the list is the Isuzu Rodeo drivers, out of production since 2004, and it betters the 370Z by coming in at number three, with a rate of 62 in 10,000. The second hardcore sports car comes in at runner up, 67 out of 10,000 Hyundai Genesis Coupe drivers going a little too fast or a little too furious. As with their Z brethren, they picked up side-dish raspberries for having the 23rd-highest at-fault accident rate, the 18th-highest rate of DUIs, and rank fourth for the greatest number of speeding tickets.

The winner? Or loser, as it might be? The Mazda Miata. Not exactly a hardcore sports car (though certainly a sports car nonetheless), but a hot ticket for tuning and autocrossing, Miata handily owned the number one spot at 73 drivers in 10,000. Even though a great many enthusiasts say you have to drive a Miata before you die, they probably don't mean drive it like that.

Here's a recap of the full top 10:
  1. Mazda MX-5 Miata
  2. Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  3. Isuzu Rodeo
  4. Nissan 370Z
  5. Cadillac ATS
  6. Volkswagen CC
  7. Ram 1500
  8. Chevrolet K1500
  9. Saturn L200
  10. Dodge Challenger
Source
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Old 10-13-21, 08:54 AM
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all cheap cars bought by young or young at heart drivers.
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Old 10-13-21, 09:53 AM
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That's a real diverse list. I always knew those Saturn L200 drivers were a bunch of maniacs lol.
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Old 10-13-21, 11:30 AM
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I can believe it for the Challenger, some versions of the Cadillac ATS, Nissan 370Z, Mazda Miata, and Hyundai Genesis Coupe (which is surprisingly sport-oriented). I'm not sure I buy the rest of the list.

My own experience over many years, sharing the road with other drivers, puts V8-powered Mustangs (GT/Boss/SVT/Cobra/Shelby) in first place, and 3-series BMW in a somewhat distant second. (I know you may disagree, Hoovey, but that is a pattern I have seen for many years). Of course, lately, the Challenger has been outselling the Mustang, so that might be part of a factor in this latest list.

Last edited by mmarshall; 10-13-21 at 11:35 AM.
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Old 10-13-21, 11:41 AM
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You see one of these coming down the road... you better get out the way!


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Old 10-13-21, 12:27 PM
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Originally Posted by mmarshall
I can believe it for the Challenger, some versions of the Cadillac ATS, Nissan 370Z, Mazda Miata, and Hyundai Genesis Coupe (which is surprisingly sport-oriented). I'm not sure I buy the rest of the list.

My own experience over many years, sharing the road with other drivers, puts V8-powered Mustangs (GT/Boss/SVT/Cobra/Shelby) in first place, and 3-series BMW in a somewhat distant second. (I know you may disagree, Hoovey, but that is a pattern I have seen for many years). Of course, lately, the Challenger has been outselling the Mustang, so that might be part of a factor in this latest list.
What's not to buy? A lot of these vehicles have depreciated to the point where they're easily accessible for most Americans to buy, especially given the national average income is slightly less than $36k. I can very much envision someone buying a K5 or L200 because it's affordable. Now whether they're law-abiding or not is another matter, though the data shows certain correlations of cars and infractions do give us an idea nationally. So you live in an area with a lot of Mustang's and 3's, okay, but you need to look at the data for the rest of the U.S. as a whole, not just what you saw yesterday. Your experiences are a small sample given the area you cover and how little you drive now. I see a lot of Model 3's flexing here in the Bay Area but that doesn't mean they belong on this list (at least for the time being). Cars and trends come and go. Given the SUV craze, it doesn't surprise me the Mustang and 3 two perennial best sellers for a long long time are fading somewhat from the spotlight.
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Old 10-13-21, 12:33 PM
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Something to point out - the data used for this draws upon correlation between individuals with reckless driving infractions, and ownership of these vehicles. Not that these were the specific vehicles within which the reckless driving infraction occurred. For example, Miata owners are more likely to have been hit with a reckless driving infraction - does not necessarily mean they were hit with that infraction while driving the Miata. They could have been driving a Honda Odyssey while the infraction occurred, but they're also an owner of the Miata. Another thing to point out is these are based on volume. Generally speaking higher end cars are lower volume and wouldn't make the list. It would be interesting to see the % for some higher end brands however (Lexus/BMW/Mercedes etc)
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Old 10-13-21, 12:37 PM
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Originally Posted by wtwo3
Something to point out - the data used for this draws upon correlation between individuals with reckless driving infractions, and ownership of these vehicles. Not that these were the specific vehicles within which the reckless driving infraction occurred. For example, Miata owners are more likely to have been hit with a reckless driving infraction - does not necessarily mean they were hit with that infraction while driving the Miata. They could have been driving a Honda Odyssey while the infraction occurred, but they're also an owner of the Miata. Another thing to point out is these are based on volume. Generally speaking higher end cars are lower volume and wouldn't make the list. It would be interesting to see the % for some higher end brands however (Lexus/BMW/Mercedes etc)
Nice insight
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Old 10-13-21, 02:47 PM
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How is the Ram 1500 not #1?

By far the most reckless/aggressive drivers on the road are Dodge Ram drivers. Doesn't matter what gen of Ram it is.

Last edited by LH1; 10-13-21 at 02:56 PM.
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Old 10-13-21, 05:22 PM
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The list seems random, which leads me to believe the correlation is slight at best. Recklessness is a trait of people with certain personalities. Would this same personality trait influence which vehicle one drives? Not likely.

One might think that sports car drivers are most likely to drive recklessly (like some motorcycle riders), which reminds me of a couple of jokes:

What is the difference between a porcupine and a sports car? The porcupine has the ****** on the outside.

What is the difference between a vacuum cleaner and a motorcycle? The vacuum cleaner has the dirt bag on the inside.

I'm allowed to tell these jokes because I have a sports car and a motorcycle!
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Old 10-13-21, 05:29 PM
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Originally Posted by wtwo3
For example, Miata owners are more likely to have been hit with a reckless driving infraction - does not necessarily mean they were hit with that infraction while driving the Miata. They could have been driving a Honda Odyssey while the infraction occurred, but they're also an owner of the Miata.
Yes, that is a good point. Miatas also are often weekend-fun cars that aren't driven much during the week.
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Old 10-13-21, 10:28 PM
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That is not even a pic of a K1500.
List is highly geographic.
Here is mine for suburban southern CA:

1) Dodge Charger
2) Infiniti G35/Q50
3) BMW 3
4) Dodge Challenger
5) Camaro
6) Mustang
7) All Teslas
8) Subaru Impreza/WRX
9) Kia Optima
10) Kia Forte
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Old 10-13-21, 10:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Fizzboy7
That is not even a pic of a K1500.
List is highly geographic.
Here is mine for suburban southern CA:

1) Dodge Charger
2) Infiniti G35/Q50
3) BMW 3
4) Dodge Challenger
5) Camaro
6) Mustang
7) All Teslas
8) Subaru Impreza/WRX
9) Kia Optima
10) Kia Forte

Good list, Fizzboy. Looks quite reasonable.

I don't see many Kia sedans, like your Optima and Forte, driving aggressively here in the D.C. area, but in CA, it could be another story.
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Old 10-14-21, 01:51 AM
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definitely some surprises here lol, are there even enough isuzu rodeos in existence to be on such a list? also idk how the 2010+ grand cherokee didn't make it
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Old 10-15-21, 12:10 PM
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Wait so no lowered IS250/350's? Yeah right, around here they weave in and out of traffic like they have 911's.
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