What Science Says About The Car You Drive

Is a car just a heap of metal that we drive around daily or does it actually serve a higher purpose? Some folks say that a car is almost a form of artistic expression or an extension of our personalities.

Of course, no one can be judged by the set of wheels they are sporting. Not every car purchased serves as a statement piece. Some people are just looking to get from A to B, while others are very deliberate about what their car will “say” to the world.

Nevertheless, studies show that most cars do have a little something to say about their owner.

How’s My Driving?

For example, the Lexus ES 300 happens to be the most ticketed car in America according to last year’s numbers. The year prior happened to be the Subaru WRX.

We aren’t only talking about speeding tickets either. These cars have received the most traffic violations – period.

Getting to the bottom of just why this might be is quite difficult. Some theorize that the opposite of what we would expect is true. The cheaper cars – not faster cars – actually get the most tickets.

Why would that be?

Well, many are saying this is due to the fact that younger, possibly less experienced drivers are purchasing cheaper cars. Despite the fact that some sportier cars have the ability to go fast, their owners are more likely to be of an older generation. Statistics show that anyone in the age range of 45 and over are paying much less on their insurance due to good driving habits.

In addition, what color car you drive may have something to do with getting ticketed as well. Another study showed that cars in silver, white, grey, and red are the most ticketed in the US, with white actually coming in front – not red. Many of us have heard the old tale of red cars being more eye-catching and sportier looking, resulting in more police stops and traffic tickets.

However, many more people are driving white cars. White cars make up about 25% of the cars on the road and 19% of them have a history of traffic violation.

See Also: Necessary Steps When Teaching Your Teenager to Drive 

Statistics Show There Actually are “Men’s Cars”

You may have heard the phrase, “that’s a girly car” or “that’s a manly car”, Well, turns out there is a difference in what types of cars men and women choose to buy.

It seems that heavy duty trucks and sporty cars are mostly purchased by men. And when we say mostly, we mean this market is dominated by men.

Every car on this list came in at 80% or more solely purchased by men. This list includes The Ford F-Series, Porsche, Corvette, BMW M3, and Audi S4.

On the other side of things, ladies seem to be pretty even across the board with only a very slight lead over men on some SUVs, sedans, and specific sporty cars as well. Around 57.9% of all Volvo S40 sales were due to women, but this list also includes vehicles like the Nissan Rogue, Volkswagen Eos, and the Jeep Compass.

So, it seems the stereotypical “girly” car doesn’t really exist. Yet, cars that are now considered rugged and geared toward a men’s world, like the Ford Mustang, were actually originally designed and marketed towards women. I guess it’s all in how you look at it.

See Also: 5 Important Questions And Tips For Buying A New Car 

Does This Car Fit My Personality?

Believe it or not, there is some scientific research to show what type of personality you might have based on the the type of car you own. For example, compact car owners tend to live in dense cities and don’t want to have to drive their cars too much.

Obviously that isn’t a huge surprise, but they do spend less money on their cars and tend to work less than others. Maybe it’s because people in this group value their free time more or it could be because they just don’t want a hefty car payment.

It’s hard to say, but this category lends itself to those who aren’t looking for anything flashy as a status symbol. They just want something that they can drive around town and won’t have a large impact on the environment.

Luxury car owners are almost completely opposite. These folks tend to be older individuals who have more education and higher paying jobs. They drive their cars much farther distances than those with compact cars, but are known to spend more hours in the office than the average person. Maybe this means that they drive farther distances to get to work or maybe this group embodies seniors travelling the world in retirement.

Of course, anyone can drive any car on the planet, but we choose our cars for one reason or another. It is interesting to examine the data and try to piece together who a person is and what they may have seen in their life based solely on their car. But, the fact of the matter is, it’s just impossible. Making a judgement about a person’s worth, experience, or style of living based on the car they drive is just not realistic. Yet, undoubtedly, owning a car is still a fun and exciting form of creative self-expression.