Hummer drivers lead in tickets

Hummer drivers get almost five times as many tickets as the national average for all vehicles, according to a 2009 study. 
 
Conducted by San Francisco-based Quality Planning, a company that provides statistical information to insurance companies to help them determine rates, the one-year study looked at violations during 2007 and 2008. The findings were standardized based on the number of violations per 100,000 miles driven for different models. Drivers of Hummer H2s and H3s stood out over smaller vehicles, so to speak, with 4.63 time more tickets.
 
The reasons for this could be debated long and hard, but one theory was offered up by Mark S. Foster, author of “A Nation on Wheels: The Automotive Culture in America since 1945” is that “Hummer drivers feel like kings of the road, because of their elevated driving position. As these statistics show, they are leading the pack when it comes to violating the law, which may effect their driving attitude.”
 
A somewhat scarier interpretation was offered by Quality Planning President Dr. Raj Bhat, who said “Or perhaps Hummer drivers, by virtue of their driving position, are less likely to notice road hazards, signs, pedestrians, and other drivers.”
 
That theory could be compromised somewhat by the number two top violator on the list: The relatively low-riding Scion tC coupe. Third place also goes to Scion for the xB wagon. The study points out that younger drivers normally have a higher incidence of violations. Scion actually scored a trifecta in the study, as the xA checked in at number seven. Also in the top 10 were the 481-hp Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG and 507-hp CLS63 AMG at number four and six, respectively, proving hooliganism is classless.
 
At the other end of the spectrum, the list of cars least likely to be ticketed included models favored by a decidedly more mature demographic, with the number one spot going to the Jaguar XJ. Also on the list were the Buick Park Avenue and Rainier.
 
Interestingly, the least-likely list also included the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, whose drivers evidently don’t share the ticket-gathering ways of Hummer drivers. Or maybe they’re just better at getting away with it. 
 
—Jim Travers

Comments

[MJ]

1) You're dumb enough to drive a tank around suburbia
2) You're too rich to care about wasting energy
3) You're so cool that no one else matters anyway
4) Laws are for uncool people who drive 'little' cars
5) You love the feeling of being 'above' everyone else

5 reasons why Hummer drivers deserve to get LOTS of tickets!

[Rob]

I have driven 18 wheelers for 12 years and have traveled many of the roads across the US and Canada. The elevated position and 'King of the Road' feeling of a Big Rig has not caused truckers to have such terrible driving habits as Hummer owners. The poor visibility around our massive vehicles has not had that effect either. Semi drivers have special training and licensing to give them the sober understanding of what it means to be on the road. Truckers understand the weight and impact of their big vehicles and their safety records bear that out.

Anyone with more money than brains can have a Hummer. The fact that the H3 rates so poorly in CR's tests just proves my point. The vehicle has so few redeeming qualities. You have to be an idiot with self-esteem issues to actually purchase one.

Whenever you couple low intelligence with money and a desire for a status-only vehicle, you get a total disregard for the rules of the road, the safety of others and your impact on the planet. I am not surprised that the H3 has become the poster child for rich jerks who only care about themselves.

[H2]

1. They are counting PARKING TICKETS in this survey.
2. Hummer H2 gets only 2 MPG less then the VW V8 tourage and the same MPG as the Ford F250.
3. Hummers H2 and H1 are a very well light care and draw attention.
4. The recent price drop in hummers has made them the same as a MINIVAN in price.
5. There were only 7000 hummer H2 sold last year compare that to the number of FORD, DODGE, GM and CHEVY Pickup trucks that get the same and WORSE MPG.

[Randall Smith]

I own a Hummer H3 and I am neither rich or arrogant. It was the best buy for a combination of comfort and performance. It was under 30K and gets fuel mileage comparable to pickup trucks and any other suv. Maybe the reason Hummer drivers get more tickets is that that they are fleeing from overzelous people who egg, vandalize, spit on their vehicle.

[Cale]

Maybe police officers don't like it when people that drive cars that look like "factories on wheels" roll through stop signs. It seems like the "California Stop" is the accepted norm where I live, yet almost everyone gets away with it.

So I'll add my theory to those of the "experts". Maybe H2 drivers forget to engage cloaking when their driving around town. That could explain their high visibility to law enforcement.

[jack b dazzle]

Maybe some police officer's are just haters and pick on Hummers? They are an easy and politically correct target.

I would not stop a Buick under and circumstances. It could be my parents driving.

[JR Castaneda]

>>>""proving hooliganism is classless""

I would never have expected that kind of comment at CR. It is uncalled for considering how dumb our speed limits are and how poor is the signage of our roads...

and also considering all police officers are on a ticket quota!!!!

[Jamie]

H2, I don't know where you're getting your information. Parking tickets were not part of the dataset:

"Traffic code violations data for a one-year period from 2007 and 2008 were used for the study." (http://www.property-casualty.com/News/2009/1/Pages/Hummer-Drivers-Have-The-Worst-Record--Study-Finds.aspx)

[JC]

In response to H2:

"1. They are counting PARKING TICKETS in this survey."

Conclusion: H2's are so large, and so often parked in areas with tight parking, that owners often break parking laws. Here in southern california, it's pretty common to see H2's taking up two parking spaces, since soccer moms can't fit them in one spot.

"2. Hummer H2 gets only 2 MPG less then the VW V8 tourage and the same MPG as the Ford F250."

So because another SUV sucks (touareg) the H2 can suck too? Road tests from magazines get 8 to 10 mpg. That is just plain horrible. And as for the F250, it has a hell of a lot more usable space than the H2. It's also a WORK TRUCK instead of an "urban warrior" vehicle.

"3. Hummers H2 and H1 are a very well light care and draw attention."

???

"4. The recent price drop in hummers has made them the same as a MINIVAN in price."

Except when you get to the gas pump, and you're spending twice as much money every week to fill up a vehicle that has less passenger and storage space in it, and is harder to get into and out of, and...

"5. There were only 7000 hummer H2 sold last year compare that to the number of FORD, DODGE, GM and CHEVY Pickup trucks that get the same and WORSE MPG. "

The large majority of those other trucks sold are light duty (F150, silverado, etc) trucks that actually get better gas mileage. If there are trucks that get worse mileage- like I said, they're work trucks... and if anybody is buying those to replace an SUV, it's just as bad of a decision as it is to buy an H2. Again... just because something else sucks, doesn't give the H2 a license to suck.

[Randall Smith]

The picture of the Hummer in the article is the South African version. Note the clear turn signals and the bulging clear marker lights. When someone says something negative about my H3 I ask them to tell me everything they know about the vehicles. After about 5 seconds they run out of information. Ignorance is bliss.

[steve]

Lot's of Hummer Hate on here. I think for most (but not all) owners, Hummers are under-utilized and are a silly extravagance. However, I have personally not had any direct problems with their driving habits. They seem no better or worse than others. Perhaps it's the Hummer Hate that brings them more tickets.

[Jim]

Some thoughts from a H1 owner.

1. There are jerks out there and they own many different vehicles. So we all can point out an incident or situation involving a Hummer if we want to. In recent years I usually point out the "dangerous" driving habits of 20 something males in Mustangs.

2. My Hummer H1 gets better fuel economy than my friends Ford Explorer. Surprised both of us... LOL

3. Hummer owners (at least H1, not sure about H2 and H3 owners) encounter only two type of people. Those who are interested and amazed by the construction of the vehicle, and those who hate and despise you. Most of the haters claim that you are destroying the environment. I know my vehicle does not get the economy of a Prius, but it does get twice the mileage of the ho hum car I drove back in High School. I think we come a long way in fuel economy. I DID NOT buy my Hummer with sole intention to use more fuel than others as usually claimed by the haters. I bought it after 9/11 to avoid flying and be able to respond to my domestic customers nationwide in any weather or disaster condition and I have on a number of occasions been able to get through blizzards.

4. I also witnessed first hand a head on collision in my early driving days. It was a pickup vs. a Datsun (Nissan). The Datsun occupants went home in body bags. It was the pickup occupants that were out walking around. I was forever sold on larger vehicles since that time. I always weighed the difference between the value of my life and fuel economy. Selfishly I choose my own safety.

5. I have been driving over 29 years and never have received a traffic ticket or ever been pulled over (in my cars and mini vans). I have been pulled over in my Hummer though. Never received a ticket because the traffic stops were all bogus and I have the balls to call them out on it. Hummer owners do standout to the police. We are large radar targets and we are easy to pick out of the pack.

There is a curiousity factor with the police of who is behind the wheel. I have been stopped on bogus things like "I thought you were watching TV while driving". Of course they claim it must of been my GPS after a thorough search of the vehicle. At the Canadian border I pass through with my car without problems, but drive my Hummer there and I get searched all the time. Hmmm?

So I think there might be a mix of bad drivers and the factor of the vehicle you are driving causing the resutls of the study. Not just the owners themselves.

[Matthew]

Comparing tickets received by Hummer owners to tickets received by Jaguar XJ owners is silly. For one thing, Hummer offers several models and this survey is taking the aggregate of everyone who owns a Hummer. For another, a lot more people own Hummers than Jaguar XJs. Did the study normalize for this? Doesn't sound like it. Meaningless.

[Zippy]

Aren't Hummers produced a Chinese company now? I could swear GM spun off and sold the brand. So, they're un-American too.

[Jeff Bartlett - Consumer Reports]

The sale isn't complete, yet. In checking with GM today, I'm told there is progress on the agreements and regulation approvals for the sale. The process is expected to be complete by the end of 2009. Even potentially Chinese corporate ownership, Hummer is expected to remain an America-based company.

[O N E]

Jim, I'm curious why you felt this blog worthy?

First off this study was released nine months ago. With everything going on in the auto industry today the best you could come up with for a blog post was a study that was released nine months ago?

Second, I thought Consumer Reports was unbiased. Does it make it OK if somebody else said it? I guess, but seriously, the bias is blatantly obvious.

“Hummer drivers feel like kings of the road, because of their elevated driving position. As these statistics show, they are leading the pack when it comes to violating the law, which may effect their driving attitude.” -Mark S. Foster

There are plenty of vehicles on the road that have the same elevated driving position as the H2 and H3 including some of the vehicles that are pointed out to be least likely to receive tickets.

These statistics DO NOT show that H2 and H3 drivers are "leading the pack when it comes to violating the law." It simply shows that they are receiving more citations for it. I'm certain that if a proper traffic study were done the numbers would not be so skewed against the H2 and H3 drivers. This study does not take officer discussion in to account.

Conclusions are being drawn that are not supported by the data.

----

As to the comments of MJ, Rob, and JC, unfortunately you are misinformed or just ignorant as are many others when it comes to HUMMERS and the people that drive them.

The H3 is in the middle of the pack when it comes to mid-size SUV fuel economy.

The only thing that Consumer Reports poor ratings of the H3 proves is that Consumer Reports rating give no consideration to the vehicles intended function. It's a bit like a colander getting a poor rating for cookware because it don't hold water.

Average base price for an H3 over three years of production was ~$30,000 over $5K less than the base price of a Tahoe (which this study would imply are driven by model citizens)

This just goes to show that regardless of if it's a cop with a ticket book, an insurance industry study, Consumer Reports, or commenters on a blog, the HUMMER always has to fight for a fair shot.

[Jim]

I just was in China (Inner Mongolia Province) all of last month. A Hummer H3(driven up from Hong Kong) pulled up at the hotel and it caused quite a stir. Obviously these people here are not haters!

Maybe China deserves to own the Hummer Brand!

American and German cars get a lot of respect in China, even over the local Chinese and Japanese produced vehicles. There are Buicks built in Shanghai and they are very well received and desired by those who can afford to drive.

[Jim Travers]

While the study results were released earlier this year, the data was gathered in 2007 and 2008 – it is unlikely findings would be much different nine months later. We post blogs on a wide variety of automotive topics--things we feel consumers will find useful or of interest. While both the study and the blog mentioned a number of vehicles, it is obvious that this blog struck more of a chord with Hummer owners than it did with, say Scion owners – a group the study found also had a higher incidence of violations. Whether the higher percentage of violations for Hummer drivers the study reported is a result of the size of the vehicles themselves, the way they were driven, their distinctive look, a combination of the above, or something else is open for speculation. Blogs invite discussion and differences of opinion, and this blog is no exception.

Hummers have scored poorly in our testing and Ratings because of poor fuel economy, handling, and visibility, among other things. The scores are based on engineering test data. As far as the H3’s fuel economy goes, we drive every vehicle we test over the same combination of city, highway, and mixed driving tests. Simply put, the H3 performs well below the average for mid-sized SUVs in our testing. Our 3.5-liter H3 got 14 mpg overall; the average for the class is around 16.

The H2 and H3 have also scored poorly in our owner satisfaction surveys and in reported reliability. While we have praised both the H2 and H3 for their off-road capabilities, there are simply better choices for on-road driving – which is what most Hummer drivers, like drivers of other SUVs, do with them.