Do LEOs have to follow traffic laws?

[SB Lightning]

I got stopped right when I got off the freeway by a CHP. He got me for tinted tail lights and no front plate. They told me the tint on the tail lights affected other drivers (which it doesn't) and the front plate is if I run a red light they can ticket me (that makes me want to put it on ). I can't complain because it's the law, but how bored was this guy? lol. He was a cool guy and even know some stuff about the Mach 1's, but still gave me the stupid fix it ticket lol.

I do think type of car and color of car makes you more noticable, but that's just how it goes. They'll notice a bright red corolla before they notice a grey mustang or whatever.

 

[ford5.0forlife]

'fraid I DO have a clue there bud. Vette's are primarily driven by men ages 50+, who LEO's don't tend to pay as much attention to. I can count on 1 hand the times I see Vettes doing anything but the speed limit. Go out in a modded f-body or mustang and see what happens. You won't even need to do anything, you'll be followed just because.

I have enough friends with them to know for a fact. It is how it is.

Really? I actually had a state trooper pull out behind my foxbody, after he heard me coming through a tunnel pretty quickly, and pull along side me and give me the thumbs up and proceeded to start conversation with me @ 55mph.

LOL, nothing more hilarious then seeing what looks like a cop and a mustang line up for a highway race, and all the traffic behind us too afraid to honk!!

 

[mswaim]

I guess I'm just lucky:

1997 Rio Red Cobra # 4003 of 6961 No tickets.

1999 Lightning # 1317 of 4000 No tickets.

2001 Bullitt # 3538 No tickets.

2002 Lightning # 3575 of 4726 No tickets

2004 Red XLR No tickets.

2005 C6 Velocity Yellow Vette No tickets.

2007 Red XLR No tickets.

Wow! How can that be? Utilizing the logic from this thread, I should be walking by now. :shrug::shrug: :idea::idea: Maybe it's the fact I enjoy my cars without playing the fool for every person on the road. :shrug:

 

[uofipilot]

I agree and disagree. I agree with the fact that we draw attention to ourselves with the cars that we drive, but I disagree that we get pulled over for the cars we drive. Just realize that simply driving a "fast" car calls attention, but if you don't do anything stupid, you won't get pulled over.

I'm 22 now, bought my 97 when I was 21, and have yet to even been pulled over in it. I was pulled over in our 2000 Saturn though because I was doing 68 in a 55 (which was something stupid). You get pulled over for doing stupid things. It just so happens that we drive cars that get a little more attention so its more likly a cop will see you doing stupid things.

 

[albino96]

I agree and disagree. I agree with the fact that we draw attention to ourselves with the cars that we drive, but I disagree that we get pulled over for the cars we drive. Just realize that simply driving a "fast" car calls attention, but if you don't do anything stupid, you won't get pulled over.

I'm 22 now, bought my 97 when I was 21, and have yet to even been pulled over in it. I was pulled over in our 2000 Saturn though because I was doing 68 in a 55 (which was something stupid). You get pulled over for doing stupid things. It just so happens that we drive cars that get a little more attention so its more likly a cop will see you doing stupid things.

+1. They might not be profiling you, but a bright yellow ferrari is going to stand out a little more than a brown corolla regardless. Just means everything you do is more visible.

 

[nighthawk355x]

I drove my highly modded bright red 87 mustang GT convertible without any problems except for no front plate in NJ. What is your explanation now?

Let's not forget I am a L.E.O., and I pull over offenders in cars, it has nothing to do with the car.

I know "some of your best friends are cops," right??

I am willing bet you are under

***Removed by Moderator***

 

[nighthawk355x]

Police probably target the Mustang, F-Body, and import crowd more than a vette owner cause we are more likely to be more stupid and reckless when driving at speeds. They probably trail behind us as well knowing that we might act stupid if they were not noticed.

***removed by moderator***

Do not post on this forum again

 

[ZChaos0026]

You could not be more incorrect. Every traffic stop that i have initiated due to speed, i have never looked at what kind of car it was, engaged my radar or laser, then stopped it. Do certain cars stand out more than others, absolutely, however that doesnt mean they get stopped more than others, unless that person draws attention to him/herself by driving in a way that he/she needs to be stopped. Some one speeding is someone speeding, whether he or she is in a prius or a vette.

The other pc stops (tint, tag lights, etc) are more for wanting to look inside a vehicle rather than writing a citation, at least for me.

 

[S8ER01Z]

No issues here and I drive stupid sometimes *just like a majority of us do*...I've never been followed 'just because' I was driving a Camaro... I have been pulled over for leaving a gas station too quickly because the place had been robbed several times and the officer was trying to make sure I wasn't the one doing it.

Sure some cops might do exactly what you are claiming but those cops are not the majority. The 'horror' stories you hear are usually 90% fiction and represent less than 1% of all traffic stops... you never hear about the 'good' stops because they are unremarkable and no one feels the need to post up 10 seconds after they have been treated fairly to say thanks.

Also FWIW SVTFordFan doesn't drive around with a big 'LEO' sticker in his back window so wtf does it matter what his occupation is in regards to him getting hassled/pulled over because of what he drives??

 

[03CobraDude]

I've driven faster by police in a Mustang than I have in a truck, and I never got a look when I was in the Mustang, but got pulled over for not using a turn signal in the truck. I believe they're just looking for who does stuff wrong.

 

[65fastback2+2]

im going to disagree with the car not playing a roll in it.

I got pulled over 3 times in a year in my mach 1 (only ticketed once).

1: On the highway driving from KY to TX, doing about 75 in a 70...trailblazer creeps up and passes at about 80mph (mind you I am in the right lane, hes in the left)...we top a hill right as he is about 3-4 cars ahead of me....cop on the opposite side of the road....yup, pulls me over. That makes sense, pull the slower car over.

2: My mach had a magnaflo catback. I was toying with one of my friends at a light in his 90 Integra...light turns green, I let out slowly (to make it look close hah) shift to 2nd and go to about 4k rpm (about 35mph, IN A 35mph zone)...my friend, drops clutch, spins tires through 1st and 2nd through the light with tons of smoke. Cop pulls me over and says "I just pulled you over because I heard you going fast". Never mind the fact i didnt lay any rubber and didnt speed.

3: On this highway nearby the speed limit is 55 but the traffic always goes 65-70, so one morning on the way to work im pootin' along with traffic when a cop jumps out and pulls me over....not the other 20 cars within 80 feet....me.

I chalked it up to part of owning a mustang and moved on....but i have encountered serious car profiling before.