What’s in a color? Most people have a favorite, but should your favorite color necessarily be the shade of car you drive? Or, does the color of your car put you at a higher risk for an accident?
Car Color And Accident Rates
A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) showed that yellow taxi cabs have lesser collisions than those that are darker.
Why?
“Yellow taxis are safer to travel in because yellow is more visible than blue,” said Teck-Hua Ho, a professor at the National University of Singapore, and lead author of the study.
Does this mean that drivers across the country should purchase new cars, simply to ensure they’re driving a car that is brighter, and therefore easier to see on the road? Still, yellow taxi cabs may have fewer accidents than darker ones, but the driver behind the wheel ultimately plays the biggest role in promoting safe roads for everyone.
When it comes to your vehicle and chances of wrecking, color may be a factor that increases the odds of a collision. The question is, how much does it matter?
Color and Collision Correlation: Does It Exist?
A 2007 report conducted by Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) found a clear correlation between a car’s color and collision risk. The study compared white hues to others, such as black, blue and grey.
MUARC’s findings – which remain the most up-to-date research on this topic – concluded that if a car has a low visibility color, there’s a higher chance of it being involved in an accident. Further, the study found several car colors to be “high risk,” including:
- Black
- Blue
- Grey
- Green
- Red
- Silver
It’s interesting to note that while none of the colors listed above tested as “safer” than white, there were some (none of which that were named) that had an equal relative collision risk.
Regarding the study, Dr. Soames Job from RTA’s NSW Centre for Road Safety observed:
“Driving a darker colored car can increase your crash risk,” he said, “but that is nowhere near as influential a factor as your driving behavior. By driving within the speed limit, not driving after drinking and avoiding driving when tired, you increase your safety on the road.”
According to the Huffington Post, the top five causes of a car accidents are:
- Distracted Driving
- Drunk Driving
- Speeding
- Reckless Driving
- Rain
Clearly, car color did not make the list. This one statistic doesn’t suggest you shouldn’t put more thought into the color of car you drive when purchasing one. However, it does mean that when it comes to road safety, it’s the driver of the car who can ultimately cause or prevent an accident.
Buying a car that is white in color doesn’t mean you will necessarily experience fewer wrecks than a darker colored vehicle. As the driver, road safety is still up to you.
How to Contact a Car Accident Attorney
If you’ve recently been involved in a car accident, you could benefit from speaking with an attorney. During this inconvenient and stressful time, you deserve to have a professional advocate on your side.
Contact The Flood Law Firm today by calling (860) 346-2695. We offer a no-cost, no-obligation consultation to assess your case and determine the best course of action for your needs. You’ve been through enough – let us help you move on with your life.
