When looking for a new car, safety is one of the most critical factors you would probably consider. Many people prioritize high-quality safety features and good safety ratings.
Good seatbelts, airbags, and crash test results are usually enough for most buyers to deem a car “safe” in automobile accidents. A car’s color is an afterthought or otherwise a purely aesthetic choice.
However, many tend to forget that the color of your car also affects accident risk. Yes, car color and crash risk are correlated.
Were you involved in an accident caused by another driver’s negligence? If so, the Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC car accident attorneys, can help you take legal action.
Call our personal injury law firm at (888) 424-5757 for a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team about your car accident remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
The Relationship Between Car Color and Crash Risk
Research shows that there is a connection between car color and crash risk. Three main crash risk car color characteristics that increase risk include:
- Forward and Backward Colors: Yellow and red cars seem closer (forward colors), while blue and black cars seem further (backward colors) even if they are at the same distance from you. Grey and silver cars are somewhere in the middle. Drivers tend to be more careful around vehicles that seem closer to them.
- Swelling and Shrinking: Lighter colors are more visually inflated than darker colors, giving a “swelling” effect. Hence, drivers are likelier to perceive lighter-colored vehicles, such as white and yellow cars, than dark cars.
- Brightness: Colors can be divided into two types: light and dark. Red, yellow, and white are brighter and easier to recognize. Dark car colors, such as black, blue, or green, are lower in brightness and look smaller and farther away. Drivers are more vigilant around vehicles they can readily perceive, such as yellow and white cars.
- Blending: Some colors blend with the typical road background, such as gray, green, blue, and silver. Silver cars and gray vehicles tend to blend in with the urban landscape.
Green vehicles blend in with nature. Red cars mimic brake lights, signs, and other things on the road.
Hence, if you are driving a gray vehicle or any different color commonly found on the streets, you may have an increased automobile accident risk.
What Are The Safest Car Colors?
Light-colored vehicles are the safest to drive because they are highly visible, quickly calling the attention of other motorists.
According to research, the safest car colors are:
Yellow Cars
Yellow is the safest car color because it is the easiest to spot and stands out. Yellow’s high visibility is also why school buses are painted yellow.
Yellow cars are also easy to see at night and in inclement weather.
Vehicles painted in other shades of yellow, such as cream or beige cars, also rank among the safest.
White Cars
Next to yellow, white is the second safest car color on the road.
White cars stand out from the background and are easily recognizable by other motorists.
Furthermore, white cars “expand” and visually take up more space.
So, other drivers are more aware of your presence if you drive a white car.
Orange Cars
Orange vehicles may not be popular, but it is one of the safest colors on the road. Orange is a warning color, prompting drivers to be wary when driving close to an orange car.
Gold Cars
Gold is a rare car color, but it ranks among the safest. Aside from being rare enough that other drivers notice them, gold vehicles easily stand out against traffic and roads.
Which Color Cars are Involved in the Most Automobile Accidents?
Based on the relationship between car color and crash risk, dark-colored cars are the most dangerous on the road.
Here are the most dangerous car colors:
Black Cars
According to the Vehicle Color Study conducted by Monash University Accident Research Center (MUARC), black cars are likelier to be involved in an automobile accident.
Black cars have a 12% higher crash risk than white cars because they are more challenging to see and blend into the surroundings.
Black cars are also the most dangerous to drive at nighttime.
The human eye cannot easily see black cars save for their lights, even on well-lit roads.
Moreover, black vehicles are difficult to spot during inclement weather, increasing the risk of getting into an accident while it rains.
Hence, driving a black car requires extra precautions and is not recommended for increased-risk drivers, such as new drivers and older people.
Grey and Silver Cars
Next to black cars, grey and silver cars are among the most dangerous.
Although silver and grey cars are the most common color options, they are more likely to be involved in an accident.
Grey cars are associated with an 11% higher accident risk than the safest vehicle colors, while silver cars are more likely to be involved in an accident by 10%.
Like black vehicles, grey and silver cars have a higher crash risk due to low visibility.
Silver and grey vehicles can blend in the background and therefore be difficult to see.
Red Cars
Red vehicles are most at risk of getting pulled over, but this is not the only reason you might want to avoid a red car.
Red vehicles are 7% more likely to be involved in an accident than yellow or white vehicles.
When considering visibility, you may think a red car would have a lower crash risk. But while red is a vibrant, easily visible color, it is also heavily present on the road.
Traffic lights, brake lights, and stop signs can be red, making it difficult for other drivers to distinguish red cars from the backdrop.
Blue Cars
Blue cars tend to blend in with the surroundings, including the sky.
Hence, blue cars can be challenging to distinguish from the background and may even look further than they are.
Blue vehicles are 7% more likely to be involved in automobile accidents than yellow or white vehicles.
Dark blue cars have more chances of being involved in an accident than cars painted in lighter shades of blue. A dark blue car may appear as dark as a black car, especially at night.
However, any shade of blue can contribute to the risk of a traffic accident as it reduces visibility on the road.
Green Cars
Green vehicles are not as dangerous as black or grey cars. However, there is still an increase in the risk of a motor vehicle accident due to visibility.
Green is everywhere, including trees, hills, grass, and bus stops. As a result, drivers may find it hard to distinguish green cars from the rest of the surroundings.
Car Colors to Avoid
Most automobile accidents involve dark vehicles due to lower visibility. The human eye is less likely to see dark hues, especially in fast-paced environments like the road.
Furthermore, some colors blend in with what we see while driving, such as trees, emergency vehicles, traffic lights, and warning signs.
Here are vehicle colors with a high crash risk:
- Black cars
- Grey cars
- Silver cars
- Blue cars
- Red cars
- Green cars
Car Colors to Buy
The color of your car directly affects how safe you are on the road.
Our automobile accident attorneys reviewed visibility statistics and automobile accident data that determine the safest vehicle colors, including the following:
- Yellow cars
- White cars
- Beige or cream cars
- Orange cars
- Gold cars
Other Factors That Can Lead to a Car Accident
The color of your car can affect how likely you are to be involved in an accident, but so do other factors.
Other things that can significantly increase your crash risk such as:
- Aggressive Driving: Drivers that engage in aggressive behavior on the road, such as speeding, swerving, or tailgating, can increase your risk of an accident. Stay vigilant and drive defensively if another driver behaves recklessly on the road.
- Distracted Driving: Drivers distracted by phones, passengers, or food, can easily cause a car accident in split seconds. If you see a distracted motorist driving near you, slow down and maintain a safe distance.
- Driving Under the Influence: Intoxicated drivers cause more automobile accidents than other factors. Drugs and alcohol impair a driver’s reaction time, concentration, and coordination, increasing the risk of traffic accidents. You may recognize an intoxicated driver on the road when a car is zigzagging, braking erratically, or drifting in and out of lanes.
- Unsafe Road Infrastructure: Sometimes, automobile accidents are out of a driver’s control. Hazardous conditions like potholes, rough roads, and uneven expansion joints can increase crash risk. When driving on unsafe roads, slow down and stay in your lane as much as possible.
- Poor Car Maintenance: A poorly maintained car can increase the risk of an accident. Vehicles with improperly-functioning brakes, suspensions, or steering can make a driver lose control of the car and collide with other drivers.
Important Car Safety Features
A car’s color can influence crash risk, but it is not the only thing that matters.
Reducing your risk of getting into a car accident also has to do with picking a car that has good safety features, such as:
- Forward collision warning
- Lane departure warning
- Automatic emergency braking
- Dashboard camera and backup camera
- Electronic stability control
- Blindspot detection
- Side airbags
- Adaptive cruise control
What to Do When You Are Involved in Automobile Accidents
No matter your car color, there is always a chance of getting into an accident. If this happens, here’s what you need to do:
Check for Injuries
First things first, check yourself and your passengers for any injuries.
Please do not attempt to move someone that appears to be severely injured unless keeping them in that position poses an immediate danger. Apply first aid if needed.
Call The Authorities
Call the police at the scene. Call an ambulance if someone needs immediate medical attention.
Do not let the other driver discourage you from calling the police; a police report can help you file a legal claim later.
Gather Information
Take pictures and videos of the scene. Take the other driver’s information, including their name, insurance, contact information, and plate number.
Go to the Hospital
No matter how minor your injuries may seem, visit a doctor for a check-up. Some injuries do not appear immediately.
Furthermore, the adrenaline from the automobile accident may keep you from feeling pain.
You need a medical report to prove your injuries to the insurance company later.
Contact a Lawyer: What to Do After a Car Accident Not Your Fault
Call a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal options.
They can help you file a personal injury claim to the negligent driver’s insurance company and recover compensation for your damages.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer Today
Were you involved in an accident caused by another driver’s negligence? Did the accident cause serious injury to you or your passengers? If so, you have the legal right to seek compensation from the responsible party.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC can help you recover a fair settlement for your damages.
Our skilled attorneys have years of experience handling automobile accident cases nationwide, assisting victims in gaining justice for the pain and suffering caused by negligent drivers.
Call our Chicago car accident law firm at (888) 424-5757 for a free consultation.
All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team about your car accident remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Resources:
- Do Men Or Women Get In More Automobile Accidents?
- Readers Digest: Different Car Colors Affect Road Safety
- What Are Your Chances of Dying in an Automobile Accident?
