When purchasing a new vehicle, safety is often a top concern for buyers. While there are many factors that contribute to a vehicle’s safety, such as size, weight, crash test ratings, and safety features, one question that often comes up is whether the color of the vehicle impacts safety. Some preliminary research has suggested that the exterior color may play a role in accident avoidance and safety on the road. In this article, we’ll explore whether certain vehicle colors are safer than others when it comes to driver visibility and accident rates.
Visibility and Conspicuity
One of the key ways that a vehicle’s color could potentially impact safety is through visibility. The color and contrast of a vehicle against its surroundings can affect how noticeable it is to other drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. This concept is known as conspicuity in the context of road safety. A vehicle that stands out and is easily seen is said to have high conspicuity.
Factors like lighting conditions, time of day, and the colors of surroundings all influence how visible a certain colored vehicle may be. For example, a white car may blend in more against a snowy backdrop or in fog, while a red car will likely stand out vividly against most surroundings. Researchers have investigated differences in conspicuity and detection times for vehicles of varying colors.
Detection and Reaction Times
Multiple studies have tested people’s ability to detect and react to vehicles of different colors in simulated driving environments. In general, these studies have found shorter detection and reaction times for brighter, more saturated colors like yellow and red, compared to darker, duller colors.
| Color | Detection Time |
|---|---|
| Yellow | Fastest |
| Red | Fast |
| White | Intermediate |
| Green | Slower |
| Blue | Slow |
| Black | Slowest |
For example, one simulator study found that yellow vehicles were detected up to 5 seconds faster than blue vehicles when viewed against common driving backgrounds. Even a fraction of a second faster reaction time could make a big difference in being able to brake or swerve to avoid a collision.
The increased visibility of bright warm colors is likely because they create greater contrast with most typical driving environments. Darker cool colors like blues and blacks tend to blend in more easily with surroundings like asphalt roads, trees, and shadows.
Accident Rates by Color
Beyond laboratory experiments, researchers have also examined real-world crash data to see if accident rates differ across vehicle colors. Several studies have found correlations between vehicle color and risk of being involved in a collision.
A large analysis of over 500,000 two-car accidents in Great Britain found some significant differences across vehicle body colors in accident liability:
| Color | Relative Collision Liability |
|---|---|
| Black | High |
| Grey | High |
| Blue | Above Average |
| Red | Average |
| Green | Below Average |
| White | Low |
| Yellow | Low |
Black cars were about 12% more likely than average to be involved in a collision, while white cars were around 10% less likely. The researchers attributed this to the higher conspicuity of light colors like white and yellow compared to dark colors like black.
Similar trends have been found in the United States – one study of over 850,000 crashes in the state of Iowa showed yellow vehicles had the lowest crash rates, followed by white. Black vehicles had the highest involvement in multi-vehicle crashes. Red cars also had elevated accident rates compared to brighter colors.
The “Color Is Cool” Factor
Beyond visibility factors, another potential contributor to color differences in accident patterns is driver behavior. Some research has proposed the “color is cool” hypothesis – drivers, especially young male drivers, may drive more aggressively when behind the wheel of a car in a bold, vibrant color they perceive as exciting.
In particular, red cars have been associated with speeding and reckless driving in a few studies. One survey found drivers of red cars were 10-15% more likely to receive speeding tickets compared to other colors. This suggests driver decisions may offset some of the inherent visibility advantages of a bright red vehicle.
However, other large analyses of ticket and accident data have disputed the “color is cool” effect, finding no differences in speeding or unsafe driving across color. More research is needed to determine if color influences driver behavior.
Aftermarket Visibility Enhancements
Beyond choosing a highly visible color when purchasing a new vehicle, there are also some aftermarket modifications that can help increase conspicuity for existing vehicles:
– High-visibility decals – Reflective strips and decals can be added to the rear and sides of vehicles to “break up” darker colors. These are commonly seen on semi-trucks and trailers.
– Conspicuity tape – Retroreflective tape adds strips of reflectors alongside vehicles to enhance lighting at night from headlights. These reflectors can highlight the silhouette of vehicles.
– Auxiliary lights – Extra lighting like LED marker or halo lights can help draw attention to a vehicle in dark conditions. But these should be used carefully to avoid distracting other drivers.
– Window tinting – Clear tinting on side and rear windows reduces glare while still allowing drivers and pedestrians to see into the vehicle. Extremely dark tinting should be avoided.
Conclusion
While there are many complex factors involved, research suggests vehicle color does play a role in accident avoidance and safety. The general consensus is that brighter, warmer colors like yellow, orange, and white tend to have higher conspicuity and lower accident rates compared to darker, duller colors. Enhancing visibility through aftermarket decals, reflectors, or lights can potentially help compensate for a less ideal color. But ultimately, being an attentive, defensive driver is still the most critical factor for safety, regardless of vehicle color.
