If you ever visit a car lot or search for a vehicle online, you’ll notice that the color options to choose from seem endless. You can always put an after-market paint job on your vehicle as well.
What does the color of your car’s paint job have to do with accident risk, you ask? Well, a lot, according to the authors of a recent study published in Australia.
What impact does vehicle color have on crash rates?
Study authors determined that motorists who operate black vehicles tend to crash more than those who operate black ones. The researchers offered up a few different explanations for why this is the case. One of the most notable ideas is that it all centers around visibility.
White cars are simply more visible out there on the road than dark ones — so that means other drivers see them sooner. The darker the vehicle, the more likely it is for it to blend into the environment and for your fellow driver to not notice it until they turn in its path. If you own a darker vehicle and replacing it isn’t in the cards any time soon, then there are steps that you can take to enhance your safety while operating it.
One of the most important things you can do is always use your lights, whether we’re talking about your headlights, turn signals, hazards, or any other ones. Doing so gives other motorists a better chance of seeing you. That being said, an inability for a driver to see your vehicle isn’t valid enough of an excuse for a motorist to give when explaining why they crashed into you. You can still hold a driver accountable for doing so.
