You may have heard many reasons to choose the color of your car with care. Car color can affect resale value, with silver, gray, black, and white cars holding their value better than other colors. If you want a car that looks spotless, black and dark colors should be avoided because they show grime and dirt more easily.
There are also a lot of myths about car color, such as bright colors like red having higher insurance premiums or red cars getting pulled over more often by police.
Car color can matter in a way you may not have considered: it can affect your risk of getting into a car accident. Certain car colors have a higher or lower chance of being involved in an accident, likely due to visibility to other drivers.
If you have been involved in a car crash in Laredo, Texas, contact Roderick C. Lopez Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation. An experienced Laredo car accident attorney can help you understand your legal options for recovering compensation for your injuries. Contact our office today to schedule a complimentary consultation with an accomplished car accident attorney or call at (956) 529-7336.
How Roderick C. Lopez Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You Get Compensation After a Car Accident in Laredo, TX
A car accident can be a frightening and traumatic experience. If you believe another driver was at fault for your crash, it doesn’t matter what color car you drive. You deserve a Laredo personal injury lawyer who will fight for the fair compensation you deserve to get quality care and protect your quality of life.
Attorney Roderick C. Lopez has 25 years of experience representing accident victims in Laredo, TX. He has recovered more than $30 million on behalf of his clients. Mr. Lopez has earned many accolades throughout his career, including membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a 9.4 Top Attorney rating on Avvo, and an Avvo Clients’ Choice Award.
When you hire Roderick C. Lopez Personal Injury Lawyers, you can count on our legal team to:
- Perform a thorough investigation into your accident
- Gather evidence to prove causation and liability
- Work with experts to prove your damages
- Handle all negotiations and paperwork on your behalf
- Offer legal advice and help through every step of the claims process
- Take your case before a jury when needed
Contact our law office today to schedule a free consultation with a Laredo personal injury attorney committed to giving you the tireless representation you deserve.
Does Car Color Affect Crash Risk?
Depending on the environment and time of day, the safest car color, white, reduces your crash risk by about 12% compared to the most dangerous color, black.
While car color matters when it comes to crash risk, it’s important to put this risk in perspective. There are many other factors that put you at a higher risk of a crash.
Drugged or drunk driving increases your crash risk substantially, depending on age and blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
Speeding is one of the top factors in crashes, especially fatal accidents. Crash risk is reduced by 5% for every 1 mph reduction in speed, according to international studies.
Distracted driving also increases your crash risk far more than the color of the car you drive. For new teen drivers, dialing a phone increases the risk of a crash by eight times or 700%, while texting and driving increases the crash risk by four times (300%). Experienced drivers are much more likely to crash or have a near miss while dialing too.
The bottom line is you shouldn’t think of the color of your car as a safety feature. The crash risk by color is likely due to the visibility of your car. Daytime running lights (DRL) are a recommended solution to reduce the risk of an accident and make sure your vehicle is visible.
Yet multiple studies say DRL reduces crash risk by just 3% to 5%. That means the benefit of a safer car color is likely even smaller.
What Are the Safest Car Colors?
There have only been a few studies investigating the relationship between car color and crash risk. One of the most frequently cited is a 2007 study by Monash University’s Accident Research Centre.
This study found a statistically significant relationship between color and crash risk. It found the link between crash risk and color was strongest during the day when colors other than white had a 10% higher crash risk.
The Auckland car crash injury study analyzed the effect of car color on the risk of a crash with serious injury. It found silver cars have the lowest risk of crashing, ahead of white cars, but found blue, red, yellow, and gray do not have significantly different crash risks from white cars.
White
The Monash University study found white cars have the lowest crash risk. During the day, white cars had a 10% lower risk of a crash than any other car color.
At 26% of vehicles on the road, white is the most common car color. It’s popular because it’s easy to maintain, a common color for rental and fleet vehicles, and neutral.
Despite being so common, white cars don’t just blend into the scenery. White is a highly visible color during the day or night, although it may have a higher crash risk when it’s snowing heavily.
Yellow
Yellow is the least popular color for vehicles and accounts for just 0.1% of vehicles on the road. It’s most common on sports cars and low-volume vehicles. The Auckland study found yellow has a risk of serious injury that isn’t significantly different from white.
It makes sense that yellow would be similar to white as it’s highly visible in rural and city environments, day and night, and during any weather conditions. This is part of the reason school buses, construction vehicles, and taxis are usually yellow.
Gold
Gold wasn’t included in either of the two large car color studies, likely because it’s so uncommon. Even purple is a more common car color than gold, accounting for only 0.3% of vehicles. Like yellow, gold is a highly visible color that likely has a crash risk close to yellow and white.
What Are the Most Dangerous Car Colors?
Both major car color studies singled out black and brown as two of the most dangerous colors with an elevated crash risk or crash risk for serious injury.
The Monash University study found many car colors have a higher crash risk than white cars. These colors are usually on the lower end of the visibility index and include the following.
- Black
- Brown
- Gray
- Blue
- Red
- Green
The Auckland study found just brown cars had a significantly elevated risk of serious injury, but noted elevated crash risks for black and green cars, too.
It’s important to note that the shade or brightness of the color matters. Bright blue cars likely have a lower crash risk than dark blue cars, for example.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Laredo Car Accident Lawyer
While the color of your car can affect the chance you will be involved in an accident, other factors are far more important. Most car accidents are caused by negligent driving, and car color is no excuse if you have been hit by another driver.
If you have been hurt in an accident, Roderick C. Lopez Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help you. Contact our law office for a free initial consultation with a Laredo car accident lawyer to discuss your legal options and what we can do for you.
