The notion that there is a relationship between car colour and crash risk may initially sound ridiculous, equivalent to the belief that red cars go faster.
Nor is it likely that many people in the market for a new car would have ‘colour’ amongst airbags and electronic stability programs on their list of desired safety features.
Yet when light conditions are taken into consideration, there is a clear statistical relationship between a vehicle’s colour and its crash risk, as detailed in a report by Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) in 2007 as well as a study in the 2010 Safety Science journal.
Compared to white, colours such as black, blue, grey and others ranking lower on the visibility index were associated with higher crash risk in daylight hours.
The results compared white vehicles with all other coloured vehicles. MUARC’s research showed there were a number of colours related to high risk, including:- Black
- Blue
- Grey
- Green
- Red
- Silver
None of the colours tested were statistically safer than white, though some had equal relative crash risk. The association between colour and crash risk was highest during daylight hours, the risk associated with the above colours during this period up by 10%.
Results also showed that environmental factors had an impact on the relationship between colour and crash risk.
Of the study, Dr Soames Job of the RTA’s NSW Centre for Road Safety said the results were useful but other factors were more influential on crash risk and for drivers to be aware of this.
“Driving a darker coloured car can increase your crash risk,” Dr Job said, “but that is nowhere near as influential a factor as your driving behaviour. By driving within the speed limit, not driving after drinking and avoiding driving when tired, you increase your safety on the road.”
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