How do you choose what color car to buy? Is it all about personal preference? Or do you focus on what color will make resale easier in a few years? An Australian study suggests those should be secondary factors, and your first choice should be safety.
The researchers found black vehicles crashed more than any other color, white cars least of all. When you look at a tonal scale, they lie at opposite ends of the spectrum. Black is as dark as you can get, while white is as light as you can, so it makes sense.
Good visibility helps reduce crashes
Many vehicle collisions are the result of one driver not seeing the other. Black things are harder to see, while white ones are far easier. Therefore if you want to increase the odds that other drivers see you and do not crash into you, buy a light-colored car, not one that blends into the shadows.
If you own a dark-colored car, you do not need to trade it in or repaint it. There are several ways to make yourself more visible that will not cost a cent:
- Use your headlights: Reserving these for the night wastes an opportunity to increase safety during the day.
- Use your turn signals: Drivers may be staring straight at you in a trance. Your turn signals alert them that you are about to move or do something different.
- Position yourself well: It does not matter if your car is fluorescent yellow. People will still struggle to see you if you sneak up on them.
If a driver crashes into you and claims they did not see you, consider if you were as visible as you could have been. However, that does not excuse them from paying you the compensation you need. Drivers must watch out for other vehicles, regardless of what color they are.
