One of the first things many people do when dreaming of a new vehicle is to pick the color. For example, they want a yellow motorcycle or a black car.
Indulging your personal preference is fine, but it pays to know that the color of your car can also affect your safety. Here’s what you should know:
Lighter colors help you stand out
Maybe you’re the kind of person who prefers to blend into the background than grab the attention. That’s fine, but when it comes to safety, standing out from your surroundings reduces your risk of injury.
A lot of crashes happen because a driver did not see the other vehicle. Making your vehicle hard to miss increases the chances they spot you. That doesn’t mean you need to go for fluorescent paint, but it does suggest you think twice before selecting certain colors. White and yellow cars are good choices for visibility.
Fire trucks are red, so that must be a good choice, right?
Wrong. While red was the color of choice for fire trucks for years, research shows it’s a poor choice because “the human eye is red-blind at night.” That could make your choice of a red car particularly dangerous after dark.
Black and other dark shades are also risky choices
You wouldn’t be alone if you think black cars look cool. However, lying in a hospital bed because someone didn’t spot your car is definitely not cool. Try to avoid darker shades because they blend into the background of a cityscape or road at night.
Staying visible still won’t ensure all drivers spot you as some may be too drunk or too distracted to pay attention to any vehicle, of any color. If that happens you’ll need to learn more about claiming fair compensation for your losses.
