Car safety

Colors and safety in cars

Recent studies agree that car colours have an impact on drivers related to road accidents.

Typically, the customer looking for which car to buy prioritizes factors such as interior comfort, the mechanical characteristics of the vehicle and its performance. But when it comes to body colors, it ends up choosing for random factors such as the availability of stock of the moment or trends corresponding to passing fashions.

One of the published studies, conducted by the University of Auckland (New Zealand), found that silver grey is the least prone to accidents, both in urban areas and on motorways. Basically, it is concluded that brown, black and green cars are the most involved in accidents because of their low light reflection index, while gray reflects more light.

Other less recent studies already had certainties about how to determine how far a motorist perceives another vehicle. It turned out that what triggers the driver's attention is not the color but the reflection he emits. In other words, colour influences but “indirectly”, since its ability to reflect light is the determining item.

Another point to note is that gray cars stand out easily from any environment, while dark colors tend to “camouflage” or mimic with the environment, making them difficult to perceive under certain circumstances.

The study conducted in New Zealand contemplated a wide variety of extra factors that are also significant for the validation of the overall results of this work. Some of them are the different environments, speed ranges, the state of conservation of the cars, the age of the subjects, their driving experience and ability to reflexes.

With regard to the incidence of weather conditions, it was possible to determine that on rainy days or poor fog visibility the brightest colors are easier to warn for motorists. Again, colors such as brown and black are the most likely to be involved in accidents due to their low level of reflection of light.