The Safest Car Colours

Have you ever wondered which are the safest car colours? Probably not, or at least not to a great extent. Most of us pick car colours based on what we love. Or what suits our personality, or the ‘’in” colour this season, or a royal colour. Or whatever you want, really!

But if you knew that some car colours were safer than others, would it change what you bought?

Visibility and the safest car colours

The colour of your car is directly related to visibility, which is a key factor in all facets of road safety.

Road signs are always in colours that contrast strongly and are easily seen, even in bad conditions. Cyclists, horse riders, and traffic officials wear brightly coloured, high visibility clothes so that they can be seen by drivers. We rely on the colour of traffic lights to prevent accidents and control the flow of traffic. Even road diagrams and lines make use of different colours to convey different messages.

So, does that mean that dark coloured cars are more dangerous? Actually, yes! According to Monash University study, black cars were 12% more likely to be involved in a crash than white cars due to their worse visibility.

You’d think that grey or silver would be a good second choice if you’re not a fan of white cars. You’d be wrong. These colours are only slightly better off than black cars. This may be because they don’t stand out against roads, which are typically shades of grey

Visibility aside, what other factors contribute to the safest car colours?

Car colour and the weather

By now, we should all be familiar with the dangers of leaving kids or pets in cars, especially when it’s hot outside. And that’s aside from the possibility of things like burns from metal parts of the seatbelt and other car interior hotspots. Seriously, it happens.

It makes sense that dark coloured cars would get hotter than light cars. While this isn’t a problem when you’re driving (aircon is one of the seven wonders of the world, right?) it does make a difference when parked.

In fact, studies have shown that black cars could be as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit hotter when parked for an hour. That equates to about 5 degrees Celsius. So if you live in a hot climate, darker cars could definitely be more of a safety risk than lighter cars.

Car colour and crime

Australia is considered quite a safe country, but for people living elsewhere in the world, crime is another factor closely linked to vehicle safety.

Even here in Australia, you can never be too careful. Monash University has shown that, surprisingly, green cars are the most likely to be stolen. A case of the green-eyed monster, maybe? After green, the most popular choice for car thieves was black (sorry, more bad news for black car owners) and then red. Your car got stolen? Here’s what to do.

Obviously, car colour can have an impact on your safety. If car safety is your main priority, check out our article ‘’What Are Car Safety Ratings?” to find out more and help you make the best choice.

From black cars to beyond, car insurance can help

Every car owner should be properly insured. But if you have a black car the research indicates that you – even more so than others – might want to check out comprehensive car insurance sooner rather than later. At least then you’ll be covered for both theft and crashes!

Click below to start your plan today.