Car Colors to Avoid (Safety & Accidents Considered)

When it comes to choosing a car, color is one of the first things people consider. Car color determines various things such as aesthetics, resale value, safety, and to some extent accidents.

A car is a great investment for yourself and all you want is the best color. Auto manufacturers have made cars in a variety of colors so that one can get one that suits their tastes and preferences.

What some people don’t know is that there are some dangerous car colors and am sure some will surprise you. However, having done my research it seems car colors also link to the safety of your car and that is what matters a lot.

You may also read our other guide: How to maintain new car paint

Before we hop into the colors here are some tips you should use while choosing the color of your car because am sure you will ask, is silver a good car color? Is red a good car color? Let’s see whether they are.

How To Choose Car Color

Consider the following factors:

Weather condition– some places tend to have high temperatures and we know hot temperatures are not good for some car colors. Some of these colors include black and dark red.  Scientifically black absorbs so much heat while colors such as white reflect the most heat. If you live with high temperatures it is important to take this into consideration. This also applies for people who live in extremely cold areas who ought to consider darker colors.

Popularity and Resale value- after all, there is a time you will need to sell your car.  If the color of your car is not popular and people are not used to it will be a very great challenge to find a buyer. As far as you love a color you should also mind the preferences of other people. Such colors as white and grey are very popular among many people. It is also worth remembering that changing the color in the future is not easy due to the paper work involved. Some cars have very vibrant colors such as red, yellow, and other bright colors. These car colors are slow-moving in the market. The popular colors are fast-moving.

Conspicuous – Some car colors such as purple are clearly visible from a far or among other cars. This can be a safety issue in case someone with ill intentions is following you. Shouting colors on your car are also at risk of being stopped by traffic officers now and then because they are visible and can be seen easily from a distance.

Maintenance –it is a fact that dents and scratches on dull colors are more visible than on bright colors such as white or silver. Dirt especially in dark colors is more easily noticeable than in bright colors. Be assured you will wash your car more often if it is of dark color.

Purpose of the car- it is also good to know the purpose of the car before choosing the paint color. For example, if the car is supposed to be a sports car, bright colors such as yellow, and green are the most ideal colors. For family needs, neutral colors and warm colors would do better unlike bright colors

Top 5 Car Colors to Avoid

  1. Black

Black color on vehicles tends to be the most dangerous color. This color is more prone to accidents because in the dark it is not visible. The worst that can ever happen is when the tail lights are off drivers will be doing the most. In terms of safety, black is ideally not the best color to go for. Based on a recent study black cars are 12 percent more likely to be involved in accidents as compared to white ones.

Black car in accident avoid black car color

Dust and dirt are more visible on black cars which makes them look dirtier. This translates to more trips to the car wash. You must be very prepared of washing it after every minute.

Another issue with black is during hot temperatures your car will heat and in times of cold weather., it will  dissipate the heat faster. It is definitely on top of the list of car colors to avoid.

  1. Red

Red is a charming color and is most loved by young people, especially ladies. Visibility of colors is the main issue considered to cause accidents but when it comes to red we will be wrong if we say about its prominence. It is less prone to accidents unlike the other nonvisible colors but still, it is not a safe color to opt for.

The problem that comes with red on the road at night might not seem to be vibrant but it looks more like the traffic lights, brake lights, and some other road signs. This can be very difficult for drivers to distinguish them so quickly, especially during the night.

Red car color in traffic

It is also very easy for someone to follow a red car because they are not very many on the road. This makes it easy for such bad people as car jackers, kidnappers, assassins, thieves and others to follow someone in a red car. May God forbid.

  1. Blue

Blue is loved and very popular in America. A good number of people are in blue cars, especially Subaru owners. Is blue a safe color?  It is much safer than black but comparing it with other safer colors they are 7 percent more prone to accidents.

Some shades of blue are much closer to daytime background colors such as the sky and it can be a challenge or too late to distinguish them. Blue thus comes third on our unbiased listing of car colors to avoid.

  1. Grey and Silver

If you compare the two colors they are almost similar and most people get confused about differentiating them. The sad thing about them is that they look like the greyish road background.

Another disaster is driving in thick fog these car colors are completely invisible. The fog’s color is grey. With this, it becomes hard for drivers to see and thus a car crash is possible. Silver is associated with accidents at 11 percent while grey at 10 percent.

  1. Green

Green as well might be safer than all the other above colors but it is not the case. We all know that 99% of the environment is green be it the trees, fences and other roads have green grass.

Driving in open places with a green vehicle is risky as it will blend with nature and of course, not easily visible to other drivers. This makes green of the car colors to avoid.

Some of the safe colors to choose for your car are:

White

White rarely goes wrong in any way and it is definitely the most used car color. It is safe to use on the road and very rare to be involved in an accident.

White is well visible at any time of the day or night and as well it contrasts with the surroundings. White is also safe on a car as it reflects heat when it is too hot unlike black cars and it does not get dirty easily. Studies also state white is the safest color.

There are various shades of white one can choose from which include cream white, Arctic White, Glacial White.

The main disadvantage of white color colors they are in high demand and carjackers are always after them. However it is not easy to follow or trail someone in a white car.

Yellow

This is yet another color to consider while choosing a car color. Yellow is a bright and vibrant color like red and can be seen from a distance.

This color is more used in sports cars, public vehicles, and also cabs. Surprisingly, you will get even personal cars of this color which means people love it too.

Lime yellow is also a good color that is much more visible on cloudy skies than white. According to our research yellow is the safest then white follows.

The great challenge that comes with this car color is when you want to resell your vehicle. As well as it is safe and vibrant other people find it too bright to be spotted easily.

Conclusion

The above are some of the car colors to avoid based on statistics and science. Some colors are more prone to accidents than others e.g. black color especially at night.

Some other colors like red are very conspicuous making it easy for ill intention people, such as carjackers, to follow someone.

It is thus important to consider the exterior color because we have seen the major cause of accidents is visibility. I know color is a great determinant when purchasing a car but go for the safest. Safety is paramount!

Lewis James

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