NRMA Motoring Blog

The notion that there is a relationship between car colour and crash risk may initially sound ridiculous, equivalent to the belief that red cars go faster. Nor is it likely that many people in the market for a new car would have ‘colour’ amongst airbags and electronic stability programs on their list of desired safety features.

Yet when light conditions are taken into consideration, there is a clear statistical relationship between a vehicle’s colour and its crash risk, as detailed in a recent report by Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC). Compared to white, colours such as black, blue, grey and others ranking lower on the visibility index were associated with higher crash risk in daylight hours.

MUARC’s research also suggests crash severity is linked to vehicle colour, with “low visibility colours having higher risks of more severe crashes.”

Previous studies

A study in Epidemiology from 2002 found white and yellow cars had a slightly lower risk of being passively involved in a crash. This was followed by a study published in BMJ (British Medical Journal) in 2003 concluding that silver cars were 50% less likely than white cars to be involved in a crash resulting in serious injury. The association between silver and reduced risk continued even when confounding factors were adjusted.

Both these studies, according to MUARC, were inconclusive. These two studies, as well as prior ones, left the role of colour in influencing crash risk as being uncertain, prompting MUARC to undertake a more in-depth study.

The MUARC study

NRMA Motoring & Services’ vehicle specialist Jack Haley said the MUARC study was arguably the most comprehensive to probe the link between vehicle colour and crash risk.

“Previous international studies have examined vehicle visibility and colour but have not fully taken into account other factors that may have an impact on crash risk, such as driver demographics,” Mr Haley said.

Using crash data from Victoria and Western Australia, MUARC used the colour classifications black, blue, brown cream, fawn, gold, green, grey, maroon, white mauve, orange, pink, purple, red, silver and yellow, with all variables considered under the nearest category. Also included in the study were conditions such as light at the time of the crash, vehicle type, crash severity and state. Commercial vehicles and taxis were excluded.

Results

The result compared white vehicles with all other coloured vehicles. MUARC’s research showed there were a number of colours related to high risk, including:

• Black
• Blue
• Grey
• Green
• Red
• Silver

None of the colours tested were statistically safer than white, though some had equal relative crash risk.

The association between colour and crash risk was highest during daylight hours, the risk associated with the above colours during this period up by 10%. The link was reduced during darker driving hours due to colour being less distinguishable and headlights further reducing colour’s effects. Results also showed that environmental factors had an impact on the relationship between colour and crash risk.

Of the study, Dr Soames Job of the RTA’s NSW Centre for Road Safety said the results were useful but other factors were more influential on crash risk and for drivers to be aware of this.

“Driving a darker coloured car can increase your crash risk,” Dr Job said, “but that is nowhere near as influential a factor as your driving behaviour. By driving within the speed limit, not driving after drinking and avoiding driving when tired, you increase your safety on the road.”

Is colour something you’ve taken into consideration when buying a car? Are there any colours you have difficulty seeing in certain conditions?

The long, hard, deadly road that is the Pacific Highway is inching its way towards dual lane carriageway from Hexham to the Queensland border. Progress is being made, but we’re still looking at ten years, at least, before the job is done.

Still, if you’re heading north from Sydney, there’s now only 27 kilometres of old highway remaining between the start of the F3 at Wahroonga, and Taree.

That’s now being converted to dual lane carriageway; work is also about to start on the next part of the northern link, from Coopernook to Heron’s Creek. When that’s done, you’ll be able to reach Port Macquarie from Sydney in about three and a half hours.

Fifteen years ago, it took nearly six hours.

But it’s obvious that safety is not the highest priority in the highway upgrade. Drivers wishing to enter or cross the dual carriageway from many side roads are now faced with an even more dangerous situation, because highway traffic is going faster, and there are four lanes to negotiate if they are crossing the intersection.

Where these intersections have been retained, the RTA has in some locations reduced the speed limit on new dual carriageway sections to 90 km/h, rather than doing the job properly and achieving the best safety outcome by building an overpass with entry and exit ramps.

They build proper motorways in the rest of the developed world. Why not here?

Today a full size spare tyre is a rarity.

Most manufacturers provide only space-saver or speed limited tyres, and sometimes no tyre at all, with an inflator kit or run-flat tyre considered enough for the job.

The car companies can argue that with modern technology and better roads a flat is now a rare event, but we’re still having punctures. And there’s no denying the practicality of a full size spare tyre if you’re a long way from the nearest town.

We’d like to hear your thoughts and experiences on the subject.