MedicineMan

I guess they weren't driving Mazda RX-8's......

According to a study by researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand that assessed the effect of car colors on the risk of serious injury in over 1,000 Auckland drivers between 1998-99, silver cars were 50 percent less likely to be involved in a crash resulting in a serious injury when compared with white cars.

Reuters reports that the least safe car colors are brown, black, and green. The risk factor for white, yellow, gray, red, and blue cars is in the middle range and about the same for each. Globally, about 3,000 people die every day in a car crash.

About half the drivers in this study had been involved in a crash in which one or more of the occupants had been admitted to the hospital or died, while 571 were not involved in crashes and served as a control group, reports Reuters. Even after taking into account the vehicle and road conditions, driver's age, gender, and educational level, as well as whether the driver had been using drugs or alcohol and had worn a seatbelt, the color of the car still had an impact on the likelihood of a crash.

Why? The researchers have no idea, but they speculate that silver, a light color that is highly reflective, may make cars more visible on the highway. "Increasing the proportion of silver cars could be an effective passive strategy to reduce the burden of injury from car crashes," lead study author Sue Furness told Reuters.

Silver was also the most popular car color in the United States, Europe, and Asia last year, according to the most recent DuPont Global Color Popularity.

The study findings were published in the British Medical Journal.

Gambit

My thought was...not in this car

Labop

I've seen a similar study, I think it was by the NTSB a couple years back. The study you listed is accurate to a point: the only time where silver isn't the safest is dawn/dusk and heavy fog. I understand the fog part, it would belnd in nicely, but never understood the dawn/dusk part, maybe it would have to do with the viewing angle compared to the sun. I'll have to google it to find the study I'm talking about.

But yeah, overall silver is a safer color. I drive black to live dangerously!! :D

V_for_velocity

There are too many silver cars on the road as it is. When there are silver Beetles out there, you know we've gone beyond overkill.

draco067

that's also looking at serious injuries, not dings, dents, bumps, and crunches.

StewC625

Other than that whole Sunlight Silver RX-8 curse thing, yes, I suppose this is true.

Sunlight silver: cursed?

Lightning Yellow: BLESSED!

-=Rowdy=-

Black Be Blessed The Mostest!

slllygrl10

I dont know but I already got rear ended twice once with my 8 and once with my old car both silver!!! First time got me good about 7k damage couldnt drive the car for 1 month. My sister told me maybe I'm just cursed. I hope not! Knock on wood.

rotten42

I don't care what the survey says...my silver curse theory is true when it comes to the 8!

Straight8

Well we all know that the stock SILVERs may not be the safest 8's, but they are the fastest!! :D

MedicineMan

Actually, it's the stock BLUE's that are faster, why do you think they call it WINNING BLUE :D

Gambit

Everyone knows that red is the fastest...and i think probably the safest too, because they stand out more and people can see them

SilverEIGHT

Raaa, Raaa, Raaa, Gooooooooo Silver! YEA!

Now... curses unto he who cursed the Sunlight Silver! :D

Gambit

It was that first idiot that flipped it over street racing

brothervoodoo

Why thank you SilverEIGHT for cursing me back... and yes silver is safe... for me to POOP on!!!! J/K.... :D :o

SilverEIGHT

Dang, brothervoodoo... I forgot to send you some money to pay you off! I don't believe you told me how much? My car is on an Allied transport truck coming from Jacksonville, FL and will be at my dealer Thursday night. I need you to fly over to the right coast and bless my GD car before I put the switchblade key in the ignition! :D

foxman

Red is the fastest and I have emprical evidence to prove it.

https://www.rx8club.com/lounge-4/haha-velocity-red-fastest-44400/

rodmeister

Very interesting and counter-intuitive: that's why they conduct these studies. I would have guessed that yellow cars would be safest since the Los Angelses Fire Department uses a greenish-yellow color on their firetrucks for increased visibility at night. Silver cars are harder for me to see, especially with periferal vision. Another hypothesis - color choice might be indicative of personality: for example, red and black car owners may be more aggressive. For some reason silver car owners might have cautious or more responsible personalities. All this is a wild speculation of course. Another study might clear that up.

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

I disregard all your statements. After all you aren't driving Brilliant Black. :D

GotBass

I think that the personality thing is probably the best explanation for this study. If all other factors are equal the only thing that a color effects is visability. I dont know how much the level of visability would effect accidents. It has to be a factor but a major factor.

Red and Yellow are the most visable colors. Black and Grey are the least visible. School busses are painted yellow so people can see them better.

-=Rowdy=-

Black gets the babes-period. This conversation is over.