Shopping around for a new car is an exciting time, especially if you happen to find one that comes in your favourite colour. However, something you might not know is that car colours can actually play a role in road safety.
In this article, we take a look at the top 5 safest car colours and the 5 you should steer clear of to keep you safe on the road.
Top 5 Safest Car Colours
1. Yellow
Yellow is definitely a striking and noticeable colour. While it may put some people off, there is a reason why warning signs and signposts are in yellow – you can easily see them from a distance. The strong contrast that a bright yellow car has against the black tarmac makes it highly visible during the day as well as in rainy, foggy, dusk, dawn and other low-light conditions. For a small car in eye-catching yellow, try Suzuki’s Champion Yellow Swift Sport or if you are looking for a family SUV, opt for the Solar Yellow Vitara. For another high-vis choice that you know will be seen, go all out in the Kinetic Yellow Jimny.
2. White
One of the most popular choices for cars in New Zealand is the colour white. White cars do a fantastic job of standing out at night, thanks to the perfect contrast they have against the road. They are also pretty good in the daytime, however there are some instances, such as cloudy skies, snowy backdrops, heavy fog and rain, where a white car is not as visible as a yellow one. Even so, you will have a 10% lower chance of being involved in a car accident driving a white car compared to a black, blue, grey, red or silver one.
Thankfully, Suzuki’s entire range of cars and SUVs come in white, so there’s a variety of vehicles out there for you to safely cruise around in.
3. Orange
Like yellow, there are not many surroundings out there which are orange, which is why this is another safe choice for your new car. The vibrant pop is hard to miss and you are easily visible to other road users when you’re driving around in an orange Suzuki Ignis, Vitara or Swift Sport. The other good point is there aren’t as many of them as some colours, so it’s easy to spot which one is yours in a full car park.
4. Gold
You don’t typically see that many gold cars around, but this shiny colour stands out in broad daylight. With a bright contrast against the tarmac, gold does well to reflect any light at night - making it highly visible to people on the road. They do draw the short straw in wet weather conditions, where gold cars can be challenging for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to spot.
5. Cream
Cream is quite similar to gold - just without all the shine and gloss. Cream coloured cars are bright and light making them visible on the road. While it’s safe to drive during the day and at night, like gold and white it can blend in when the weather turns bad, giving your car low visibility and slipping through other people’s visual radar.
5 Car Colours You Should Avoid
1. Green
There’s not many green cars floating around, and funnily enough, they’re a colour you might want to avoid. With things like nature and the surroundings being green, a green car can get lost amongst it. Unless the car is lime or fluoro-green, the low visibility makes it hard for other drivers to see you, especially at night, which can pose a risk to your road safety.
2. Red
Now you may think that because red is bright and vibrant, it’d be a safe colour choice, but it doesn’t quite make the cut as a safe car colour to drive. With brake lights, traffic lights, police and ambulance sirens, and road signs all being red, red cars can easily merge with the surroundings making you prone to an accident. Red does stand out well in foggy and rainy conditions but at night-time, it doesn’t reflect light as well as a lighter colour and people often perceive the colour red as black.
3. Blue
Just like the sky and ocean, blue is a beautifully calming colour, but how safe is it on the road? Light blue cars can be hard to distinguish against the sky during the day, offering poor visibility for everyone around you. While a darker shade can even come across as black against the road surface or at night, and run a 7% greater risk of getting into an accident.
4. Grey or Silver
Grey or silver are another popular colour choice with Kiwis and offer good visibility in bright-light conditions with a contrasting colour, like driving on the open road. They can be more difficult to see around built-up urban areas and also in foggy, snowy or rainy conditions. With grey cars having an 11% higher and silver cars having a 10% higher risk than a yellow or white car of getting into an accident, perhaps you should reconsider this as a colour choice for your next car.
5. Black
Black cars ooze class, but can be more challenging to see in dark or poor weather conditions and often blend in with the roads and other surroundings during the day. This can create split-second hesitancy from other drivers that can lead to a car accident or collision. A study from Monash University’s Accident Research Centre found that there’s a you’re more likely to be involved in an accident if you’re rolling up in a black car, so perhaps the stylish look shouldn’t outweigh the safer choice.
It is important to remember, while the colour of your car can play a role, how you drive and how aware you are of others on the road is even more influential at preventing a car accident.
With all the information you have on the 5 safest car colours and the 5 you should avoid, choosing a colour when you’re shopping around for a new car should be fairly straightforward.
So if you’re in the market for a new car and need more information as to what you should look for in one, download our Complete Guide to Buying a New Car today!
