Is it true that cars that are red in color are involved im more accidents and speeding tickets than cars painted other colors? Does the color red make drivers more aggressive? Or is it possible that there are more cars painted red than any other color so that in all probabilitly they would be involved in more accidents and tickets?
According to the AAA the question is still up in the air: http://www.aaafts.org/Text/Research/2001projects/carcolor.cfm
Though Mercedes Benz disagrees: http://www.suntimes.com/output/auto/buy_faq.html#q9
The Detroit News waffles: http://detnews.com/1998/autos/9805/16/05120019.htm
Another consideration is that perhaps aggressive drivers are more likely to buy red cars (assuming that aggressive drivers have a higher probability of being involved in the things mentioned above). I’d be interested in the statistics for that awful yellow color that’s only found on sports cars.
Also, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to find out that cops are more likely to pull over a red car than an other colored car, if only because this concept of “red car = speeder” is already out there.
I know I passed up a red car when I was shopping, because I’d heard that it gets more attention from the cops.
There are a lot of sites out there that assert without links that studies do demonstrate that red cars are more likely to be involved in accidents and supposedly these studies do not simply reflect the number of red cars. In my quick review I never came across a citation of an actual study.
If it is true it does not of course mean that red paint causes accidents. Shiva’s cites focus on visibility which isn’t terribly helpful as they are more a refutation of long standing common wisdom that red was the most visible color. Such studies resulted in many jurisdictions switching to yellow emergency vehicles starting over 20 years ago. I don’t think you could make a decent argument that red is the least visible.
If such studies exist I go with the Nerd’s explanation. Red is a flashy color regardless of its relative visibility and likely to be chosen by more aggressive drivers.
I learned in Driver’s Ed that cops are more likely to pull over red cars. Though it is anecdotal evidence, I’m sure there’s probably a bit of truth behind it. Again, the percentage of red cars was overlooked, but I’m pretty sure that red and white are the two most common car colors.
I’ve had 3 red vehicles…wrecked two of 'em. First one, I was doing about 15 and was T-Boned when a pickup truck ran the red light (I was driving safely), for the second performance a lady pulled directly in front of me and I T-Boned her (told the cops she didn’t see me comming). The one I have now is a very light red (wife says it is pink, and I’m glad she thinks that because she told me I could never have another red car or truck.
the reason we have some yellow fire trucks is the fact when people see yellow they don’t get all worked up. supposed to have a calming effect during riots, etc…
Higher visibility was always the rational for yellow or lime green firetrucks. Here is a bibliography of articles on the debate over colors, you will not find reference to calming effects.
http://www.nfpa.org/Research/Library/Bibliographies/Fire_Apparatus_Color/fire_apparatus_color.html
I know that a red car will have higher insurance than another color of the same car, with the same driver.
Citation?
Citation? I am not sure what you are asking…
Evnglion - Citation or cite: Information that will back up your assertion that red cars cost more to insure than cars of other colours.
My insurance company doesn’t seem to care that my car is red. They do care that it is considered a sports car and at 17 years old it still sits in a high rate group because of this.
I have never been pulled over in my red T-bird while my grey Camaro got me pulled over on a regular basis, never because I was breaking any law. The insurance on the older Camaro (V6) was higher than the T-bird (turbo) despite the fact my T-bird would have had the Camaro for lunch and dinner.
I know that if my '93 Dodge Shadow was black I would be getting $7 less per month on the insurance…I don’t have any documentation on this though, and the red color is worth it…
Though I (strongly) believe Evnglion is mistaken in his assertion that insurance companies charge more to insure a red car than one of another color, his logic bears some thought. Insurance companies live and die by making judgements about how likely a given driver and car is to be in an accident. If Red cars were statistically involved in more accidents, insurance companies would certainly have higher rates for them.
And they don’t. At least none of the four insurance companies I’ve used in my life has. I’ve never been asked for the color of my car in order to insure it. And I’ve never heard of anyone else being asked that question by an insurance company.
BTW, mine is red, but then it’s a '63 Corvair, not really a speed demon. I’m well below the curve in tickets and accidents, but of course that doesn’t prove anything.
I’ve been driving 21 years. The first car I drove was a deep, wine red. The current car and pickup I own are both red. Come to think of it, all but one car I’ve driven has been red. I have never had either an accident or a ticket (knock on wood). I think I may have been pulled over once. For me, at least, red does not seem to be a problem.
Also, I’ve never had an insurance company ask the color of my car.
Interestingly enough, Ned, I was told in one of those “speeders’classes” many years ago that yellow was the colour pulled over most often, because they’re the most visible. Though my hunch is that aggressive drivers choose flashier, “write me up red” cars.
Having said that, I had a Porsche 944S which was screaming mee-mee red. And all my work trucks are red. And I’m amazed that I don’t get more tickets, considering that I am not really a slow driver. 
Also, I have never had an insurance agent ask the colour of a vehicle.
I know that a red car will have higher insurance than another color of the same car, with the same driver. **
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You KNOW this? From what research/source? I’ve owned and insured a load of cars, trucks and motorcycles in my life. I don’t EVER recall the insurance company being interested in the COLOR of any of them. When you insure YOUR vehicle, does your broker ask the color?
I don’t know if this is true, but I heard years ago, that the reason insurance companies charge more for some colors, is because of the cost to repaint the car… apparently some colors of paint are more expensive than others…
is that full of __it, or can someone back me up on this?
Glenoled
I mix auto paint as part of my job. The red end of the colour spectrum is more expensive. Whenever a new painter wants red I do a price comparison for them. They end up buying white most of the time. This is for PPG paint YMMV.
Same here as Broomstick. I don’t usually drive “old lady” style, and I haven’t had a speeding ticket in something like 25 years. …Or for that matter, been pulled over. All my cars in that time save one that I didn’t have but for a few months was red. I never really thought about the color of the cars until I bought my last car (a Saturn). I had my choice of colors, and figured that red seemed to be good luck or a trend or something, so I continued it.
Perhaps the old saw got its start in the possibility that in the 40’s and 50’s most “regular” cars were NOT red, and only “hot rods” and “Sport cars” ----the most likely to be driven agressively in those days---- were red or some other non-standard Joe Bob Suburb color just to be different. I also heard it said in driver’s ed that red cars got the most tickets and pull-overs, but no one ever had any data for it.
IMHO, I’d rather have a car that makes other drivers notice me and not hit me. Grey and silver blend into the asphalt road and possibly also the edge of perhiperal vision. Green is the color of the plants and so forth. And 70’s electric lime (or pus) green (Mopar cars) makes people want to hit you just to get rid of the eyesore.
If car insurance was based on color, I would think black to have the highest premiums, as it shows every little ding and dent and so on, and as such is more likely to have claims for visible damage filed against it. I would think also that since it shows imperfections the best, it gets the most requests for re-dos and so has the highest labor time (body man booker57, is this so?).
I,ve had two red vehicles, and never got pulled over by the police, or was involved in an accident. Insurance company only cared about the make of the vehicle, area I lived in, driving record, and age. I haven’t had a ticket or accident in at least twenty years. Now I drive a white car and hate it. It’s a dirt magnet, and birds love to use it for target practice. I have to at least rinse it off every few days, and if you touch it, the whole car has to be washed.