# Visible Car **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2002, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801 "2002-10-11T10:51:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PurplePerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/1 "2002-10-11T10:51:13Z")
What is the most visible car color? My friend says white and has recently bought two of them. I thought it was red. . . .and haven’t bought any for about 10 years. I searched the search column and did not find this, even though it sounds like a rather normal question. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/2 "2002-10-11T10:53:33Z")
Where do you live? White might be great, unless it snows a lot where you are. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/3 "2002-10-11T10:54:51Z")
I’ve heard yellow, but I’ve no cite. ---
**Author:** ![PurplePerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/4 "2002-10-11T10:55:49Z")
I live in Ohio, USA. It does snow a bit in the Winter, but I would like the color known for an average of the year. ---
**Author:** ![PurplePerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/5 "2002-10-11T10:58:20Z")
I updated my profile to Ohio. Sorry about that. ---
**Author:** ![trader\_of\_shots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trader\_of\_shots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trader_of_shots)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/6 "2002-10-11T11:02:47Z")
Most visible car colour is whatever colour (and model) the police drive. ---
**Author:** ![PurplePerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/7 "2002-10-11T11:05:36Z")
Hmmmmm. My experience does not hold that true. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/8 "2002-10-11T11:59:49Z")
Most safety warning signs are yellow, so I’d guess someone did a study and decided it’s the most visible color on (or near) the road. It’s also the color used by taxis and school buses, which have the most incentive to be noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/9 "2002-10-11T12:08:28Z")
[Yellow cars](http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/ajwebster/col.html) are alleged to have, on average. less accidents than any other coloured car. Not sure if this can be attributed to better visibility of the car though. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/10 "2002-10-11T12:36:04Z")
IIRC the human eye is most sensitive to lime green. Some firetrucks are painted that color. \ My sister (who is a volunteen fire fighter) claims that REAL fire trucks are yellow \ Don’t see many blaze orange cars–would definitely stand out. Brian ---
**Author:** ![breaknrun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@breaknrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breaknrun)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/11 "2002-10-11T15:09:02Z")
Most visible car during the daytime is probably not most visible car at nighttime. I remember my driver’s ed instructor telling us that red was the most difficult color car to see at night. Since yellow and orange are used for warning signs and cones, I’d say those are the most visible. Lighter colors that reflect more light are easier to see so white would be a better choice than red but multi hued light colors would be even better. I haven’t seen any cars with orange hoods and yellow bodies and I sure wouldn’t drive one. ---
**Author:** ![Slugworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Slugworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slugworth)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/12 "2002-10-11T18:35:38Z")
Growing up, me and my brother had been told that it was illegal to have an orange car, because orange was the most visible color. Obviously the first part’s not true, but orange cars definitely catch my eye over any other color. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/13 "2002-10-11T18:58:33Z")
In daylight, red, white, and yellow are most visible. FWIW, training airplanes were traditionally painted yellow for visiblity. Nowadays, that custom is fading. p.s. - if you drive a highly visible car, you may wish to observe all provisions of the vehicle code. (my car is dark blue 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/14 "2002-10-11T19:02:55Z")
I’d vote for Lime Green annd Orange zig-zag pattern. Oh and add fairy lights for nightime.😃 Cheers, Keithy ---
**Author:** ![PurplePerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2002, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visible-car/131801/15 "2002-10-12T00:48:05Z")
It sounds like the majority go for orange and yellow. I think I have to agree.