Many factors affect your risk of a car accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), driver errors, environmental conditions, and vehicle malfunctions account for about 98% of all crashes in the U.S.
Research has suggested that car color can also affect your crash risk. But the two main studies into car color and crash risk conflict with each other and, as a result, have not proven any reason for the observed differences.
Here, we discuss these studies and their implications. If you need assistance after a crash, contact a Tampa car accident lawyer at (727) 493-4418 for a free initial consultation.
How Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Car Accident in Tampa, FL
For over 22 years, Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers in Tampa, Florida has been known as “The Aggressive Attorneys.” The firm’s Tampa car accident lawyers have nearly 120 years of combined experience representing accident victims.
Our lawyers help injured clients after an auto accident with:
- Free consultations to help them understand their rights to compensation
- Aggressive representation to protect them from insurance company tactics
- A record of successfully recovering tens of millions of dollars
A car accident can leave you with injuries that disable you from working or caring for your needs. Contact Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to learn about the compensation you can seek for these and other effects of your injuries.
How Many Car Crashes Happen in Tampa?
Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties appear on many lists as the most dangerous locations for drivers. In one study, Tampa/Clearwater had one of the worst morning commute crash rates. Another analysis named Tampa the 12th riskiest city for driving.
According to statistics, the Tampa/Clearwater metropolitan area had 28,354 traffic accidents in 2022, including distracted driving accidents, DUI accidents, head-on, intersection, rear-end, multi-vehicle crashes, hit-and-runs, speeding accidents, red and yellow light collisions, parking lot accidents, and lane change crashes, among others. The area accounts for over 7% of all crashes in Florida.
Does the Color of Your Car Affect Your Crash Risk?
Anecdotes and speculation have suggested that certain color cars expose you to different crash risks. Some people believe that light-colored cars reduce your crash risk because they are more visible at night. Others believe that light colors increase your daytime crash risk because light colors create blinding glare.
Two studies were conducted to try to confirm or refute these beliefs. Unfortunately, these studies produced conflicting results for many colors. But they did confirm that some colors were associated with a statistically significant increase or decrease in crashes, even after controlling for other factors.
The University of Auckland Study
The first study was conducted in 2003 by researchers from the University of Auckland. Researchers looked at accident reports from 571 crashes in 1998 and 1999 in New Zealand. They used a control group of 588 surveys collected from randomly selected drivers.
The researchers adjusted the dataset to account for variables such as:
- Age
- Drug and alcohol use
- Average time spent driving
- Weather, lighting, and road conditions during their accident
All of these factors have a known effect on crash risk. For example, younger drivers and senior drivers have a higher crash risk. Drug or alcohol use before driving can impair reactions and judgment.
But even after controlling for these factors, the study found that drivers of black, green, and brown cars crashed at almost double the rate of white cars. Conversely, drivers of gray and silver cars crashed at only half the rate of white cars.
The Monash University Study
Roughly four years after the University of Auckland study, researchers from Monash University published their own study. This study looked at over 855,000 crash reports in Australia spanning 17 years.
After processing the data, researchers found a statistically significant increase in risk for blue, green, black, red, silver, and gray cars.
The study also found that some colors were associated with decreased crash risk. But the statistical significance of these findings was weak, so they were not included in the study’s conclusions.
Choosing a Car Color
Applying these studies to car color & crash risk in Tampa, FL, the two studies only agreed that black and green cars had an increased risk of crashing. You should consider passing on buying a black or green car if you’re worried about the effect of color on crash risk.
But the studies disagreed on every other color. Owners of red and gray cars, in particular, either have the safest color or the riskiest color. The remaining colors are only weakly correlated to crash risk and, as a result, will probably play no role in an accident.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Clearwater Car Accident Lawyers
Car accident injuries can leave you facing months or years of medical treatment. But in many cases, the same injuries will prevent you from earning a living to pay your doctor’s bills. Contact Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to learn how a personal injury claim can help you get compensated for your losses.
