Car insurance – Tips & Advice – Buying & Selling cars – Car colour
There have been many studies into the psychology and symbolism of colour to determine moods and feelings: red can symbolise danger, passion, energy or adventure; pink is often associated with girls or love; orange can mean warmth; yellow is often seen as happy but also hazardous; blue is for boys and green is linked with natural or calming influences.
Essentially it can all come down to whatever situation we are in – if we are driving, for example, then red, amber and green mean ‘stop, get ready and go’, while red-trimmed signs signal ‘be aware’ of something and yellow paint signals where we can park. But does the colour of your car really say anything about you?
Are some colours safer?
A report published by the University of New Auckland, New Zealand and referenced in the New Scientist in 2003 revealed that ‘silver cars are much less likely to be involved in a serious crash than cars of any other colour’. The study looked into the colours and activity of 1,000 cars and found that white, yellow, grey, red and blue cars carried an equal risk of crash and injury. But people travelling in black, brown or green cars were twice as likely to suffer a crash with serious injury. Roger Vincent at the UK Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) commented that this study might be useful to people in terms of purchasing a car but that a lot of people will choose a colour based on what’s fashionable or popular.
What does your colour say about you?
Another survey into colour, for carmakers Daewoo, by psychologists Dr Peter Collett and Dr Peter Marsh at Oxford University in 1999, revealed the following results:
| Car colour |
Signifies… |
| Red |
Life, lust and passion (apparently Jeremy Clarkson drives a red car)! |
| Silver |
Naked ambition |
| Beige |
Wholesome, traditional and restful values |
| Light green |
Bright, youthful personalities who want to live life to the full |
| Dark green |
Optimistic characters |
| Light blue |
Introverted types |
| Yellow and gold |
Attention seekers with infantile personalities |
| Brown |
Down-to-earth people who don’t care about fashion |
| Black |
People who like to intimidate others and who are successful |
Of course all this colour theory could be seen as just a bit of fun. At Direct Line we can’t make any serious distinctions as far as car colour is concerned and it certainly doesn’t affect your car insurance premium. However, car sales reports do show that silver, blue, black and grey are the most common colours on our road today. This means that these will probably be the easiest cars to sell if you’re thinking of buying an investment car. Less vibrant or showy car colours could also be less attractive to car thieves.
Be safe, be seen
Car colour and visibility is another matter. Red, for example, is perceived as black in the dark and so red cars are less visible at night as are black, dark blue and grey models. However, white cars may be less visible in snowy conditions. The best and only advice when it comes to car colour and safety is to take an ‘equal opportunities’ approach: treat each car as courteously as the next and drive safely whether you choose to drive a yellow, pink, green, blue or rainbow-hued car!
Direct Line can insure your car whatever colour it is – your premium is affected by other more important factors such as the age, make and model, along with your own driving and claims history. It is quick and easy to find out what your premium could be – simply apply for an online car insurance quote on this website.
Related information:
Buying a car privately – pitfalls to bear in mind if you are thinking of purchasing from a private seller
Extra, extra, extra – you may need to beware of some added incentives that car dealers offer
Selling your car – tips for getting the best deal when you come to sell your car
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