Back when Henry Ford started mass production of the Model T, his slogan was ‘you can have any colour as long as it is black’. For SAAB when it first started making cars it was green only. Now it seems car manufacturers have embraced every colour of the rainbow and then some. In fact car companies invest a lot of money into choosing a colour range to suit the demographic they pitch their model range to.
Does the colour of your car say anything about the driver? Whether make a conscious choice on the colour of your car, or are subconsciously drawn to a particular colour your car may be saying more about you than you think. Andrew Koch has been researching the significance of car colour here’s what the experts reckon your car is saying about you!
A red car indicates that you are a passionate person. You are a ‘take charge’ kind of individual and you are at least a little wild.
An orange vehicle is exceedingly hard to find. If you have an orange car you most likely crave attention.
There aren’t too many yellow cars on the road either. If you drive a yellow car you are confident.
Green is the colour of nature. The person who chooses a green car is conscientious. They tend to be the go-to person in tense situations because they know how to keep their emotions in balance.
If your car is dark blue you are likely a very loyal person. You value relationships over wealth and you are calm. Rather than stand out, you like to blend in. If your car is light blue you are serene and peaceful.
There are few pink cars out there, but they can be found. If you have a pink car, you like to be treated with a soft touch. You like to smile and you think good health is important.
If you have a brown car that signifies that you are reliable. You are true to yourself and to those around you. You are earthy and don’t engage in ‘showboating.’
A slick black car is the epitome of power and authority. If you have a black car, you are sending the message that you are in control and are self-assured.
What white cars say about their owners has a lot to do with their upkeep. A clean white car shows that you pay attention to detail. You are careful and pure. A dirty white car makes you look sloppy and indifferent.
Silver cars are the new white and represent prestige, wealth and luxury. The newer and shinier the car, the more this will come across.
A gold car represents wealth and pride. If you have a gold car, you likely want to be noticed. You want people to know you do not lack financially and you are independent.
Not only does the colour of your car reflect what personality you may be but can also increase the risk of you having an accident. Recently the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) finished a comprehensive survey into car colour and accidents.
Lead researcher at MUARC, Senior Research Fellow Dr Stuart Newstead, said the Australian study was arguably the most comprehensive to probe the link between vehicle colour and crash risk.
‘Previous international studies have examined vehicle visibility and colour but have not fully taken into account other factors that may have an impact on crash risk, such as driver demographics,’ Dr Newstead said.
Dr Newstead said that the study findings were clear and demonstrated that white-coloured vehicles had the lowest crash risk in all types of light conditions.
‘Conversely, darker colours and colours with low contrast to the road environment, including silver, grey, green, red, blue and black, tend to be associated with a higher crash risk, particularly in daylight hours,’ he said.
Black coloured cars are more likely to be involved in a crash, according to definitive new research linking road safety and vehicle colour.
The MUARC’s Vehicle Colour Study confirmed the popular belief that white is the safest choice when it came to being visible and safe on the road.
Compared to white vehicles, black cars had a 12 per cent higher crash risk, closely followed by grey cars with 11 per cent higher risk. Silver vehicles were next, with 10 per cent, then blue and red at 7 per cent.
While other car colours such as cream, yellow and beige ranked closely to white, no other colour ranked safer than white.
Of course some of us didn’t have a choice with the colour of the car that we drive – but have you ever stopped to consider – has the colour of your car changed you?
Andrew Koch
