Helping Injured Clients in Austin, Central Texas and Utah - Hablamos Español (512) 474-0222
Call for a Free Case Evaluation (512) 474-0222
Call for a Free Case Evaluation (512) 474-0222
Instinctively, you might believe in a connection between car color & crash risk in Austin, TX. For example, darker cars may be more prone to car accidents at night, while gray or silver vehicles may be less visible on a foggy or cloudy day. Even if these assumptions are true, they do not excuse a driver’s carelessness in failing to spot a vehicle when visibility is poor.
Instead, the liability for a car accident in Austin, Texas, typically falls on a driver who acts carelessly under the circumstances. If car color and visibility are issues in your crash case, call McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers at (512) 474-0222 to schedule a free consultation with our Austin car accident lawyers.
Our firm has helped injured Texans since opening its doors two decades ago. Our Austin personal injury attorneys have achieved extraordinary results for our clients, securing over $500 million in compensation for individuals like you who have been injured. We have decades of combined experience practicing personal injury law and a record of success.
After someone else’s careless or aggressive driving injures you, our Austin car accident attorneys can help you and your case by:
A car accident can cause disabling injuries that leave you facing physical pain and economic hardship. Contact us to schedule a complimentary consultation with an Austin personal injury lawyer and learn how we hold negligent drivers and their insurers accountable on your behalf.
When discussing the effect of car color on crash risk, you must distinguish between two separate risks.
First, some people argue that certain colors are always more dangerous in any scenario. These individuals typically have several reasons to support their theory, but their primary argument is that certain colors consistently provide less contrast and are therefore more difficult to spot, regardless of the weather or lighting conditions.
Another argument suggests that certain colors are perceived as more dangerous only in specific situations. In other words, the risks associated with certain colors vary depending on lighting or weather conditions. Some colors, such as gray or silver, may blend into the horizon and become less visible at a distance. Similarly, dark colors may appear to “disappear” in low-light conditions.
The first theory has been tested and proven incorrect by researchers at the University of Dayton. This study looked at several hundred thousand car accident records to identify any statistical correlation between the color of the vehicle found not at fault and its crash risk.
Importantly, this study differed from prior studies that looked at the color of both vehicles involved in a crash. Several of these studies reached contradictory conclusions. For example, a study in New Zealand found that silver vehicles were safest, while a different study in Australia found that silver vehicles were riskiest.
By focusing on the color of the victim’s vehicle, the University of Dayton study limited its scope to colors that might have been difficult for the at-fault driver to see. Once they controlled for other factors, such as the time of day and the weather, the researchers found no statistical correlation between car color and overall crash risk.
Thus, no particular color is always the most dangerous. However, this study explicitly acknowledges that some colors may be more prone to being hit in certain conditions.
Despite acknowledging that certain colors may have a higher risk of being hit under specific visibility conditions, drivers are still responsible for their actions. Specifically, the level of care drivers must exercise will vary depending on their environments.
Drivers on foggy roads should generally slow down to avoid rear-ending the vehicle ahead of them. When driving at night, drivers should avoid speeding to prevent overdriving their headlights and causing a speed-related crash.
In other words, a reasonably cautious driver would not put themselves in a position to hit an unseen vehicle because they would slow down or pull over when visibility is poor. The fact that the driver continued might support the argument that they acted negligently, regardless of the color of the car they hit.
An auto insurer may try to shift the blame for your collision to your car color so it can avoid paying your injury claim. Contact McMinn Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss how we can craft a personalized legal strategy to hold the at-fault driver responsible for your injuries. Our Austin car accident lawyers offer free consultations and generally work on a contingency fee basis.