I thought the color of your car was not significant when it comes to auto insurance. And I hadn’t really thought about it much until I saw the parking lot where they were holding a fireman’s picnic. I noticed that most of the pickup trucks there were red, just like the fire trucks parked there. I had read articles regarding “weird laws” that are still on the books in some states but they don’t likely enforce them. One such article says that in Minneapolis you cannot drive a red car down Lake Street. In Colorado, you cannot drive a black car on Sundays. This one certainly doesn’t make sense as you may need to drive a black hearse for a funeral on a Sunday, or a black limousine for a Sunday wedding (just married/just buried…same difference). But really, what is the correlation between car color and insurance rates?
Some people think that if you have a flashy eye-catching car, police take notice of your car before they would notice a bland colored car. Perhaps this is true. But if you are not driving like a bat out of hell, there would be no reason for them to pull you over. I thought since my car is the color of a yield sign (midlife crisis yellow), other drivers would see me, making it a safer vehicle to drive. I have noticed that most cars on the roads are typically white, silver or silver-blue. These colors tend to blend in with the road and sky in the background and, to me, would likely be more prone to being hit. Keeping your headlights on at all times would likely be helpful so you would be better seen.
Insurance agents say that car color does not affect your insurance rates, but keeping a lighter foot on the gas pedal will. And driving more alert, looking out for other drivers will also prevent an accident. So, keep on driving that red corvette with the top down…wind blowing through those last two hairs on your bald head. Just keep it within the speed limit.
Until next week…
Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist
Car Color and Insurance Rates – Comedy Defensive Driving