What Color is Safest?

[Dallara]

Hi, Folks.

In another thread - "Rear Spools" Rear spools - the subject came up about which color on your motorcycle, red or black, might be more easily seen by car drivers. In that thread I mentioned a research study I recalled some years ago by a major auto manufacturer about which color cars were less likely to get hit by other drivers. I said in that thread I would try to dig up that old article but so far I haven't been able to find it either in my piles and piles of publications nor online...

Now rather than continue to semi-hijack the "Rear Spool" thread, I thought it best to start a new one with some of the information I did find in my online search for the article mentioned. I will continue to hunt for the Mercedes-Benz study I originally mentioned in the other thread, but for now you may all find some of these articles interesting and informative.

For instance, the original of all motorcycle accident studies, the Harry Hurt Report, came to the following conclusion:

"Any effect of motorcycle color on accident involvement is not determinable from these data, but is expected to be insignificant because the frontal surfaces are most often presented to the other vehicle involved in the collision."

You can read more of the Hurt Study at: http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcyc...dy-summary.htm

Some more recent information about motorcycle accident statistics, whith some references to the Hurt Study can be found here: http://www.motorcycle-accidents.com/pages/stats.html

Wikipedia's page on Automobile Safety contained the following conclusions regarding vehicle color:

"A Swedish study found that pink cars are involved in the fewest accidents, with black cars being most often involved in crashes (Land transport NZ 2005).

In Auckland New Zealand, a study found that there was a significantly lower rate of serious injury in silver cars; with higher rates in brown, black, and green cars. (Furness et al, 2003)

The Vehicle Color Study, conducted by Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) and published in 2007, analysed 855,258 accidents occurring between 1987 and 2004 in the Australian states of Victoria and Western Australia that resulted in injury or in a vehicle being towed away [26]. The study analysed risk by light condition. It found that in daylight black cars were 12% more likely than white to be involved in an accident, followed by grey cars at 11%, silver cars at 10%, and red and blue cars at 7%, with no other colors found to be significantly more or less risky than white. At dawn or dusk the risk ratio for black cars jumped to 47% more likely than white, and that for silver cars to 15%. In the hours of darkness only red and silver cars were found to be significantly more risky than white, by 10% and 8% respectively."

You can find that info, along with quite a bit more, at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_safety

You might also find Wikipedia's Motorcycle Safety page interesting, too, though it doesn't directly mention color. See it at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_Safety

The Auckland, New Zealand car color study is discussed in more detail here: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/327/7429/1455

Another article referring to the Auckland study states the following:

"At night white is the most visible and red is seen as black."

You can see more of that articles conclusions here: http://www.motorpoint.com.au/car-colour.asp


As you will see, some of this data is conflicting, and most of it does not match up with what I recall from the Mercedes-Benz study, but it is still interesting and thought provoking data... Most of it probably little, if nothing, definitive about what color motorcycle is most easily seen. Still, additional information is always good and certainly can't hurt. My recollections regarding the Merc-Benz article may be in error so I'll keep looking for it.

Meanwhile I hope you will enjoy looking over some of the articles provided above, and that it will stimulate some discussion on the subject.

Thanks!

Dallara

[AZ_Scott]

The vast majority of collisions between motorcycles and cars involves the front of the motorcycle. No matter what color your bike is, you've got a 55w halogen headlight pointed right at them, and they still turn in front of you!

So rather than worry about which color is the most visible, your best defense is just to pretend your bike is invisible...

[GHEZZI]

THERE ARE NONE SO BLIND AS THOSE WHO WILL NOT SEE! from somewhere in the Bible.

[johnchypermotard]

Originally Posted by GHEZZI

THERE ARE NONE SO BLIND AS THOSE WHO WILL NOT SEE! from somewhere in the Bible.

halelulya brother ... i was hit by a bible while riding today ... came out of nowhere and took out my front wheel.

[HyperPete]

Originally Posted by johnchypermotard

halelulya brother ... i was hit by a bible while riding today ... came out of nowhere and took out my front wheel.

Are you for real??? That's amazing!! I'm not very religious but if I were hit by a bible that came out of nowhere I'd probably.... well, after thinking about it... I'd probably find out which bastard threw it and make them eat it!! LOL

I saw a learner-rider the other morning wearing bright Hi-Vis jacket, Hi-Vis rain pants and seemed to be wearing the right jacket, good helmet and, funny/weirdly enough I knew she was around me in traffic but she wasn't prominent at all, on a small cruiser with plenty of shiny chrome, I wonder if it's simply awareness that recognizes the bike's presence more than visual... that situation made it more aware to me why I ride "in your face" with cars around me...presuming my invisibility to all...

[ak57]

the safest color is the one you drive defensively ,
that's written in the bible somewhere.
as for the color of passion we all know it

[MongoWERA]

Well a much as I appreciate the Swedes and their effort involved in doing that study, I am not man enough to paint my Hyper pink...

As for the bible - I hate it when the bible thumpers get over exuberant and the book goes flying!

[Werloc]

Originally Posted by ak57

the safest color is the one you drive defensively ,
that's written in the bible somewhere.
as for the color of passion we all know it

Hear, hear +1. Roger that on the color too.....

[hyprduc]

Mine is RED and the mountain never saw me coming!! I may go with PINK for the next one.

[ak57]

pink mountain ?