A link between car color, accidents?

Interesting. Is there a link between car color and accidents? My guess would be white cars are most easily detected on the roadways, and most visible.
Traveling the roadways and doing your best to avoid an accident, In my opinion, black cars or darker colored vehicles would be more difficult to detect, especially during evening hours.
After reading the following, courtesy of Newspaper Metro, certain studies give interesting tips and facts on why certain color vehicles may be involved more in accidents.
Is there a link between car color and accidents?
The color drivers choose for their car may say something about driver personalities and preferences. It also may play a role in the propensity to get into an accident.
Various studies have been conducted to determine if a certain car color puts a driver at a greater risk for a crash. Though it’s difficult to pinpoint which color vehicles are most likely to be in accidents, common sense suggests that certain colors that are more conspicuous on the road are more easily seen, and this may make them less prone to accidents.
Daimler Benz once conducted a study on the conspicuousness of cars. White cars were the most inconspicuous, followed by black, dark red and blue. Dark-colored vehicles tend to be the most difficult to see on the road and therefore might be most prone to accidents.
Another study from researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand in 2003 showed that drivers of brown cars had a higher risk of injuries in car accidents. Black and green cars also were involved in a high number of car accidents resulting in injuries. In addition, findings also indicated that people who drove silver cars had a 50 percent less chance of being involved in accidents resulting in injury.
The reason why certain color vehicles are involved in more accidents was missing from the studies. Visibility may play a role, which would make lighter color vehicles less prone to accidents. Another point to consider is that certain colors may be favored by individuals who have specific driving tendencies. For example, silver and gray cars are often seen as conservative and may be driven by an older demographic that is more cautious on the road. Black cars are often viewed as sleek and may be favored by those who like to push the envelope regarding speed.
While vehicle color may play a role in accidents, other factors also come into play, such as usage of lights and other features. The National Safety Council has stated the safest car color to be “one that is highly visible in the widest range of lighting, weather, and vision conditions.” They also indicated that white is most visible in uniform lighting but can be an unsafe color in bright sunlight, snow and fog.
Furthermore, safety behind the wheel has a lot do with driver ability. Defensive driving and being observant on the roadways can significantly reduce accident risk. Here are some other ways to reduce accidents.
* Do not tailgate. Leave an adequate cushion between your car and the one in front of you to allow for braking or maneuvering around an obstacle.

* Use daytime running lights when available to make your car even more visible in all weather conditions.
* Leave for trips early enough so that you’re not rushing and being aggressive on the roadway.
* Drive with weather conditions in mind, slowing down when necessary.
* Avoid distractions in the car. Taking your eyes off the road for mere seconds can result in lost opportunities for accident avoidance.
* Always wear seatbelts, even for short trips.
* Make sure you keep your car well maintained so that breakdowns do not contribute to accidents on busy highways.
While car color may play a role in accident rates, there is no definitive answer as to why certain cars are more prone to accidents than others.

Accent Editor Myra Miller can be reached at myra.miller@eunicetoday.com