Poor visibility can affect a driver’s ability to see and react to other vehicles in Middletown, NY. For example, drivers might have difficulty spotting cars, pedestrians, or bicyclists on a road without street lights at night. However, the question arises whether car color & crash risk are connected, particularly whether certain colors may be more difficult to visually identify than others.
This issue is critically important after a New York car accident. Crash victims with serious injuries or large financial losses can seek compensation from negligent drivers. However, these drivers and their insurers may try to shift the blame to the victim’s car color.
Research into Car Color and Crash Risk
Researchers have conducted several studies on the impact of car color on crash risk. However, one of the most reliable studies concluded that car color has no statistical connection to the overall likelihood of a car being involved in an accident.
Specifically, a study by researchers at the University of Dayton examined nearly one million car accident records gathered from crashes across Ohio. After controlling for factors such as lighting and time of day, the researchers conducted a statistical analysis. This study established that car color played no role in the risk of a crash under all circumstances.
For example, a black car might be more prone to collisions on unlit roads at night. However, black cars might be safer in daylight, offsetting the increased nighttime risk. Thus, overall, black cars have the same risk as every other car.
Why Does this Study Matter?
This study was important for two primary reasons. First, it used a different, more rigorous statistical analysis in which the researchers only examined the color of the crash victim’s car and eliminated the color of the at-fault driver’s car. This step helped the researchers determine whether certain car colors were more likely to be hit.
Second, the study reconciled two earlier studies. One study at the University of Auckland concluded that silver cars were the safest color, while another at Monash University determined that silver was the most dangerous color.
By using a more rigorous mathematical model and eliminating the color of the at-fault driver’s car, the University of Dayton study concluded that both studies were incorrect and, in fact, no color is more likely to be hit than any other color.
Liability for Crashes Where Visibility May Play a Role
New York uses a complicated no-fault insurance system for car accidents and truck accidents. After a minor crash, the auto insurers pay for their clients’ injuries. When an accident victim suffers a serious injury or incurs more than $50,000 in economic losses, they can pursue a personal injury case against the at-fault driver.
The victim must prove that the at-fault driver acted negligently to recover compensation. Negligence allows victims to recover compensation for inadvertent injuries caused by a lack of reasonable care.
When applied to crashes that resulted, at least in part, from poor visibility, the victim’s car color rarely plays a role. For example, suppose a driver was speeding on a snowy road. By the time they spotted a white car, they were unable to stop in time and skidded into the vehicle.
How Comparative Negligence is Involved
Although scientific studies do not support a connection between car color and crash risk, a negligent driver’s insurance company may still try to use a victim’s car color as a defense. The insurer may argue that the victim’s car was difficult to see due to its color, and therefore, the victim was partially at fault for the accident.
In New York, this tactic is related to the state’s comparative negligence law. Under this law, a victim found to be partially at fault for an accident can typically have their compensation reduced. For example, if a victim’s total damages are $100,000, but they are found to be 20% at fault, their compensation could be reduced to $80,000.
An insurance company’s goal is to increase the victim’s percentage of fault as much as possible to reduce the amount they have to pay out. An experienced personal injury attorney can counter this defense by presenting the scientific evidence that car color does not statistically increase crash risk.
They can also argue that the true cause of the accident was the negligent driver’s actions, such as speeding, distracted driving, or failing to use proper caution in adverse weather conditions. The focus of the legal argument should be on the at-fault driver’s negligence, not on the victim’s car color.
Contact Our Middletown Car Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
The science simply does not support an argument that your car’s color caused a driver to crash into you. Contact Rolo Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your car accident and our options for pursuing compensation for your financial losses. Our Middletown car accident lawyers offer free consultations.
