A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Auckland, New Zealand indicates that there may be a link between car color and serious injuries as a result of car accidents. Their findings were published in the The British Medical Journal in December 2003.

The study involved accidents in New Zealand between 1998 and 1999. According to their findings, drivers of brown cars had the highest risk of sustaining serious injuries caused by auto accidents. Black and green cars also had elevated risks.

Which are the safest cars? Drivers of silver-colored cars, according to the report, have a 50% less chance of being involved in an injury-causing accident than do drivers of white cars! While the results are surprising, more studies need to be performed before we all rush out and repaint or replace our vehicles.

The scientists did not explain why there was such a disparity in accident rates. Perhaps lighter colored cars are more visible, or perhaps the people who choose such cars are a self-selecting group of safe drivers.

How popular are the various car colors? According to DuPont Automotive's 2003 Color Popularity Report, the top three colors (silver, white and black) account for more than 50% of new cars manufactured for North America. Here is a chart highlighting the top ten most popular car colors:

Color	Percentage of New Cars
Silver	20.2%
White	18.4%
Black	11.6%
Med/Dark Gray	11.5%
Light Brown	8.8%
Med/Dark Blue	8.5%
Medium Red	6.9%
Med/Dark Green	5.3%
Bright Red	3.8%
Dark Red	0.9%
Source: DuPont Automotive