Psychology of colours
Colour psychology is said to play an important role in an individual’s choice of colour, and it can also be used to suggest an individual’s characteristics based on their choices.
While we can’t be sure whether people make personality judgements or predictions on others based on the colour of their car, we can speculate about your disposition based on the colour of car you buy. What does your car colour say about you?
| Colour | What it says about you... |
|---|---|
| Silver | Being the third most popular colour for vehicles, it shows you’re cool, calm and confident on the road. |
| Blue | Blue is described as the colour of stability and safety, suggesting you may be of caution when driving. |
| Black | You’re intimidating to other drivers and the colour brings connotations of power, which might be the reason it is the most popular colour for luxury vehicles. |
| Red | You have high energy levels due to your interest in promoting confidence and power into those around you. |
| Grey | You’re knowledgeable, have great self-reliance and are happy to go with the flow of life. |
| White | You value the need for organisation and hold a high regard for both yourself and your status. |
| Yellow | You’re optimistic with a joyful disposition and are more willing to take risks. |
However, it is important to note that not all individuals get their preference as to what colour of car they purchase, especially when buying used vehicles.
The colour of your car can have adverse effects on many other things including car safety and theft; these effects are explained below.
Car Safety
A recent study has shown that yellow cars have proven to be the safest, purely because they are more visible to other drivers. Whereas, black, brown and green cars, are twice as likely to be involved in an accident concerning serious injury, showing that there is a significant link between the number of crashes and the colour of a vehicle. In fact, a past article said that black cars are up to 47% more likely to be involved in a crash.
Car colour and theft
With silver being the most popular colour of car on our roads, it is also the most likely car colour to be stolen. This is partly due to there being more of these colours on the road, so they don’t attract as much attention, but also partly due to the resale value being higher, as quirky colours can be harder to sell.
Although in saying this, white is also very likely to be stolen whilst ranking 5th in the list of ‘Top 10 Colours for Cars’ written by the AA.
Car style and personality
The style of car is also said to help determine key traits within someone’s personality. Just like colour, different types of cars bring us to different conclusions as to what that person may be like. A prime example would be the Volvo XC90, which is a car that is generally associated with convenience for those with family, rather than new drivers.
Car franchises that are renowned for selling cars of high prices, eg Rolls Royce, can arguably leave their consumers to be categorised as ‘status seekers’ and are amongst the higher-income bracket. Whereas, people who drive smaller cars, eg Toyota Prius, are said to be more economically concerned and live in cities, where long commutes don’t have to be made as often.