There are a lot of myths surrounding cars in general. While it's true that choosing a car color is an important factor, and there are pros and cons to each one, there are also myths regarding car colors as well. There are many common misconceptions regarding red cars in particular. For example, people tend to think red cars get pulled over more often than any other color, and that they also are more likely to get ticketed because red catches police officers' eyes more frequently.

Another myth is how insurance for red cars is more expensive as a result of the aforementioned police encounters. People also seem to believe police officers aren't the only ones more likely to notice red cars; thieves are more likely to notice them as well, and therefore they will either break into the car to rob it or carjack the vehicle altogether. Furthermore, because red is associated with anger, road rage is released more frequently and intensely on red cars.

Unfortunately, all of the above are widespread myths with no actual scientific evidence to back them up, and red cars have an unfair reputation of being more of a problem and a target thanks to these multiple, long-standing myths.

Any Car Color Gets Pulled Over, But Do Red Cars Get Pulled Over More?

Red Car Pulled Over
via How Stuff Works

This is probably the most widespread myth regarding red cars. It's true that among vehicles, and sports cars in particular, red is a very common and popular color. They also tend to produce an optical illusion that they travel faster than other color cars.

However, the truth is that there's no scientific basis for the belief that red cars are pulled over and ticketed more often than other colored cars are. No studies have been done to successfully validate these claims or produce evidence favoring these myths. After all, when all is said and done, car color is irrelevant and people committing automotive misdemeanors have equal chances of being pulled over and ticketed regardless of their car color.

People think that police officers are more likely to notice red cars because of their vibrant color. The truth is that police officers are probably going to notice speed before they'd ever notice color. One study conducted in 1990 by the St. Petersburg Times actually cited gray cars as the color vehicle that was most frequently ticketed in the area. However, because red cars have historically been associated with sports cars, Speed Racers, and higher accident rates, this myth came to life and is constantly perpetuated.

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Red Cars Don't Cost More To Insure

Red Car Insurance
via Terry Johnson Insurance

Red car owners can relax; insurance will not cost more if a car is red. Unfortunately, a study by insurancequotes.com shows that 44% of Americans think otherwise. While insurance companies will consider a myriad of factors in rate calculations, color is not among them, as it truly has nothing to do with rates. Insurers are more likely to ask about the year, make, model, body type, engine size and age of a vehicle, as those are the factors that are truly relevant. Driving record, of course, plays an even bigger part in insurance policies.

The company assesses the accident rate, how protected the car is in a crash, and how expensive it might be to repair and to replace. Further, insurance agencies are highly unlikely to even ask people for their vehicle's color when they're applying for a quote. Studies from GEICO show that 53% of millennials, 45% of college graduates, and 42% of Americans with an annual household income of $75,000 or more all expect to pay more for insurance based on car color, especially if their vehicle is red.

That said, custom paint jobs are another story, as that usually warrants optional coverage regarding custom parts and equipment to the policy. Whether a vehicle is red or any other color is hardly a critical factor in calculating auto insurance rates.

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Red Cars' Lower Resale Value Actually Decreases Thievery

Red Car Theft
via Victoria News

That's right: red cars' lower resale vehicles actually tends to deter thieves from breaking into red cars or stealing them. According to Dutch economist Ben Vollaard, an assistant professor at Tilburg University in The Netherlands, mainstream-colored vehicles are more likely to be stolen, after investigating vehicle theft data in the Netherlands from 2004 through 2008. After all, resale value is important to thieves, so they pick the popular colors. Yellow, red, orange, brown, and green vehicles are probably less likely to be stolen, while blue, black, silver, white, and gray are more likely to be stolen.

Despite numerous studies suggesting evidence to the contrary, people believe that red cars are more attractive to thieves. Ironically, it's because red cars stand out more that thieves are less likely to mess with them. Keep in mind that most car thieves would rather not call attention to themselves, and will go for vehicle colors like black, white, or silver, which are both more subdued colors and are more common vehicles seen on the road.

However, picking a red car is no guarantee that it will never be broken into or stolen; the point here is that red cars are not more likely to be broken into or stolen than other colored cars would be.

Road Rage Gets Released On Red Cars

Red Car Road Rage
via Unilad

Road rage is a very unpleasant sensation, and sometimes even more so for its recipients. That said, red cars are actually not more likely to be targets or victims of road rage. Many Western cultures believe the color red represents passion, dominance, or anger. These beliefs then perpetuate the notion that drivers of red cars are more aggressive, so they become more prone to accidents, speeding, or other dangerous behaviors behind the wheel. That said, research has actually suggested evidence to the contrary. A 2007 study from Australia indicated drivers of red cars were actually less likely to be involved in a motor vehicle crash than drivers of other colored cars were.

Black cars were the “winner' of that particular study, showing that those drivers were the likeliest to be involved in a crash. Many studies and psychologists suggest colors are involved in influencing mood, behavior, and health, but few scientific studies suggest a correlation between car color and safety, let alone red cars and safety.

Sources: cnbc.com, progressive.com, esurance.com, motorbiscuit.com, edmunds.com, carshop.co.uk

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