That's it! No more white cars for me. Nope, no way, no how.

[stephanier.1765]

I drive a white Honda CRV. Love that car, I really do, except I almost get hit every time I leave the house. I've been run off the road or pushed into other lanes more times than I can count. Once it was on the interstate. I was in the right hand lane exiting from one section of interstate for another when the other car decided she needed to be in my lane right that moment, even though we were side by side and the only two cars going in that direction. She pushed me right off the road.

Every time I tell someone this is what I have experienced ever since I got this white car, they kind of roll their eyes and assume it's something I'm doing to cause it. That's until they ride somewhere with me or they are the ones driving my car. "You aren't exaggerating when you say people keep driving you off the road!" No, I am definitely not. And it's not just while moving either. Twice cars have backed into me and there are other times where they would have hit me had I not hit the horn. I swear I am invisible to everybody else out there.

Today it was a school bus. Scared the crap out of me! I was in the right hand lane of a 4 lane road turning right at a green light with my blinker on. Coming the other way was the school bus turning left at the same light. As I was starting my turn, the bus started to creep into the intersection so I thought he was just getting a head start on pulling in behind me. Instead, even though I was already turning, he accelerated and just about t-boned me. I braked so hard there were tire marks on the road. I'm surprised I didn't stand on end. As he drove on by, he gave me that apology wave. I wanted to shove his apology right back at him. Ugh! There was another bus stopped on the red light side of the intersection and after the bus passed me by we both just looked at each other with shocked faces and then shook our heads. I'm still kind of shaking it was so close. And he had kids still on there. No more white cars, ever, ever again.

[Laura Corin]

That's weird. I drive a white VW Golf and haven't had problems.  My last car was red and I haven't seen a difference. 

[mommyoffive]

Hmm.  I have always heard they are hard to see in the snow so I have never been able to get one because of that.  I wonder if the same happens in the sunlight? Are white cars harder to see on a sunny day?

[GoVanGogh]

I used to drive a smaller white suv and had that same exact experience. It was hit six times in two years. The last one totaled it. Five I was behind the wheel and it was not my fault. One my DH was behind the wheel and he was not at fault. In fact, at that one, we were sitting at a red light, had been sitting at the red light!, with the car behind us the whole time. He thought traffic took off because lane next to us had a green arrow and they started moved so he romped on it. And that was way before cell phones or pagers, so that was not his excuse. Two of the accidents were in one week, same road. First one on Monday evening coming home from work on busy two lane road. I had to stop because someone way ahead was stopped, waiting to make a turn across traffic. I was already stopped when guy behind me plowed in to me. (Again, way before technology!) Then. Friday morning, on way in to work, same situation. That time the car hit me so hard, his car went clear up under my small suv. Neither time were into rising or setting sun. Another accident, we were sitting at a red light when a  largeconstruction vehicle pulled out from work zone. He said he looked right and left and forgot to look straight ahead?!?! He hit the very, very back part of my bumper, but with so much force it picked up my suv and turned it sideways. 
I swore I would never ever have another white vehicle. Alas. I found a vehicle I wanted and at that time the only one in the area with the features I wanted was white. I reluctantly got it. Knock on wood. It has 105,000 miles on it and all has been great. I will say, it is much bigger than the other white suv. 

[Jaybee]

I thought white cars were supposed to be easier to see? I'm so sorry--that sounds really scary! I'm glad you are okay.

[Kassia]

Very scary!  Glad you're okay, though.  My friend's dd was just in a school bus accident today in FL (everyone was okay though).

[Ditto]

I'm glad you are okay.    That is incredibly scary.

[kristin0713]

I've had a white car for a long time and never had this happen. However, during the period of time that I had a red car, I was pulled over twice and got my only speeding ticket EVER. This was just a few years ago. I had not been pulled over since high school and I had NEVER had a ticket. That was when I decided to never again get a red car. I switched to white when that lease was up. 

[dirty ethel rackham]

I've had this problem with silver vehicles, but not white vehicles.  Silver is really hard to see, especially on gray days.  I have a white car, but I have daytime running lights.  I'll never own a car without them.  The only times I've noticed that I've been cut off are by someone who is being a jerk to every car on the road, not just me.  

[Carrie12345]

Yowza!!! 😟

I’ve driven white cars for 22 years, Dh has driven mostly white cars for longer than that, and dd has a white car. We haven’t had that issue where we are. 

[stephanier.1765]

1 hour ago, mommyoffive said:

Hmm.  I have always heard they are hard to see in the snow so I have never been able to get one because of that.  I wonder if the same happens in the sunlight? Are white cars harder to see on a sunny day?

I wonder if sunny days are the problem because it was nice and bright today. I truly don't think he ever saw me until I laid on my horn.

[Bambam]

I also thought white was the safest color for a car. Quick google says white cars are 12% less likely to be in accidents. 
(Black, grey, and silver are the worst colors for cars in regards to safety)

I'm glad you weren't hit today. That sounds very scary. 

[happi duck]

So scary!

My car that seemed to have a cloaking device was burgundy colored.  

[fraidycat]

Maybe you need a wrap?

https://www.sub5zero.com/2009-dub-show-detroit-dodge-charger-spongebob-squarepants/

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=flower+car+wrap&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiTw9ro5an6AhVEs3IEHXtAA5MQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=flower+&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQARgAMgQIABBDMgQIABBDMgQIABBDMgQIABBDMgcIABCxAxBDOgUIABCABDoFCAAQogQ6BggpEB4QCDoGCAAQHhAIOggIABCABBCxAzoECAAQAzoCCClQtglY-TBgqDpoAHAAeACAAaABiAGeE5IBBDE5LjaYAQCgAQGwAQLAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=PhAtY5OsAsTmytMP-4CNmAk&bih=548&biw=375&client=safari&prmd=simvn#imgrc=k4mcgUqijLHIGM

Edited September 23, 2022 by fraidycat

[gardenmom5]

I've driven a white car (minivan, and SUV) since 2000.  I chose white because it was most visible in the rain here. I've not had any issues.   I do loath marron/red cars as the color last to be seen.  (same color as blood on your retina.)

is it a certain point of daylight when this happens?   what are the background colors where you live?

[Bootsie]

Years ago I was in a meeting with some executives from BMW who were commenting about the cost of all types of safety standards that are applied to automobiles but one safety item that is free--the color of the automobile--is not regulated.  They said that gray and silver cars that easily blend into pavement color are the least safe cars (and those were the most popular automobile colors at the time).  

I don't live where snow is any issue; I would have thought that white would be a safer color in most conditions.  I do know that there are a lot of white vehicles are the road.  (Today I was at a busy intersection with cars several-deep across multiple lanes and realized that my car was the only non-white car at the intersection).  So, I wonder if there could be a tendency for a driver to see a white vehicle in a mirror, see a white vehicle pass, and assume that the vehicle that passed was the one they saw when in reality there are two white vehicles and then they hit the second white vehicle.  

[busymama7]

I drive a white 15 passenger van and have the same type of experiences. Multiple times I've had SEMIs try to change lanes into me. I've always been like what the actual heck!!? How can you not see me? I'm HUGE.   I never considered it might be the color.  Interesting. 

[Arcadia]

7 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Hmm.  I have always heard they are hard to see in the snow so I have never been able to get one because of that.  I wonder if the same happens in the sunlight? Are white cars harder to see on a sunny day?

 

7 hours ago, Jaybee said:

I thought white cars were supposed to be easier to see? 

Reflection. Especially if the other driver has astigmatism. It does depend on whether the color is a matte finish or glossy finish. Some white or silver cars aren’t reflective and are easy to spot on the roads and parking lots.

[Carrie12345]

Just a side note: Headlights solve a lot of issues.

For some reason, people hate headlights around here.  I live near quite a few “open the window, listen carefully, cross your fingers and gun it” intersections.
Of course, the people who DO turn their headlights on in lousy conditions leave their high beams on. Including in fog, when they shouldn’t be on to begin with. @@. 

[HomeAgain]

I will say that if you get a red car it will not solve your problem.  Dh has more issues with vehicles not seeing him than I do in my smaller, white car. 

Headlights absolutely help.  We lived for years in a place where it was mandatory to have them on when going outside a town, so they are just on all the time here on the "auto adjust" setting (dim during daylight, bright at night).  Dh finally started doing the same again and no more close calls on the road.

[DawnM]

1 hour ago, HomeAgain said:

I will say that if you get a red car it will not solve your problem.  Dh has more issues with vehicles not seeing him than I do in my smaller, white car. 

Headlights absolutely help.  We lived for years in a place where it was mandatory to have them on when going outside a town, so they are just on all the time here on the "auto adjust" setting (dim during daylight, bright at night).  Dh finally started doing the same again and no more close calls on the road.

Our red car has been hit twice.  Our white car, none.

[gardenmom5]

10 hours ago, Bootsie said:

Years ago I was in a meeting with some executives from BMW who were commenting about the cost of all types of safety standards that are applied to automobiles but one safety item that is free--the color of the automobile--is not regulated.  They said that gray and silver cars that easily blend into pavement color are the least safe cars (and those were the most popular automobile colors at the time).  

 

When I started actively choosing white cars - it was winter.  Here, winter is gray and rainy, and the days are short.  As I'd drive on the freeway where cars were throwing up water in addition to the rain, I started paying attention to all the oncoming cars. I wanted to know which I would see first.   The color I noticed last was marron/burgundy.  My supposition was because it's the same color as blood on the retina.     

Lighting conditions, and background colors aren't the same across all locations and those are two factors that affect visibility.

[stephanier.1765]

2 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

When I started actively choosing white cars - it was winter.  Here, winter is gray and rainy, and the days are short.  As I'd drive on the freeway where cars were throwing up water in addition to the rain, I started paying attention to all the oncoming cars. I wanted to know which I would see first.   The color I noticed last was marron/burgundy.  My supposition was because it's the same color as blood on the retina.     

Lighting conditions, and background colors aren't the same across all locations and those are two factors that affect visibility.

The day I was run off the interstate that section of the road was white and it was a bright and sunny Florida day. I had never considered the lighting and background as the reasons why I'm invisible but now I'm betting that is exactly the problem. I do have my headlights on all the time but most of the time the cars that are about to hit me are coming from the side. My car wasn't running though when the two cars backed into me. I was just sitting in a parking lot. If I didn't absolutely love my car, I would trade it in. It's a 2013 but has less than 30,000 miles on it so she and I have many more miles to go together. Hopefully they are safer miles than yesterday's was.

[happi duck]

I wonder if some sort of detailing on the side would help or vinyl shapes?  "Don't you dare hit me!" in huge letters?

 

[Laura Corin]

50 minutes ago, stephanier.1765 said:

 I do have my headlights on all the time but most of the time the cars that are about to hit me are coming from the side. 

I was thinking about this.  Mostly I'm on one-lane-each direction roads, so my lights are towards other traffic. That probably makes me more visible. We also have very few concrete roads,  so the surface is darker.

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, stephanier.1765 said:

The day I was run off the interstate that section of the road was white and it was a bright and sunny Florida day. I had never considered the lighting and background as the reasons why I'm invisible but now I'm betting that is exactly the problem. I do have my headlights on all the time but most of the time the cars that are about to hit me are coming from the side. My car wasn't running though when the two cars backed into me. I was just sitting in a parking lot. If I didn't absolutely love my car, I would trade it in. It's a 2013 but has less than 30,000 miles on it so she and I have many more miles to go together. Hopefully they are safer miles than yesterday's was.

 

1 hour ago, happi duck said:

I wonder if some sort of detailing on the side would help or vinyl shapes?  "Don't you dare hit me!" in huge letters?

 

Someone up thread posted some links to vinyl wraps.   That would probably be the way to go.  You don't have to do the whole car, you could just do doors/sides.  Something that would contrast could improve visibility.  It would also make your car less desirable to thieves as it's easier to spot.

I have clear ones for my hood/grill/door edges/etc. just to protect the paint from dings.

[happi duck]

7 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

 

Someone up thread posted some links to vinyl wraps.   That would probably be the way to go.  You don't have to do the whole car, you could just do doors/sides.  Something that would contrast could improve visibility.  It would also make your car less desirable to thieves as it's easier to spot.

I have clear ones for my hood/grill/door edges/etc. just to protect the paint from dings.

I didn't know those wraps could be parts.

I was thinking more like removable vinyl stickers.

[KungFuPanda]

This has not been my experience but I believe you. I do 99.9 percent of my driving between Baltimore and DC, including on both beltways. I drive a modified dodge caravan. This van seems to sit higher than most and the accessible modifications make my van a bit higher than that. Maybe it’s just too much to miss even though it’s white. (It’s a warm off-white) Or maybe we’re used to looking everywhere all the time for survival driving around here. Maybe my can is never clean enough to count as white 🤣

[wathe]

Interesting about daytime running lights - I assumed that these were standard everywhere ('cause I was pretty sure they were stadard here, since all vehicles seem to have them), so I looked it up.

Non-switchable (meaning can't turn them off) running lights have been mandatory in all new vehicles sold in Canada since 1989.  Since 2021, must also include rear lights.  Apparently, in the US, this is not a thing?

[stephanier.1765]

18 minutes ago, wathe said:

Interesting about daytime running lights - I assumed that these were standard everywhere ('cause I was pretty sure they were stadard here, since all vehicles seem to have them), so I looked it up.

Non-switchable (meaning can't turn them off) running lights have been mandatory in all new vehicles sold in Canada since 1989.  Since 2021, must also include rear lights.  Apparently, in the US, this is not a thing?

My lights that come on automatically (but can be turned off) are front lights only. If I want to have my rear lights on then I have to turn my dial to the "on" position. My car is a 2013 so much can have changed since then.

[Laura Corin]

42 minutes ago, wathe said:

Interesting about daytime running lights - I assumed that these were standard everywhere ('cause I was pretty sure they were stadard here, since all vehicles seem to have them), so I looked it up.

Non-switchable (meaning can't turn them off) running lights have been mandatory in all new vehicles sold in Canada since 1989.  Since 2021, must also include rear lights.  Apparently, in the US, this is not a thing?

It looks like non-switchables have been compulsory for cars and lorries in the UK for over a decade. Eta front ones.

Edited September 23, 2022 by Laura Corin

[Jean in Newcastle]

It must have to do with what your roads are made of.  Roads here are not (for the most part) white. 

[stephanier.1765]

Here's a picture of an interchange that I use frequently. You can see how parts of it are white. I was just reading that they try not to build roads going east/west white to cut down on glare so I guess that's why some sections are white and others are black/gray.

[Laura Corin]

28 minutes ago, stephanier.1765 said:

Here's a picture of an interchange that I use frequently. You can see how parts of it are white. I was just reading that they try not to build roads going east/west white to cut down on glare so I guess that's why some sections are white and others are black/gray.

Our roads are mostly tarmac, which is dark grey.  I assume that's less practical in hot climates?

[prairiewindmomma]

I think drivers now are just nuts--more than pre-pandemic.  There seems to be something in the news also: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fatal-car-crash-increase-risky-driving-rcna43969

Fatalities are up, though traffic volume is down.

[kbutton]

On 9/22/2022 at 7:34 PM, stephanier.1765 said:

I wonder if sunny days are the problem because it was nice and bright today. I truly don't think he ever saw me until I laid on my horn.

I would bet this is the issue. I hate driving when it's super sunny. It's better than in rain, but really, a moderately cloudy day is best for visibility, IMO. I am pretty light sensitive though. 

On 9/22/2022 at 10:15 PM, Bootsie said:

I don't live where snow is any issue; I would have thought that white would be a safer color in most conditions. 

I would guess that in an active snowstorm, white might be an issue, but the snowiest year I ever drove was the year I was learning to drive. We had almost no bare ground between October and March, and there were times that they snow was piled so high along the road that you had to pull partway into the intersection to see anything at all. The hardest cars to see are black because the snow drifts get dirty really, really fast. 

On 9/23/2022 at 6:18 AM, Carrie12345 said:

Just a side note: Headlights solve a lot of issues.

For some reason, people hate headlights around here.  

I hate driving in the rain around here. We have tons of people here who drive dark cars in the rain and turn their lights off. I don't know how it's even legal. 

On 9/23/2022 at 1:20 PM, wathe said:

Non-switchable (meaning can't turn them off) running lights have been mandatory in all new vehicles sold in Canada since 1989.  Since 2021, must also include rear lights.  Apparently, in the US, this is not a thing?

Not a thing here. They can turn off on most cars.

On 9/23/2022 at 4:53 PM, prairiewindmomma said:

I think drivers now are just nuts--more than pre-pandemic.  There seems to be something in the news also: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fatal-car-crash-increase-risky-driving-rcna43969

Fatalities are up, though traffic volume is down.

Yes. It's better than it was pre-vaccine. At one point before vaccines, cops weren't pulling people over hardly at all, and while there was little traffic, it was so bad that we truly felt like we were taking our lives in our hands to get on the interstate. Pairs of vehicles would race down the highway far faster than the speed limit, and they would criss-cross in and out of traffic, making figure 8's around us. It was unreal. 

[Terabith]

My husband's white car was t-boned on a clear day.  I don't know if it was related to the color of the car or not.  He was stopped at a stop light; the light turned green.  He proceeded to go through the intersection, and the woman (who was also uninsured) ran the red light and plowed into him.  

[Tree Frog]

1 hour ago, kbutton said:

I would guess that in an active snowstorm, white might be an issue

I almost merged into a white car driving on the interstate. We were in a blizzard, he wasn't visible, and he didn't have his lights on. This was years ago, before daytime running lights were mandated.

[Bootsie]

Is there any where in the US that daytime running lights are mandated?  

[Junie]

8 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

Is there any where in the US that daytime running lights are mandated?  

No.  In fact they were mandated in some countries before they were even allowed in the U.S.  

This article was really informative. 

 

[kbutton]

9 hours ago, Bootsie said:

Is there any where in the US that daytime running lights are mandated?  

I think it's usually conditional, such as when you are running your windshield wipers. 

[Bootsie]

1 hour ago, kbutton said:

I think it's usually conditional, such as when you are running your windshield wipers. 

From what I have read, the term "daytime running lights" refer to something different than using headlights during the day in that DRL are not as bright as headlights and have traditionally only been in the front of the car.  Very few people where I live in Texas drive regularly during the day with their headlights on. 

One thing DH and I have noticed, however, is that the lights on police and emergency car vehicles have seemed to become much brighter.  We both find that they can be blinding.  Yes, they make that vehicle more visible, but everything else on the road can't be seen.    

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, Bootsie said:

From what I have read, the term "daytime running lights" refer to something different than using headlights during the day in that DRL are not as bright as headlights and have traditionally only been in the front of the car.  Very few people where I live in Texas drive regularly during the day with their headlights on. 

A lot of people drive with lights all the way on here. Some with just daytime lights. More cars have lights on than off, but the stubborn ones leave them off even in adverse conditions, which is dangerous and annoying. I often can't see cars in the rain, especially on the highway.

[Tree Frog]

9 hours ago, Bootsie said:

One thing DH and I have noticed, however, is that the lights on police and emergency car vehicles have seemed to become much brighter.  We both find that they can be blinding. 

Construction vehicles also have the same lights. It's supposed to be safer for the road crews, but we have lots of road construction in my city and I find I don't respond to the lights like I used to until I see what kind of vehicle is using them. I get frustrated with the people who slow way down to pass a construction vehicle clearly well off the road in the construction area that doesn't impact the driving lane.