Can the colour of your car affect your insurance premium?
What colour car is best for car insurance purposes?
- White is undoubtedly the best colour vehicle to choose
- The insurance giant, Discovery, says this plays no part in premiums
- Outsurance says “more visible” cars attract lower insurance payments
- Colour can affect the cost of repairs
- White, silver and grey are the most popular cars
Most insurance companies describe as a myth the general belief that white cars are the cheapest to insure. In fact, most of them state that colour plays no part whatsoever when it comes to pegging an insurance premium.
According to Anton Assip, the CEO of the insurance giant, Discovery, insurers have little interest in the colour of the vehicles they cover.
So what do they take into consideration?
- Information about the applicant’s driving record
- How many kilometres the driver clocks up every year
- The area where the driver lives
- The type of vehicle for which insurance is sought
- The retail value of the vehicle
- The cost of repairs
- The vehicle’s safety features
So just because you fancy a red car doesn’t mean that your insurance will be pegged higher than the same model in white.
Popular colours and facts
According to Discovery, the most popular colours they insure are white, grey and silver.
Another interesting fact disclosed by the company is that drivers of green vehicles have the least number of accidents per kilometre in comparison to drivers of black vehicles.
What does Arrive Alive have to say on car colour?
Arrive Alive says that South African insurance companies do place more emphasis on the colour of a vehicle than their American counterparts.
Unlike Discovery’s statement, Arrive Alive says that higher insurance premiums are definitely payable for vehicles with dark or metallic paint finishes.
Practical considerations
What colour car is involved in the most accidents?
Well, according to our research that would be black or other dark colours.
Secondly, what colour is the most costly to repair?
Well again, according to our research that would be vehicles with metallic finishes.
What the experts have to say
Actuaries from South African insurance companies also believe that the colour of a vehicle definitely affects the cost of premiums payable.
They point out that statistics prove that a dark coloured vehicle is more susceptible to being involved in an accident because it is more difficult to see on the road – unlike white or other light coloured cars.
Conclusion
Well, let’s say that our conclusion is somewhat inconclusive!
Some say colour plays no part in the cost of car insurance.
Others say it definitely plays a significant role in determining insurance premiums.
But, no matter what anyone says, it is obvious that vehicles with flashy paintwork cost more to repair and that factor is something an insurance company will definitely consider when pegging premiums.
So next time you spot a gorgeous colour on the road, get a grip and remember – white is definitely right.
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All info was correct at time of publishing December 14, 2017
