Contrary to myths circulating in the insurance industry, red cars are not more or less expensive to insure than any other coloured vehicle. However, there are other factors that contribute to the price of your insurance premium. Car model and make, the driver’s age, gender, marital status, and even claim and driving history.
There are a number of reasons why people believe that insurance is higher for a red car. Keep reading to debunk the myth of red cars.
How The Myth Around Red Cars Came About
According to urban beliefs, one of the reasons red cars are believed to be more expensive to insure is because of the bright distracting colour. The bright car will distract other drivers on the road, therefore increasing the chance of an accident and making it the worst colour car for accidents. This is, however, not true, nor backed by any study.
We have also all seen the famously fast red cars, that shine brightly and represent speed. Therefore, it is thought that drivers who pick a red car have a higher chance of speeding and driving recklessly. The myth around having a red car is just a stereotype for those who like red cars.
Insurance companies analyse the factors that increase the risk of an accident, then set your insurance premium at an amount they feel compensates for the risk you bear. But even though they use the same factors to assess each driver, the calculations will still differ.
This is why it’s essential to compare auto insurance prices beforehand.
Are Red Cars More Likely To Get Pulled Over?
This links back to the reasons why red cars are believed to be more expensive to insure. The bright red of the car is said to attract attention. In this case, the attention of the police officer when pulling you over. But this is also a myth. The police look at what drivers are doing in the car before pulling them over.
Some say the type of car and model can be seen as a stereotype when police pull vehicles over. For example, if the police are looking for hidden objects, they might be more inclined to pull over trucks rather than smaller cars. So, there may be some occasional truth to the idea that they’ll pull over a red car just for its colour.
Factors That Do Influence The Price of Your Insurance
Calculating insurance premiums is a lot more complicated than just the colour of your car. Here are some factors that will act against you or in your favour when receiving an insurance quote.
It is important to remember that the insurance company is taking a risk by insuring you. The rate of your insurance premium is dependent on how high of a risk you are, or the likelihood you’ll be in an accident and claim for damages or losses.
Location
Location, or more specifically your postal code will influence your insurance rate. Cars and drivers situated in more densely populated areas are perceived as a higher risk. This is because there are more cars on the road that run the risk of causing an accident.
Gender
According to studies and crash statistics, males are perceived as a higher threat than women on the roads. More accidents are caused by men, therefore more insurance claims come from men. But by the time males reach over 30 years of age, their insurance premiums should show a slight decrease.
Marital Status
According to insurance companies, married couples claim from their auto insurance less than single individuals. To get even more out of being married, couples can ask for a discount when merging their insurance policies.
Age
The rule of thumb here is, the younger the driver, the more expensive their premiums. As younger drivers have less experience on the road, they are perceived as more of a risk than older drivers. But don’t worry. After the driver passes 25, the insurance premium should be lowered, as well as less excess needed to be paid when claiming.
Driving History
This is one of the most important factors the insurance company will look at when drawing up a quote. Having been in multiple past accidents and claiming for them increases your monthly payments.
Unfortunately, this Is already proof to the insurance company that you may be considered a liability. To compensate for the higher risk they take on, they will make your insurance premium more expensive.
Credit Record
According to insurance companies, those who have trouble paying their debts and therefore have a low credit rating often claim more from their insurance. This suggests that the lower your credit score, the more expensive your monthly insurance payments will be.
Previous insurance plans
Studies show that always having insurance and an indefinite policy will help to lower your insurance premium in time. This is because the chance of those getting involved in a car accident is lower for individuals who have always been under protection.
Staying with the same insurance company can also work in your favour. Some companies will give you a reduction in your monthly payments once you’ve been insured with them for multiple years.
Car model
While the colour is not important, the model and make of your car is. Certain factors surrounding the type of car will weigh differently when it comes to repairing or replacing the car.
There are factors that will make a specific car more expensive to insure. Such as the cost of repairs, price of the purchase, cost of services, theft and break-ins, safety tests, and even how the car will be used.
For example, if the car is to be used for delivering pizza, the mileage will be greater than someone who uses their car to drive 5 minutes to work and back each day. This makes the monthly rates more expensive for vehicles for commercial use.
Getting to the Bottom of it: Is Insurance Higher on Red Cars?
Contrary to what myths and beliefs linger, it is not more expensive to insure a red colour car, nor is it more likely to get in a car accident or be pulled over by the police while driving a red car.
There are, however, many other factors that affect your insurance premium like location, age, gender, credit history, and even past insurance plans.
