Do I Pay More to Insure My Red Car Than Another Color Car?

You’ve likely heard the rumor that if you drive a red car, your car insurance premium will be higher. Is it true?

Not at all.

The color car you drive is not a factor car insurers take into consideration when building your rate. What they do consider is:

• Your driving history
• The year, make and model of your car
• The coverage you choose
• Your age and gender
• Your credit score

Now, to clarify, if you drive a red Viper, you may pay more than if you drive a red CRV, but that’s because the Viper is a high performance vehicle. Cars that are high performance or more likely to be stolen (this is based on model, not color) tend to cost more to insure. If you’re driving a red 1994 Accord, you should be fine.

While your car insurance won’t cost more if you drive a red car, you may get more unwanted attention from the police! Red cars (and yellow cars too) are more visible, so if you’re speeding, you’re more likely to get pulled over than if you were driving a neutral colored car.

If you are considering buying a red colored car, go ahead. You will not pay more for your car insurance just for the color. It is a smart idea, however, to check the safety ratings on the vehicle you are thinking about buying. The better the safety rating, the lower your car insurance premium will be. Insurance companies find less risk that you will be involved in a serious accident and file a claim if you drive a highly rated safe vehicle.

You can easily find car safety rating information online on car review and information websites. A simple Google search for the year, make and model as well as “safety rating” should net you plenty of results.