I have driven around in lots of different countries and on different continents. I might be among the first humans to drive a car on planet Mars, or somewhere in space. I have encountered lots of driving laws in different areas. The weirdest one that touched on me is that it is illegal to drive your black car in Denver, Colorado on Sundays. Got me howling with laughter this one. I mean, why black cars in particular? Why Sundays? Is black the official satanic color in Denver? In their defense, it is a very old law that is probably not being enforced. Traffic policemen would feel utterly ridiculous pulling you over for this, I imagine.
Enforcing a law that bans black cars sounds a bit extreme, right? Well, is it? Everyone should have a choice on what color of cars and underpants they want to own. It is not up to me to decide if that ban is effected or not. I am not a head of state, in fact, far from it, I harbor no such ambitions. I just happen to love black cars, a lot. I am attracted to black cars with an intensity that borders between insanity and obsession. If there was a law to ban black colors from the market, I would probably opt to walk everywhere like a caveman.
Black is a powerful color in a car, intimidating even, sleek and flashy at the same time. Black radiates an air of authority and mystery that is not exuded by other car colors. Most presidential motorcades are dominated by big black cars that make everything and everyone moves out of their way. Why then would the question of a ban on black cars even come up anywhere?
There are questions around the black car that could influence a ban:
Are black cars involved in more car crashes than any other car colors?
Various studies have shown that black cars are 50% more prone to car accidents than other colors. This statement has me a little sweaty and anxious. It takes me back to a night I almost lost my life in a “stupid” crash. I was driving home in the middle of the night after working a straight twenty-hour shift in the Emergency Room.
I was dead tired, every part of my being hurt and all I needed was to get home. Because on nights like those, everything seems to go wrong, I got on the highway and a few minutes later my headlights just shut off. The road was clear most of the way. I may have dozed off for a minute because next minute a big truck was bearing on me, loud honking and glaring lights. I do not want to talk much about the happenings of that night, but I am glad I am here to tell you, it is wiser to have a car that is more visible in the night. It is also advisable to have well-lit roads provided by all governments to reduce crash risks.
Car accidents are caused by so many factors, careless driving, drunk drivers, unmarked roads, vehicles that are not roadworthy and bad weather among so many others. It is true black cars are harder to spot in terrible weather, especially when it is too foggy. They tend to blend right in with the tarmac and the darkness. If you must drive in extreme and terrible weather, use neon reflector lighting and full lights to stay visible to motorists and pedestrians.
A ban on black cars would not have any effect on accident rates if all these other factors remain constant. Hefty fines and penalties on traffic offenses should be the way to go. Ban on driving black cars or any other color for that matter would be senseless.
Do black cars have more of a negative impact on the environment?
Yes! Black cars emit carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gases affecting humans, plants, soil and the causing pollution in so many ways. But No! This is not exclusive to black cars; all cars have potentially harmful emissions released to the environment. In 2009, black cars were to be banned in California to curb global warming. Black paint on vehicles requires more energy to cool them off, argued the California Air Resources Board (CARB). This legislation did not see the light of day. Probably looked at how ridiculous it sounds and poured a flood of water over it.
Do they think black is an evil color, it may be but that does not hold water in any legislation. The reflectivity of paint used, as opposed to the color, is what should be an issue. Reflective paints keep cars and even buildings cooler, hence are much better to use.
The funny president and black cars.
The president of Turkmenistan banned black cars in the country. All black cars were impounded. Every black car owner was required to repaint their vehicle, at their own cost. All because he doesn’t like black cars and prefers white. Wow! Of all the crazy things happening this century, this is a real howler. Dictatorship knows no boundaries, spills over right into your car preferences. I sort of like this president’s humorous way of ruling, comical dictator. Imagine having to repaint your car to a color that the president prefers? Hilarious, right? Anyway, cannot expect anything less from a country called Turkmenistan and I am glad I was not born there.
Laws affecting car colors.
I lived in India a couple of years back. Black cars were very few in the area that I lived in. My company provided a white car for me that irritated me. I do not like to blend into a crowd, not as a person and not even in my car. My attempt to repaint my car was a feeble one. Notice I said attempt. Well, that is because I never got round to repainting it. The procedure and laws around repainting a car are simply a tiresome affair. The rationale behind these laws is mainly criminal. Cars are used to commit crimes and their colors changed, making it hard to trace them.
Changing your car color must be effected from end to end, from the Vehicle Registration Authority of the country your car ownership is registered in and finally to your car logbook. If proper legal procedures are not followed in repainting your car, you could find yourself on the unpleasant side of the law. Ensure you check and double-check on the legal procedures before repainting to a different color, not just to black.
A ban on black cars would make no difference, from a legal perspective. Would probably a flex like the one the president of Turkmenistan threw on his country people. Repainting cars to different colors need all the legal requirements attached to it, no doubt. We can’t have criminals running around stealing cars, committing crimes in them and then repainting.
Three years ago, my next-door neighbor had a black car with fully tinted windows parked outside every night with two creepy looking men inside. My other very nosy neighbor was keeping vigil every night. That is how we knew there were two men inside. The nosy neighbor could take it anymore and called the police. When they showed up, we were shocked to discover that our neighbor was a high profile individual and the men in the black car were in fact, his bodyguards. At the neighborhood weekly meeting, we discussed how black cars should be banned for regular citizens and only reserved for high profile individuals. I was secretly, deep down incensed by the thought. I cannot imagine owning any other color car; I cannot imagine myself as a high profile government official either so I am just glad there is no such ban coming our way.
Should there be laws banning car colors?
In essence, the color of a car should not be that a big deal if you ask me. I travel a lot, and in the course of my travels, I have heard all sorts of traffic laws and regulations. In some countries, owning multicolored cars is a crime. No idea what is the rationale behind this. The focus should be dealt with on the safety of car models as opposed to the colors. Some car models have been declared the ultimately safest cars on the road. In 2019, the Honda Insight and the Hyundai Elektra top that list. Top of the list of the most unsafe car models is the Nissan Sentra and the Nissan Titan Crew Cab. Dangerous cars are not defined by their colors but by their models and other operational features.
As long as your driving skills are excellent, you respect the road rules, respect other motorists then your country should have no business with what color of a car you drive, right? Buy yourself that black car that you have been longing for or that you feel you deserve. You do not need to worry that a ban on the blackies will take effect in your country. That remains a big debate, and it will remain thus for a long time to come.
