Study finds lime yellow apparatus are involved in fewer accidents than red apparatus
“Even when flashing lights and sirens were used…red and red/white fire apparatus were involved in three times the number of accidents than were lime yellow apparatus,” concluded Dr. Stephen S. Solomon, O.D., and James G. King, authors of the study “Influence of Color on Fire Vehicle Accidents.” Moreover, the study revealed that “there were more injuries and a greater level of vehicle damage in red and red/white accidents” and “there is evidence that the likelihood of tow-away or injury damage was less in accidents involving a lime-yellow/white fire pumper.” One of the reasons cited for these findings was that the “superior visibility” of the lime-yellow color makes civilian drivers aware of the fire pumper`s presence earlier. The study was published in the National Safety Council`s Journal of Safety Research (1995, Vol.26, No.1, pp. 41-48).
The objective of the study was to determine the effect of vehicle color on fire vehicle accidents. Study data were provided by the Dallas (TX) Fire Department and motor-vehicle accident report forms filed with the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas Department of Transportation, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. The data was for the period from October 1, 1984, through September 30, 1988. The city of Dallas had purchased fire vehicles with lime-yellow body paint and white upper cab paint during the 1970s until the early 1980s, when it switched to red body paint with white upper cab paint.
Multiple-vehicle and single-vehicle accidents were counted if the dynamics involved visibility between at least one civilian vehicle and a pumper. Accidents in which pumper visibility was judged not to be a factor were not counted. The study excluded aerial trucks, ambulances, and chiefs` vehicles. All pumpers in the study were equipped with emergency lights and sirens.
Restricting the study to a single city minimized the effects of confounding variables but constricted the number of accidents, the authors note. They recommend that broader-based future studies and research on the effects of vehicle color on the remainder of the fire fleet and highway vehicles in general be done in the future.
Solomon, a practicing optometrist and a consultant in the areas of color and safety, is a 36-year volunteer firefighter and holds the rank of commissioner. King is senior engineer/manager at Loral Federal Systems Company. A reprint of the article may be obtained from the National Safety Council at (800) 621-7615.
