Yellow taxis have fewer accidents than blue taxis because yellow is more visible than blue

Yellow taxis have fewer accidents than blue taxis because yellow is more visible than blue -- A Research Article

Teck-Hua Ho dprhoth@nus.edu.sg, Juin Kuan Chong, and Xiaoyu Xia 

Edited by George A. Akerlof, University of California, Berkeley, CA, and approved January 31, 2017 (received for review August 3, 2016)

March 6, 2017

114 (12) 3074-3078

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1612551114

*Conclusion*

In the early 20th century the color yellow was chosen because of its noticeability, and it is that very noticeability that makes yellow taxis not only easier to see but also safer to ride in than blue taxis. Because yellow is an uncommon color for private cars, it is likely that results similar to those discussed here would also be observed if taxis of other colors were changed to yellow. This will not only reduce the number of accidents that take place but will also reduce the associated loss in economic activity. It could turn out that a simple commercial decision made by the Chicago Yellow Cab company more than a century ago has an inadvertent, positively impactful economic and potentially life-saving outcome that we can adopt and expand on, starting today.