Do you think we should plan something nefarious?

[BeeMused]

Well... I think we should, because we have an invisible Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

Yes, we have! Let me tell you why. In November that sprinter had 3 accidents, in December 2, and already another one this month.
Always small fender benders, broken rear lights, a dent or a scratch...
It had been parked to unload or standing at a street light.
Each time the other driver had said: "I didn't see it!"

It must be the car! It was always a different driver on a different tour! So the fleet manager, the staff mechanic and I have started thinking...

[Gilhelmi]

Did you loan it out to Wonder Woman again? That will do it every time.

What color is the Sprinter though? I know there is some interesting studies that have been done on car color vs number of accidents.

[BeeMused]

I just googled car colors and accidents, interesting! All our company cars/vans/etc are white, so that can't be the reason, I guess.

[KatherineB]

I can't see white cars! I used to drive one and everything, but I honestly don't see them. Red, blue, silver, yellow are fine. Black and grey are more of a challenge, but every single time I have turned out of my drive too soon or had a near-collision, the car has been white. My brain simply mustn't pick up on them. Anyone have an explanation for this? (Oh, and no, I'm not colour-blind. I used to be short-sighted, but I had my eyes lasered so they are better than 20-20 now, and the problem was the same before and after the operation. Very weird.)

[NecessaryCatharsis]

I used to work for a company whose whole fleet was white. Nobody could see us, it's not just you. We used to joke about the 'invisible white trucks' but it seemed true too often. Even the 10 ton cube vans, and those things are so big you would think people would want to avoid being struck by one. Nope. All the time, people pulling out in front of us, people changing into the lane that's already occupied, people stepping off the curb out in front of us, even people driving into them when they are stopped. It's definitely not just you.

[LillFilly]

Had a 2-ladies at my last job back into the work vehicle; a bright red Chevy pick-up with a flashing yellow light bar. They BOTH complained that the vehicle had been too hard for them to see and it was my fault!

[Crossbow]

Had a 2-ladies at my last job back into the work vehicle; a bright red Chevy pick-up with a flashing yellow light bar. They BOTH complained that the vehicle had been too hard for them to see and it was my fault!

THAT'S too hard to see??? Those ladies shouldn't be driving...


I've borrowed my friend's Prius (bright red), and I have to agree with her assessment that the entire nameplate renders the vehicle invisible to everyone, including cyclists and pedestrians. The lack of noise might have something to do with it, but on the highway? Sorry, not buying it.

[LoTech]

White vans seem invisible, huh? I wonder if it has anything to do with color contrast? I read somewhere that drivers consistently underestimate their own speed while driving in fog, because the brain mechanism responsible relies heavily on black-and-white vision. The fog lowers the perceived contrast, and thus lowers the perceived speed.

[greek_jester]

White vans seem invisible, huh? I wonder if it has anything to do with color contrast? I read somewhere that drivers consistently underestimate their own speed while driving in fog, because the brain mechanism responsible relies heavily on black-and-white vision. The fog lowers the perceived contrast, and thus lowers the perceived speed.

This is why I drive with my headlights on in anything other than direct sunlight. My car is a sort of bluish-grey which fades into the background otherwise.

[notalwaysright]

Huh. My parents company has all white vans, the newest one is actually the same exact type as the in the OP. They haven't had any particular issues with accidents or fender benders. But I absolutely can believe it's true. I used to drive a purple car, and I had NO idea how much more it stood out than my current nondescript grey sedan. People cut me off a lot more often now.

Back to vans, I have to say we had issues with windows. If there was glass, it's been broken multiple times. Mostly it's the guys being dorks, like turning too quickly with a metal ladder and smashing the windshield. But other times it's like the windows attract projectiles. Once they were stopped at a red light, minding their own business, when *crash* the passenger side window shatters! They look, and over in the grassy area, a yard maintenance guy was running a weed whacker, which had thrown a rock. The owner of the company was an ASS about the whole situation, (don't say it was an "unavoidable hazard") and it wasn't worth it to pursue.

[BeeMused]

Strangely enough it just that one Sprinter, all the others are of the same make and some even year.
The invisible Sprinter is back on the streets, still a few days left in January for another accident. But perhaps I've jinxed it now with posting here.