No, it doesn’t cost more to insure your car if it’s red

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Prices at the pump might be down, but Floridians are still paying more than most drivers to insure their cars.

According to Bankrate, Floridians are paying an average yearly premium of nearly $3,000, or more than 4% of their yearly income. The national average, in contrast, is only 2.57% of a person's income, according to the financial website.

But is the color of your car costing you even more?

A viewer asked our VERIFY team if the color of your car plays a factor in how much you’ll pay to insure it.

THE QUESTION

Does it cost more to insure a red car?

OUR SOURCES

• The Insurance Information Institute
• Mark Jenkins, spokesperson AAA Florida

THE ANSWER

No, the color of your car does not factor into how much you’ll pay for insurance.

WHAT WE FOUND

With names like "race red" and "screaming orange," cars in brighter colors have long been thought of as being cop magnets.

It’s one of the many myths around car colors, like that red cars are more expensive to insure.

But according to the Insurance Information Institute, the color of your car has no impact on your insurance.

Similarly, AAA Florida spokesperson Mark Jenkins said car color simply does not factor into insurance cost.

“I’ve heard of it in the past and often thought that,” Jenkins told 10 Tampa Bay. “But AAA has never seen a rate plan with vehicle color as a rating element, whether that be in Florida or any other state.”

There are several factors that determine what you pay to insure your vehicle, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

• Make and model
• Vehicle age
• What you paid for it
• Cost to repair

But beyond the car itself, there are several other factors that play into the price of insurance.

• Your driving record
• Your age
• Where you live
• Where you most drive the car