You’ve probably heard that red cars get more speeding tickets, and that they cost more to insure. Contrary to popular belief, neither of these oft-quoted arguments against going red are true.

However, according to a new study, there is one legitimately good reason to chose a blander car color. Apparently red cars attract more bird poop than their differently shaded counterparts.

Researchers in Britain tracked what vehicles had been bombarded with aerial droppings in five major cities. Red was first with 18%, followed by blue (14%), black (11%), white (7%) grey (3%) and green (1%).

One theory as to why birds release their bowels over red cars is that the color makes them feel threatened. Another is that birds are more likely to poop on shiny cars that they can see their reflection in, and folks with red cars are more likely to keep them buffed.

Whatever the reason, it’s something to consider when choosing a car color. It’s also something to think about when choosing a shirt or a hat.

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