The Guwahati Traffic Police have announced that the officers’ uniforms will become white again. After 8 years of wearing different shades of blue, they are returning to the color they have traditionally always worn. And Guwahati is not the only city in India where officers on the street wear white. They have their reasons for that. But it also has a downside.
From blue to white for visibility
According to the police, the decision was made after extensive research and input from officers, safety experts and citizens. The current navy blue and sky-blue clothing would not stand out enough and moreover they would resemble private security guards, which would be bad for their authority. In addition, white provides a neat, professional and neutral appearance. This is not just an idea or opinion, but also supported by various studies on the psychological influence of color.
The choice for white uniforms is therefore smart when you want to stand out and come across as neat, but the traffic officers themselves have mixed feelings. On the one hand, they associate their work with the white clothing, they have always been used to it and the current blue uniforms rather feel like “an interlude.” On the other hand, it is very difficult to keep the clothing clean and neat. The combination of rain, sand and mud on the roads is very inconvenient when you wear white. And cleaning costs a lot of money and time.
Despite the practical objections, traffic officers in India still regularly wear white uniforms. This is not only related to visibility and representativeness, but the climate also plays an important role. White reflects sunlight and absorbs less heat than dark fabrics do.
White police officers in India
Cultural history also plays an important role. For example, the traffic police in Kolkata, the capital of the state of West Bengal in India, wear white uniforms because they have always done so since their founding in 1845. At that time the police were established under British colonial rule who were inspired by the military traditions in England. There, white stood for cleanliness and formality.
Although some cities quickly switched to khaki uniforms due to pollution, Kolkata stuck to the white suits. The symbol of authority, the visibility and the comfort in hot periods weighed more heavily than the fact that they quickly became dirty. Even when India became independent in 1947, the uniforms were not changed.
Today, the white uniforms of the traffic police in Kolkata have gained another additional advantage. Because the West Bengal state police wear khaki colors, it is easier for citizens to distinguish between the two. This makes it easier for them to address the right police when they need them.
Add to this that a study has shown that dark colors can provoke aggression (although this is context dependent) and you realize that white may not be very practical in terms of cleaning, but it certainly has a lot of advantages.
