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Why do school buses look orange?

The yellow-orange color was selected because black lettering on it was most legible in semi-darkness, and because it was conspicuous at a distance and unusual enough to become associated with school buses and groups of children en route.



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If you live in the United States, the color of most school buses is not a pure yellow (like the color of lemons). It's not the same color as an orange either. The color of a school bus is yellow-orange. This color is a mixture of lemon yellow and orange ...

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Scientists have found that people are able to see yellow objects in their peripheral field 1.24 times better than red. Unlike red, yellow is also more easily noticed in a dark environment. This is one of the major reasons school bus yellow was chosen.

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Back in 1992, The New York Times reported on a study in North Carolina that found that school buses with white tops were roughly 10 degrees cooler inside on summer days than those with yellow tops. During the hottest hours, the contrast could rise to 17 degrees.

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The color of a school bus is yellow-orange. This color is a mixture of lemon yellow and orange ...

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On the outside, school buses haven't changed much in almost 100 years, and there's a reason for that. A 1939 conference determined the yellow color, black text, and boxy shape that have come to symbolize the iconic childhood transport.

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A 1939 school bus seen in a museum display. Its orange color predates the adoption of school bus yellow.

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By law, school buses must travel “at a safe rate of speed, consistent with the volume of traffic, intersections, curves, railway crossings and any other condition requiring special caution.” The law sets the maximum speed for school buses at 50 mph on divided, limited access highways and 40 mph on all other highways, “ ...

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Albert Luce, Sr., built his first bus in 1925 by mounting a purchased wood body to a Ford truck frame. The body could not withstand the Georgia roads. Luce, convinced he could make a better bus, applied a steel framework under the wood body. His success led him to make school buses full time.

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In fact, the color is now officially known as “national school bus glossy yellow. While federal law does not require all school buses to follow this practice, the national highway traffic safety administration does list it among its recommendations.

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School bus yellow is a color that was specifically formulated for use on school buses in North America in 1939. Originally officially named National School Bus Chrome, the color is now officially known in Canada and the U.S. as National School Bus Glossy Yellow.

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Today, the color is known as “National School Bus Glossy Yellow,” as explained by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. According to scientific research from the Color Matters website, the color yellow gets your attention more than any other color.

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More specifically, white panels reflect the rays of the summer sun, thus keeping the vehicles cooler.

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