The most convenient way to send your kids to school is School Bus. There are a number of school bus safety issues faced by students travelling by school vehicles. Did you ever question yourself why school buses are YELLOW in color ?

The school bus’ signature yellow color isn’t just for looks. It’s also a matter of safety. Here are the different reasons why YELLOW color is preferred for school buses.

Yellow Can Be Focused Easily:

Stop signs and stop lights are red, which leads many people to believe red is the most attention-grabbing color. In fact, yellow gets your attention faster than any other color. If  there’s fog or any kind of bad weather, drivers will still be able to see yellow cars and any moving vehicle easily.

In 1939, Dr. Frank W. Cyr organized a conference to establish standards for school buses. This included a standard yellow color for all school buses in the United States. Originally the color was known as “National School Bus Chrome.” Because of the usage of Chromium color.

As the incidence of accidents with students is on the rise, it is considered to initiate adequate measures to ensure the safety of student community. Hence, it is necessitated to prescribe a distinct color, ‘Yellow’, to differentiate the educational institution buses from other motor vehicles so as to alert the drivers of other vehicles to drive with utmost carefulness and cautiousness.

Scientists describe this as follows: “Lateral peripheral vision for detecting yellows is 1.24 times greater than for red.”

The Road and Transport Authority (RTA) summarized the benefits of these laws. As per the draft amendment released by the Department through its order 520 dated May 12, 2008, all schools and colleges should paint their vehicles in yellow colour and the inscription ‘School Bus’ or ‘College Bus’ should be painted in the front and rear top of the vehicle in bold and clearly visible letters.

All school buses in India are mandated to have an external color of Golden Yellow. This color shall be as per IS 5 -1994 (as amended from time to time)

Direction of the Supreme Court of India for School Bus:

•  “School Bus” must be written on the back and front of the Bus.
•  If it is a hired bus, “On School Duty” should be clearly indicated
•  The Bus must have a First-Aid-Box.
•  The windows of Bus must be fitted with horizontal grills.
•  There must be a Fire Extinguisher in the Bus.

It is said that yellow color is more identifiable as compared to red from a distance. The black color writing on the school bus is perfect for reading even in dim lights. The color is now known as ‘National School Bus Chrome’.