Why ARE American School Buses Yellow?

Long-time viewers of Lost in the Pond will know that I once assumed that yellow school buses—an enduring sight on American roads—were something merely invented for the movies. But now that I know better, I just have one question: why ARE American school buses yellow?

[KristinaL]

And if you are interested in what those three horizontal black stripes are, the bottom one indicates the floor line, the middle one indicates the bottom of the seats, and the top one indicates the top of the seats. They are there in the event that there is an accident requiring rescue crews to cut the bus open to rescue those inside. They help guide those rescuers to know where it would be safe to cut.

[jolenewitzel]

Those buses stopped our parents from walking to school barefoot 10 miles uphill both ways. lol

[bearrivermama]

Thank you! My dad was a school bus driver for 35 years. Every year he would take his bus to the Dairy Queen on the last day of school and buy all his kids a dilly bar (he paid out of his own pocket) when he passed away they retired his bus number forever. We live in a small town (6000 people) and because of his long commitment to the community over 700 people came to pay their respects to a beloved bus driver. And the condolence cards surpassed a thousand. It took a very long time to send the thank you cards but it was amazing to see how many lives he touched!
I learned some things from your video that I never knew about school buses ! I can't see a bus without smiling and thinking of my dad. ❤️❤️❤️🚌❤️❤️❤️

[jeanvignes]

I have no idea what he's talking about. When I was a child, I walked to school uphill both ways through the snows of South Louisiana, accompanied by my pet alligator.

[imaof]

I was always told the bus color is called 'safety yellow', in order to make them unique and visible to other drivers on the road.

[shaunnmunn]

The cool kids ride in the very back. Tiny kids sit as close to the driver as possible to avoid bullies. At least it was that way in my neck of Hoosierland.

[thanksfernuthin]

You have to admit, after an accident you're very unlikely to hear "Sorry, officer. I didn't see the school bus."

[rev.ruthe.gallot]

I remember the first time my cousin visited here from Scotland she was surprised that yellow school buses were a real thing... and I was surprised at her thinking they were a made up Hollywood thing

[cmdrflake]

Interesting. The yellow busses are also used by Canadian school districts.

[Hal_Evergreen]

Your surprise at finding that yellow school buses are real reminds me of that time I had to convince my British friend that bluebirds are in fact real and were not invented for the sole purpose of flying in circles around injured cartoon characters' heads. Upon being shown a picture of a bluebird, she remarked that it looked like a blue robin, which led to further confusion until I remembered the difference between American and European robins.

[AdrianArmbruster]

When I lived in the UK, the fact that the 'school busses' are just random tour busses was probably the strangest of the weird minor culture shocks. The fact that other drivers were seemingly under no obligation to stop, slow, or even put any effort into avoiding any kids trying to board said busses.

[Lwize]

"We all live in a 13432 submarine, 13432 submarine, 13432 submarine."

[hgman]

I work right up the road from Thomas Built Buses (located in High Point, NC), which is one of the largest manufacturers of school buses in the country. Driving in the area, it's not uncommon to see a small convoy of brand new buses painted with the names of far-flung locales headed out for delivery.

[isaach]

First thing I notice is that you’re wearing a “school bus yellow” shirt!🤣

[maryvalentine]

I’m pretty sure that the reason that American school buses are all the same color is so that they are easily identifiable AS school buses. There are special laws about school buses for safety reasons. They’re bright yellow so everybody knows what they are, so they can expect when they see the amber and then the red lights flashing they must not pass because children are either embarking or disembarking. All traffic have to stop and wait until the school buses lights stop flashing. It’s all about making them identifiable to promote safety of the passengers.

[michaelevans]

When school buses from the US get recycled as public transportation buses in Central America. While many of them have been painted like they have been tagged by the most creative outdoor artists, some still are yellow with the school district listed on the side.

[crenee]

As an American it surprises me that the world is "fascinated" by our school buses.

[LizbetPCB]

We saw a yellow school bus parked in front of a rural school in Ireland in 2017, American style body, too. We found it so odd, my husband photographed it.

[georgeadams]

When I started school in 1949, all 5 of my school's busses were red white and blue (think Dutch flag). A year later, our 6th bus arrived, and it was yellow.

[kevinhamilton]

The yellow color of school buses is actually called "School Bus Chrome" as well as "school bus yellow".
They ARE bright yellow on purpose.. ideally because people will SEE it, even though it's sheer size MIGHT give a clue it's "different".
And yes, your British double deckers or cabs, the school buses are made to certain specs.
All of which you speak of.
The most important rule for school buses?
Drivers need to STOP when the flashing lights come on for a student pick up/drop off..both in FRONT of the bus, and a bit more obvious... BEHIND the bus.
Unfortunately each school year, some idiot will drive by or around the school bus... causing an accident!
-joe