School bus yellow
| National School Bus Glossy Yellow (AMS-STD 13432) | |
|---|---|
 Color coordinates | |
| Hex triplet | #f5a400 |
| HSV (h, s, v) | (40°, 100%, 96%) |
| sRGBB (r, g, b) | (245, 164, 0) |
| Source | AMS Standard Color Chart, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
| ISCC–NBS descriptor | Vivid yellow |
| B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) | |
School bus yellow is a color that was specifically formulated for use on school buses in North America in 1939. Originally named National School Bus Chrome, the color is now officially known in Canada and the U.S. as National School Bus Glossy Yellow. For many years, the pigment for this color was chrome yellow,[1] which contains lead.
Origin[]
In April 1939, Dr. Frank W. Cyr, a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York organized a conference that established 44 uniform national design, construction, and safety standards for school buses in America, including the exterior body color.[2] The yellow-orange color was selected because black lettering on it was most legible in semi-darkness,[2] and because it was conspicuous at a distance and unusual enough to become associated with school buses and groups of children en route.[3]
Transportation officials from each of the then-48 states; representatives from bus chassis and body manufacturers, and paint experts from DuPont and Pittsburgh Paints participated in the conference, which was funded by a $5,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.[2] The yellow-orange color, in three slight variants to allow for different paint formulations[2] was adopted by the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology) as Federal Standard No. 595a, Color 13432.
Dr. Cyr became known as the "Father of the Yellow School Bus."[3]
Outside North America[]
North American-style yellow school buses are being introduced in some parts of the United Kingdom, prompted by corporate links to the American industry, for example First Student UK, or a desire to re-brand school buses, such as West Yorkshire Metro's Mybus.[4]
A similar shade of yellow was used in Santiago, Chile's bus lines between 1992 and 2007.[citation needed]
Examples[]
- Examples of buses in school bus yellow
A typical school bus in the United States
Swedish Scania-Vabis postbus from mid-1920s
German postbus from 1925
German Reichspost parcel delivery van from mid-1920s
Nineteenth century German Reichspost mail coach for both passengers and mail
German postbus (1980s)
Swiss Saurer postbus from 1953
A First Student UK school bus painted in American school bus yellow
A Hong Kong nanny van in yellow
See also[]
- School bus (main article)
- New York City Taxi Color Regulations
- Fire engine red
- International orange
- Safety orange
- List of colors
References[]
- ^ Worobec, Mary Devine; Hogue, Cheryl (1992). Toxic Substances Controls Guide: Federal Regulation of Chemicals in the Environment. BNA Books. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-87179-752-0.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Frank Cyr obituary, Columbia University
- ^ Jump up to: a b Barron, James (February 19, 2013). "Why the School Bus Never Comes in Red or Green". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 5, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
- ^ Executive Summary – Mybus report[permanent dead link] on West Yorkshire Metro website, retrieved 2009-10-09
External links[]
- Highway Safety Program Guidelines archived from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 100 Years of the School Bus archived from STN.
- Shades of yellow
- School buses
- Standards of the United States
- 1939 introductions