School buses are painted a highly specific shade known as 'National School Bus Glossy Yellow' because the human eye notices the color yellow faster than any other color on the spectrum.

A closer look

School buses are painted a highly specific shade known as 'National School Bus Glossy Yellow' because the human eye notices the color yellow faster than any other color on the spectrum. In 1939, transportation officials held a conference to standardize the completely chaotic fleet of student vehicles, choosing this exact pigment because it contrasts perfectly with black lettering and is highly visible in the dim light of early morning hours. This scientific choice ensures that tired, distracted commuters have a higher chance of hitting the brakes before rear-ending a vehicle packed with thirty screaming children. It’s slightly depressing to think that the only thing keeping our youth safe from the absolute terror of morning rush hour traffic is a specific shade of high-gloss paint that aggressively triggers the human brain's peripheral vision