Why school buses are painted yellow

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The yellow school bus plays an iconic role in the back-to-school season, but the bright hue is more than tradition.

With 26 million students riding buses across the U.S. each day, school transportation is considered the country's largest public transit system. Most school buses are painted a familiar bright yellow. The color helps improve safety and recognition to protect student passengers.

Frank Cyr is known as the "Father of the Yellow School Bus," although he always believed his standardized color was more of an orange. Cyr was a professor at Columbia University who brought together school bus manufacturers and transportation officials across 48 states for a national safety conference. The conference established national school bus standards, including paintin