Ever wonder why school buses are yellow in America? Here's real explanation

Why yellow specifically

Yellow is the most noticeable color to the human eye in low visibility conditions such as fog, rain, or dusk. This reduces the risk that other drivers will overlook a bus that is stopping to pick up or drop off children.

"By the way, in Ukraine, school buses are also required to be yellow," Haidamakha emphasized.

In addition to their color, American school buses are equipped with retractable STOP signs, flashing red lights, elevated floors, reinforced frames, and a mandatory requirement for vehicles in both directions to stop when children are boarding or exiting.

This is strictly regulated at the federal level and is considered part of the national safety culture.

Do American standards make sense for Ukraine?
According to the expert, Ukraine already has a state standard for school buses that outlines basic requirements: yellow color, the inscription "School," speed limits, additional mirrors, seat belts, and signal lights.

"In the context of martial law and increased risks, it's important not only to maintain basic standards but also to strengthen them. For example, implementing flashing signals with mandatory alerts to other drivers, GPS tracking, surveillance cameras, and parent notifications," the specialist emphasized.

Driver training and communication with communities are also essential, as even the most modern bus doesn't guarantee safety if road users don't follow the rules.

Moreover, the current national standard lacks provisions for modern safety systems or passenger comfort, such as automatic braking, lane-keeping assistance, blind spot detection, ventilation, heating, air conditioning, and multimedia systems.

"When someone buys a car for personal use, features like air conditioning, airbags, and electronic assistance systems are standard. That's why it would make sense for new school bus standards to include or at least note the presence of safety systems," Haidamakha said.

Among the most important features, the expert lists:

• active safety systems (lane keeping, automatic braking, blind spot monitoring)
• automatic fire suppression in the engine compartment
• GPS monitoring so parents and local authorities can see the bus's real-time location
• consideration of routes to the nearest shelters and an alert system in case of air raid sirens, since Ukrainian children often have to travel under constant threat

It's also important for the new standards to consider comfort and inclusivity: comfortable seating, proper ventilation and heating, multimedia systems, and lifts for children with disabilities.

"The current standard says almost nothing about these aspects, and there are no checks for comfort levels at all," the expert said.

In addition to safety and comfort, environmental concerns must also be considered. Ukraine is moving toward the European Green Deal, and the new standard should encourage a transition to energy-efficient or electric buses.

"The government is actively supporting the procurement of school transport. This is a right and timely step. But it's important not only to renew the fleet, but also to rethink what we're buying. Updates must happen in parallel in both equipment and standards," Haidamakha emphasized.