Those black stripes are there to help protect the children in the event of a collision. They are known as “rub rails” and they also stop a car that hits the side of the bus from harming the entire side of the vehicle.
What are the black rails on a school bus?
The three black rails that run along the sides and back of the bus are called rub rails. Each bus has them and here’s why. First, they’re an extra layer of protection for the thin walls of a school bus. They’ll absorb the force of a collision and a car from caving in the whole side of a bus.
Why do school buses have black hoods?
Hoods painted flat black help to reduce glare. They’re especially helpful this time of year as the sun stays lower in the sky.
What do the lights on a school bus mean?
According to the California law (CVC 22454), motorists must remain stopped as long as the red lights on the school bus are flashing. … Some school buses flash yellow lights when preparing to stop to let children off the bus. The yellow lights are a warning to driver to slow down and prepare to stop.
What is the bar in front of a school bus for?
A school bus crossing arm is a safety device intended to protect children from being struck while crossing in front of a school bus.
Why do school busses not have seatbelts?
The simple answer is that they don’t need them. In a cost/benefit analysis, the cost of adding seat belts to school buses outweighs any potential benefits, according to NHTSA studies. Modern school buses are large and heavy, and their passengers sit high off the ground. … School buses are designed to be safe.
Why do school buses have white roofs?
According to this nearly 20-year-old New York Times article, the reason is that white tops are more reflective, lowering the temperature inside the bus by an average of 10 degrees during the summer. …
What color were school buses before they were yellow?
It’s also a matter of safety. Federal law in the United States requires that, in addition to flashing lights and safety devices, school buses must be painted “school bus yellow.” Before the standard school bus yellow color was developed, school buses were a pure yellow, closer to the color of a lemon.
What is the white light on top of school buses?
The purpose of equipping buses with roof mount strobe lights is to alert motorists that a school bus is in the vicinity. This may be especially helpful in severe weather conditions, such as rain, fog, smog, and snow, where the vision of approaching motorists is more obscured.
Why the school buses are yellow?
Since the lateral peripheral vision of yellow is 1.24 times greater than the red colour, it is more visible than the red itself. … That’s why the school bus is painted yellow to lessen the possibility of an accident for the bus filled with children on the highway.
What are the lights on a school bus called?
The two amber lights on both the front and the rear of each school bus are Warning Lights used just before the bus comes to a stop to load or unload children. The driver activates the amber lights in rural areas a distance of 500 feet from the stop. In urban areas, amber lights are activated 200 feet from the stop.
What happens when a school bus is preparing to stop?
When a school bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children, the driver of the bus will activate flashing yellow lights. When these flashing yellow lights are activated, all drivers approaching the school bus should slow down and be prepared to stop.
Can you go around a school bus with yellow flashing lights?
If you see flashing yellow lights, that means the school bus is about to stop. … If you’re going the opposite direction, though, passing a school bus with flashing yellow lights is okay. If you see flashing red lights, that means the bus has stopped and is loading or unloading students.
When was the yellow school bus invented?
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.