Why Choose Yellow for Rubber Speed Humps?

When they think about speed humps, people will often think of moulded rubber models with visual identifiers. This can be reflective surfaces for low light conditions to make the speed hump more visible and this could also include the colour. However, rubber speed humps can be made in a wide variety of colours and yet yellow is the most popular choice. Let’s take a closer look at why yellow is such as popular safety related colour.

Why is Yellow so Useful?

We will examine how yellow came to be used for road safety below, but let’s first look at the properties of yellow for safety. How our brains and eyes perceive and interpret stimuli has a massive effect on its importance to us. When any light hits an object, that object will to a greater or lesser extent absorb some of that light. However, some of the light will be reflected, and this is the light that enters our eyes and then our receptors. These receptors are also known as cones, and they send signals to our brains whenever they become excited by light. Differing light wavelengths stimulate the cones in a variety of ways, the colours red and green are extremely sensitive to light input. The colour yellow excited both of these cones at once, and even colour blind people can see yellow. When yellow is used in a safety related application, it enhances visibility during the day and night, and this makes it a perfect choice.

Yellow Indicates Hazards

Throughout our civilised environments, yellow is commonly associated with potential hazards that you would want to avoid. For this reason, yellow is well known as a safety colour that used in signs, road markings and on speed humps. However, this was not always the case, and its use has been a fairly recent development. Historically yellow was regarded as a cheerful colour that epitomised energy and youthful vigour. The colour yellow is well known to inspire creative thinking, and it can stimulate the learning centres of the brain. So, how did it become synonymous with safety on our roads and in other related applications?

The History of Yellow in Road Safety

It was during the early 20th century when the colour yellow began to be considered for its extremely useful high visibility properties. Yellow can be seen from very far away. Early automobiles were travelling at increasingly faster speeds, and safety measures were urgently needed. For this reason, yellow became the standard colour for road signs and in other high visibility road related applications, such as taxi cabs, emergency vehicles, and school buses.

The Standard Safety Colour

Throughout the world, yellow warning signs and signals are now used to prevent accidents on roads. In Australia, the SAA Industry Safety Colour Code has assigned the colour yellow as the standard colour to indicate a place where more caution should be observed. It's also used as the colour to indicate where there could be elevated levels of radiation hazards.

If you’re in the market for rubber speed humps, Image Bollards can help. Our sales team is standing by to discuss your needs in detail, and they will be happy to offer their expert advice.

Supply and install high quality security bollards around Australia, we supply wide range of bollards including steel bollards, removable, along with rubber wheel stops.