Why in the U.S. are cabs usually yellow and fire-trucks usually red?

Question

Wouldn't you rather have it the other way around as yellow is easier to spot than red for emergencies?

Answer 1

i think it is because they are colors that catch your attention.. for cabs its a marketing tactic.. and for firetrucks its a saftey issue

Answer 2

look at road signs, yellow is yield, cabs pull to the side of the road all the time to pick up people so it is the color you associate with yielding and hazards. Red is the color of stop lights and signs, so when you see a fire truck you look up to see if the lights are going right and you pull over and stop if they are it is all about how you associate the colors

Answer 3

Because everytime you see a yellow car you have to punch someone so i guess if you were in i fire and you saw a yellow fire truck it s not really smart to punch sumone whereas its perfectly fine to punch someone everytime you see a taxi :P

Answer 4

red is for hot or heat i guess... yellow so that taxis are visible at night... so red is more associated for emergencies of course