Have you ever wondered why the taxis in New York City are specifically yellow?
Well, there is an interesting story behind this that takes us back to the 1960s.
At that time, the city of New York passed a law making yellow the official color for all licensed taxis.
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The story behind the yellow color of taxis in New York City
This rule should make it easier for people to distinguish legal taxis from illegal taxis.
However, the roots of the history of yellow taxis go back much further.
The story goes even further back to 1915, when John Hertz, founder of the Yellow Cab Company, decided to paint his taxis yellow.
But why the yellow color? That’s because his decision was based on a study from a local university that found that yellow, especially with a hint of red, is the most visible color from a distance.
Hertz’s idea worked and soon yellow taxis became a common sight in cities like Chicago and New York.
It’s certainly fascinating how simple colors can sometimes have a fascinating backstory.
Similar to the yellow cabs, the history of the yellow Ferraris is also interesting.
More stories about the iconic yellow colour
Another key figure in this context was Albert Rockwell, who founded the Yellow Taxicab Company in New York in 1912.
Similar to John Hertz, the reason for choosing the light color was simple: it was the easiest to recognize.
Some stories suggest that yellow’s connection to transportation goes back even further: 15th-century Italian postal vehicles were among the first to use the color.
Today, strict regulations apply in New York: taxis must be painted in a certain shade of yellow – Dupont M6284.
It’s fascinating how deeply ingrained traffic rules can be, be it the iconic yellow colour for taxis or why Brits drive on the left side of the road while Americans drive on the right.
