Broken Bridges, The Enduring Legacy Of The School Bus And A Solar Eclipse In This Week's Beyond Cars Roundup

School District of Philadelphia buses parked in a lot while public schools remain temporarily closed for in-person learning in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022.Photo: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg (Getty Images)

While car design has changed radically over the decades, school buses look almost the same as they did nearly 100 years ago. Sure, they now carry more safety tech, but the big yellow bus with the bulbous front end has endured since 1939. It turns out, it’s not lack of imagination or nostalgia that have kept school buses constant, but standardized guidelines that have proven incredibly effective in keeping American children safe. As a result, school buses are one of the safest vehicles on the road. The standardized guidelines that require school buses to be painted in their classic yellow and black theme, have big flashing lights, and fold-out stop signs have made school buses immediately recognizable to everyone on the road, and drivers know to drive carefully around big yellow people movers. – Logan Carter Read More