After the early 1980s, the fire department bought red vehicles with white cabs.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Dallas started replacing its red fire vehicles with lime-yellow fire vehicles with white upper cabs. King were aware of these perceptual differences when they analyzed accident data from the Dallas Fire Department. Solomon, OD, an optometrist, and James G. Researchers (and volunteer firefighters) Stephen S. Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), also concluded that fluorescent colors, including yellow-green and orange, are easiest to spot in daylight. We are most sensitive to greenish-yellow colors under dim conditions, making lime shades easiest to see in low lighting. This research shows that because the color-transmitting cones in our eyes don’t work well in the dark, some colors are easier for us to see at night.
Much of what we know about human factors and ergonomics relies upon psychological studies of human visual and auditory perception. But when it comes to safety, human factors and ergonomics research paints a different picture. Picture a fire truck and you are likely to see red-fire engine red.
