wales@ucla-cs.UUCP (08/22/85)
I would like to know whether properly adjusted "fog" or "auxiliary" lights are legal on the road throughout North America. (For the sake of brevity, I will use the term "auxiliary lights" throughout this article -- sidestepping the question of whether the lights are white or yellow, or whether they are being used in clear weather or in fog.) As far as I have been able to determine, auxiliary lights (either white or yellow) are legal for regular on-road use in California -- which is where I live -- as long as they are properly aimed and are used together with the regular headlights (low-beam only). Auxiliary lights in Cali- fornia do not have to be covered or otherwise disabled when not in use. Proper aiming of auxiliary lights in California, as I recall, requires a minimum 4-inch drop in the level of the beam when measured 25 feet in front of the car. (In terms of angles, this comes out to a little more than 45 minutes of arc.) Are there any American states or Canadian provinces with laws on auxil- iary lights that are more restrictive than the above summary of the California rules? In particular, is there anywhere in the US or Canada where I would be breaking the law by using my auxiliaries in the city, or by not covering the lights under certain conditions? I hope this article will NOT serve as a springboard for generalized flames against auxiliary lights. If it makes you feel any better, I can't stand being blinded by improperly adjusted lights any more than you do. So there! :-} Please mail replies to me, and I will summarize to the net. -- Rich Wales // UCLA Computer Science Department // +1 213-825-5683 3531 Boelter Hall // Los Angeles, California 90024 // USA ARPA: wales@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU -or- wales@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA UUCP: ...!(ucbvax,ihnp4)!ucla-cs!wales