norskog@fortune.UUCP (Lance Norskog) (02/14/84)
In France, all the cars have yellow headlights for low beams, and
white lights for highbeams. I wondered about this, until I looked
at a line of about 10 cars and noticed that the yellow lights didn't blind
me the way white lights do. I think this should be adopted
here in the States.
Lance C. Norskog
Fortune Systems, 101 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood City, CA
{cbosgd,hpda,harpo,sri-unix,amd70,decvax!ihnp4,allegra}!fortune!norskoghrs@houxb.UUCP (H.SILBIGER) (02/15/84)
In France, both high and low beams are yellow. This is based on the assumption that the eye is more sensitive to yellow, and also that there is less scattering in fog with yellow. For that reason fog lights are often yellow. Studies have found that the loss of light output due to the yellow filtering actually produces poorer vision with the yellow light. with the yellow light. The French are continung to use yellow 1) to show they are different, and 2) to identify non-French cars in France, at which they can then flash their high beams.
julian@deepthot.UUCP (Julian Davies) (02/16/84)
France has unusual rules in that respect (yellow for dipped). In the UK, the law is fog lamps may be yellow but ordinary lights must not be. The reason for yellow is actually that long-wavelength yellow light is less scattered in mist and fog, so they work better. but fog lamps (real ones, mounted very low) should NEVER be used outside fog because they too easily glare oncoming drivers at a small bump in the road. They are low and not angled down, and sneak under the fog/mist a bit. My flame about headlamps is people who let them get dirty, so they blind you whether or not they are dipped.