Andy-
Sorry - I did not note that you where from the UK. Based on my observations
here in the US, it seems that only those cars from Europe have decent head
lamps. If US cars had lights similar to those offered on your side of the
pond, the market for auxillary lights would be much smaller in the US. It
is yet another area that the US is, IMHO, hopelessly behind in technology
(like radio, and telephone technology). The difference is that with radio
and telephones, it is our government working to protect business interests
of the US companies that have huge investments in older technology, while
with cars, it's our government out to protect us from ourselves.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-mgs@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-mgs@autox.team.net]On
> Behalf Of Andrew Errington
> Sent: Monday, August 24, 1998 12:10 PM
> To: mgs@autox.team.net
> Subject: RE: Better lights or just slow down ?
>
>
> Hi,
>
> I was thinking of the UK regulations, which specify the allowable
> positioning of auxilliary lamps (and state that you can have no
> more than 4
> aux. lamps, which means a pair of fogs and a pair of spots).
>
> Fog lamps must be wired into the sidelight circuit so they may only be
> turned on when the sidelights are on, and driving lamps (spot
> lamps) must be
> wired into the main beam circuit (so they go off when you dip your
> headlamps).
>
> Of course anyone can wire their lamps any way they like, and it
> is unlikely
> that they will get stopped for it. What annoys me is people
> driving around
> during normal visibility day or night with these incredibly bright aux.
> lamps on. They are blinding when they come toward you, or if they are
> behind you on the motorway or whatever. Similary the rear fog
> lights (high
> intensity red) are painfully bright if you happen to be following someone
> who has them turned on. They are *excellent* in fog (have you noticed how
> easily normal rear lights disappear in mist or fog), but they *hurt* when
> the weather is clear. Sitting behind someone like that with your
> own lights
> on main beam doesn't usually get the message across as the person in front
> is usually an idiot who doesn't realise what all the switches in
> his car do.
>
> </rant>
>
> Andy
>
>
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