Yellow fog lights! What do you think

[Laney760]

I could be wrong but it says on many different sources on the net that yellow fog lamps are legal

This is the relevant RTA section:

Colour of light shown by lamps and reflectors

11.—(1) No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp which is capable of showing a red light to the front, except–

(a)a red and white chequered domed lamp, or a red and white segmented mast-mounted warning beacon, fitted to a fire service control vehicle and intended for use at the scene of an emergency; .
(b)a side marker lamp or a side retro reflector; .
(c)retro reflective material or a retro reflector designed primarily to reflect light to one or both sides of the vehicle and attached to or incorporated in any wheel or tyre of– .
(i)a pedal cycle and any sidecar attached to it; .
(ii)a solo motor bicycle or a motor bicycle combination; or .
(iii)an invalid carriage; or .
(d)a traffic sign. .

(2) No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp which is capable of showing any light to the rear, other than a red light, except–

(a)amber light from a direction indicator or side marker lamp; .
(b)white light from a reversing lamp; .
(c)white light from a work lamp; .
(d)light to illuminate the interior of a vehicle; .
(e)light from an illuminated rear registration plate; .
(f)light for the purposes of illuminating a taxi meter; .
(g)in the case of a bus, light for the purposes of illuminating a route indicator; .
(h)blue light and white light from a chequered domed lamp fitted to a police control vehicle and intended for use at the scene of an emergency; .
(i)white light from a red and white chequered domed lamp, or a red and white segmented mast-mounted warning beacon, fitted to a fire service control vehicle and intended for use at the scene of an emergency; .
(j)green light and white light from a chequered domed lamp fitted to an ambulance control vehicle and intended for use at the scene of an emergency; .
(k)blue light from a warning beacon or rear special warning lamp fitted to an emergency vehicle, or from any device fitted to a vehicle used for police purposes; .
(l)amber light from a warning beacon fitted to– .
(i)a road clearance vehicle; .
(ii)a vehicle constructed or adapted for the purpose of collecting refuse; .
(iii)a breakdown vehicle; .
(iv)a vehicle having a maximum speed not exceeding 25 mph or any trailer drawn by such a vehicle; .
(v)a vehicle having an overall width (including any load) exceeding 2.9 m; .
(vi)a vehicle used for the purposes of testing, maintaining, improving, cleansing or watering roads or for any purpose incidental to any such use; .
(vii)a vehicle used for the purpose of inspecting, cleansing, maintaining, adjusting, renewing or installing any apparatus which is in, on, under or over a road, or for any purpose incidental to any such use; .
(viii)a vehicle used for or in connection with any purpose for which it is authorised to be used on roads by an order under section 44 of the Act; .
(ix)a vehicle used for escort purposes when travelling at a speed not exceeding 25 mph; .
(x)a vehicle used by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise for the purpose of testing fuels; .
(xi)a vehicle used for the purpose of surveying; .
(xii)a vehicle used for the removal or immobilisation of vehicles in exercise of a statutory power or duty; .
(m)green light from a warning beacon fitted to a vehicle used by a medical practitioner registered by the General Medical Council (whether with full, provisional or limited registration); .
(n)yellow light from a warning beacon fitted to a vehicle for use at airports; .
(o)light of any colour from a traffic sign which is attached to a vehicle; .
(p)reflected light from amber pedal retro reflectors; .
(q)reflected light of any colour from retro reflective material or a retro reflector designed primarily to reflect light to one or both sides of the vehicle and attached to or incorporated in any wheel or tyre of– .
(i)a pedal cycle and any sidecar attached to it; .
(ii)a solo motor bicycle or motor bicycle combination; or .
(iii)an invalid carriage; .
(r)reflected light from amber retro reflective material on a road clearance vehicle; .
(s)reflected light from yellow retro reflective registration plates; .
(t)reflected light from yellow retro reflective material incorporated in a rear marking of a type specified in Part I Section B of Schedule 19 and fitted to– .
(i)a motor vehicle having a maximum gross weight exceeding 7500 kg; .
(ii)a motor vehicle first used before 1st August 1982 having an unladen weight exceeding 3000 kg; .
(iii)a trailer having a maximum gross weight exceeding 3500 kg; .
(iv)a trailer manufactured before 1st August 1982 having an unladen weight exceeding 1000 kg; .
(v)a trailer which forms part of a combination of vehicles one of which is of a type mentioned in a previous item of this sub-paragraph; .
(vi)a load carried by any vehicle; or .
(u)reflected light from orange retro reflective material incorporated in a sign fitted to the rear of a vehicle carrying a dangerous substance within the meaning of the Dangerous Substances (Conveyance by Road in Road Tankers and Tank Containers) Regulations 1981(1) or the Road Traffic (Carriage of Dangerous Substances in Packages etc) Regulations 1986(2) .



(1)

S.I. 1981/1059, to which there is no relevant amendment. .

(2)

S.I. 1986/1951. ...elevant RTA section:

[FossilFish]

Yes I agree, Section 7 says both white and yellow also here comes the science bit http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...ght_color.html

here is the The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989:

“Front fog lamp” - "A lamp used to improve the illumination of the road in front of a motor vehicle in conditions of seriously reduced visibility."

And from SCHEDULE 6 - requirements relating to optional front fog lamps (Regulation 20):

1. Number–

(a) Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (b):

No requirement


(b) A motor vehicle, other than a motor bicycle or motor bicycle combination, first used on or after 1st April 1991:

Not more than two


2. Position–

(a) Longitudinal:

No requirement


(b) Lateral–

(i)Where a pair of front fog lamps is used in conditions of seriously reduced visibility in place of the obligatory dipped beam headlamps–

Maximum distance from side of vehicle:
400 mm
(ii)in all other cases:

No requirement


(c) Vertical–

(i)Maximum height above the ground–

(A)Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (B):

1200 mm
(B)An agricultural vehicle, a road clearance vehicle, an aerodrome fire tender, an aerodrome runway sweeper, an industrial tractor, engineering plant and a home forces' vehicle:

No requirement


(ii)Minimum height above the ground:

No requirement


3. Angles of visibility:

No requirement


4. Alignment:

To the front and so aimed that the upper edge of the beam is, as near as practicable, 3 per cent below the horizontal when the vehicle is at its kerbside weight and has a weight of 75 kg on the driver’s seat

5. Markings–

(a) A vehicle first used on or after 1st April 1986:

An approval mark
(b) A vehicle first used before 1st April 1986:

No requirement


6. Size of illuminated area:

No requirement


7. Colour:

White or yellow

8. Wattage:

No requirement


9. Intensity:

No requirement


10. Electrical connections:

No individual requirement


11. Tell-tale:

No requirement


12. Other requirements–

Every front fog lamp shall be so constructed that the direction of the beam of light emitted therefrom can be adjusted whilst the vehicle is stationary.
13. Definitions–

In this Schedule “appproval mark” means either–
(a) a marking designated as an approval mark by regulation 5 of the Designation of Approval Marks Regulations and shown at item 19 of Schedule 4 to those Regulations; or

(b) a marking designated as an approval mark by regulation 4 of the Designation of Approval Marks Regulations and shown at item 19 or 19A of Schedule 2 of those Regulations.

[FossilFish]

Did anyone read all that!

[Laney760]

Originally Posted by FossilFish

Did anyone read all that!

I did!...........

[loki_the_glt]

And on a 240:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1016035...in/photostream

[ian2000t]

Looks good mate! I've always thought yellow or white fogs were legal.

Anyway the standard headlights my fiancees Beetle came with were so pathetic they were practically yellow!!

[Laney760]

Originally Posted by ian2000t

Looks good mate! I've always thought yellow or white fogs were legal.

Anyway the standard headlights my fiancees Beetle came with were so pathetic they were practically yellow!!

Wondered what you were doing with that yellow beetle. Terrible things, my brake pedal and my throttle pedal fell off whilst I was driving mine, never again!

[ian2000t]

Originally Posted by Laney760

Wondered what you were doing with that yellow beetle. Terrible things, my brake pedal and my throttle pedal fell off whilst I was driving mine, never again!

Haha, yeh, the Mini is mine and the Beetle is my fiancees! Sounds like you had a bit of a lemon - only proper issues we've had is the tinworm really. It's a bit tired and unrestored, but they're very simple cars that seem to just keep on going with a little maintenance! Unlike Minis.... that are built with the cheapest parts, made from some kind of crumbly cheese and bodged together by a Brummie with an'ommer!

[terrywilde07]

Originally Posted by FossilFish

(2) No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp which is capable of showing any light to the rear, other than a red light, except–


(e)light from an illuminated rear registration plate; .

The above is correct, however, there is NOTHING in the Road Traffic Act or the MOT books that say the rear number plate light has to be White... I've had Red number plate lights for years as I personally prefer them...

in the past I have tinted my DRL's on my 940's with Amber repair tape (a la USA) and never had problems... as for Yellow tinted lights... hmm... I personally don't like them... I do upgrade my lights to Xenon so they're White and not Brown(ish)

[stuv7010v]

i have tinted the foglights on all of my cars for the past few years as yellow is much better for fog and i personally prefer the look.
front fogs are not part of the mot so will not fail what ever colour you do them.
i used film for some cars with good effect but the last two i got some spray from oem motorsport which is easy to apply and looks good.
personally i think yellow is also much better as it seems to be all the rage round here to use them 24-7 and not have them set correctly with high powered bulbs blinding other road users