The car lighting system is vital as it helps improve visibility and supports road safety when driving. Most cars come stock with yellow front fog lights, but most car owners believe that fog lights are yellow only for aesthetic reasons.
On the other hand, auto enthusiasts dispute the importance of yellow fog lights over white fog lights.
The truth is, fog lights are yellow because they offer the best performance. After all, it is less strenuous to the eye, especially when driving in bad weather.
In addition, yellow or amber fog lights allow you to see far into foggy weather and make you more visible to other road users and motorists, reducing the chances of accidents. However, some car owners prefer white fog lights since they are brighter and make their cars look good.
Today, we discuss the pros and cons of yellow and white lights, explain why yellow lights are better and help you make smarter decisions.
Why are fog lights yellow?
There are many reasons why most fog lights are yellow, but the most credible is they improve the driver’s vision in foggy conditions, heavy rain, mist, sandstorms, and snow, compared to white fog lights. The yellow on fog lights is called “Selective Yellow .”
It is paler and less intense in color. The scientific reason yellow is more comfortable to the human eye is that it removes blue to violet colors from the wavelength spectrum.
So visible light comprises a spectrum of colors, but the eye doesn’t process all light colors the same way. Colors with shorter wavelengths, such as blue, indigo, and violet, are difficult for the eyes to process properly.
When the blue light reflects at you, it appears cloudy because it has a wavelength. White light is a type of blue light white a high amount of blue in it. But if you remove the blue light, everything has a yellow color which is easier for the eye to process.
Another reason fog lights are yellow is that water droplets in the air reflect light coming from the lights back into the eyes, making driving in fog or heavy rain a hazard. But blue or white light causes a faint blue glow around the human eye called glare.
Therefore it tires out the eyes quickly. But yellow light reduces this glare effect because it doesn’t easily reflect off the water.
This is why historically, most fog lights are yellow. Therefore, when the light illuminating the path ahead of you is yellow, especially in poor weather conditions, that light will not cause glare back at your eyes, making driving more comfortable.
Are yellow fog lights legal?
Most countries have legislation designating colors you can use for your vehicle’s fog lights. For example, yellow fog lights are legal in most places in the US. However, it’s important to check your state laws to find your area’s legal fog light colors, as the law may vary from state to state.
So even though they may be legal in your state, they may be illegal in other states, making it an issue when traveling across states.
In France, all road-illuminating bulbs, including headlights and fog lights, had to be specifically “selective yellow” until 1993 when they accepted white headlights and fog lights. In some situations, yellow fog lights are illegal, while others consider them a safer alternative to white lights.
Pros and cons of yellow fog lights
Since both yellow and white fog lights are legal in most places, choosing between them may be up to your preference. It’s important to consider the benefits and drawbacks of both white and yellow fog lights. Here are the yellow fog light advantages and disadvantages.
Pros of yellow fog lights
- Using yellow fog lights causes less eye strain than other colors, making them best for driving in bad weather.
- Yellow light has less glare because it cuts through the fog.
- Yellow light has a longer wavelength than white light, allowing the light to cut through heavy fog or snow.
- They are aesthetically pleasing for most cars and most preferred by drivers.
- They do not refract in vision due to less glare; therefore, they improve depth perception. This will help you drive on unfamiliar roads at night.
Cons of yellow fog lights
- Yellow fog lights are slightly dim and do not cast light as bright are white light.
- Some yellow fog lights are white lights with a yellow lens. This lens reduces the light intensity compared to having a yellow bulb.
Pros and cons of white fog lights
Although research supports the benefits of yellow fog lights for foggy weather, some drivers prefer to use white fog lights since they illuminate brighter. Here are the pros and cons of white fog lights.
Pros of white fog lights
- White fog lights are bright enough, making them suitable to drive in dark places.
- You can use white fog lights as a standard vehicle light.
- White fog lights offer straightforwardness, which many drivers love.
- Some car owners prefer white fog lights for their aesthetics.
Cons of white fog lights
- White fog lights can be too bright, making them unsuitable for human eyes. In addition, white light brightness can strain the eyes while driving drivers and oncoming motorists.
- White lights refract more in foggy weather because of their short frequency, increasing glares.
- Although white fog lights are bright, they illuminate for short distances. This makes it difficult to see other road users in bad weather.
What are color fog lights legal?
As a rule, front fog lights should be yellow, white, and amber fog lights in all the states in the United States. On the other hand, rear fog lights should be red. It could be a red bulb with a clear lens, a red lens with a clear bulb, or a combination of both a red bulb and a red lens.
It’s important to note that different states have different laws regarding the colors and when to use fog lights. For example, it is illegal to use fog lights in Florida when other vehicles are on the road unless it is foggy since fog lights are quite bright.
The front fog light is optional in the UK, but one rear fog light is mandatory. The fog lights must be either white or bright yellow, whereas other colors are prohibited. Only emergency vehicles can use blue lights.
While in the UK, you should only use fog lights when visibility is limited and when you cannot see for more than 100 meters, and you must switch them off when visibility improves.
In Canada, amber and white fog lights are legal. But fog lights with red, green, or blue tints are not allowed. Blue spectrum headlights are legal. The fog lights must be on the vehicle’s front, below the headlamps, and not more than 30cm below.
Contrarily, automobile manufacturers make other fog light colors such as red, blue, and purple. But these lights are harsher on the human eye and likely to cause accidents.
Hence, these fog light colors are illegal in most states, and traffic police can fine or ticket you. Colored fog lights can distract other motorists, causing temporary blindness or accidents.
Conclusion
The consensus and our verdict are that the best color for fog lights is yellow or amber because of their ability to reduce glare in foggy weather conditions. They are also more comfortable to the eyes, thus reducing the chances of accidents.
If you want to install white fog lights, it’s best to confirm with your local laws to ensure the police don’t ticket or fine you.