colored headlights

Never seen such a thing. You have rear fog lights in Europe?

Yes, a high-intensity red light on the off-side of the car, brighter than brake lights, which is supposed to be used in fog or falling snow only but some get forgotten about and annoy the hell out of other drivers :-)

Legally only for use when visibility is less than 50m. My experience is that most Italians seem to think that they are required when driving through Swiss tunnels, for some reason.

(The above article did not make it to my news reader. Zweef, thanks for reposting it!

That would explain it.

I've only had after-market lights, but your description matches my experience.

Exactly.

Me too. Thank you to everyone who posted on this.

:>> In article , null@127.0.0.1 :>> says... :>

:>(The above article did not make it to my news reader. Zweef, thanks :>for reposting it! :>

:>> > I think what we're seeing here is a different definition in different :>> > countries as to what a "fog light" is. What I'm reading described :>> > from people in European countries sounds more like what we call :>> > "driving lights" here in the US, at least as far as the brightness is :>> > concerned. :>

:>That would explain it. :>

:>> > The last 3 cars I've owned (99 Escort ZX2, 02 Focus ZX5 :>> > and 04 SVT Focus) have all had factory installed "fog lights" (in the :>> > front only...grin). In every case the bulbs in the "fog lights" have :>> > been about half the wattage of the low beam headlight bulbs and the :>> > lenses create a flat-wide beam pattern that your eyeballs have to be :>> > about 12 inches above the ground before the light even appears bright. :>

:>I've only had after-market lights, but your description matches :>my experience. :>

:>> > In addition the flat-wide pattern does an excellent job of lighting :>> > the edge of the road where there may be pedestrians or bike riders :>> > that you might miss with the beam from the headlights only that tend :>> > to shine more straight ahead down the road and not so much to the :>> > side. :>

:>Exactly. :>

:>> I learn something here every day! ;-) :>

:>Me too. Thank you to everyone who posted on this.

You're welcome, especially since the "missing" stuff you quoted above was mostly mine. :-)

Hopefully this will make it to your news server.

me/2

----------- New cars in Canada also have to have daylight running lights (DRL's.) They are just the low beam headlights but voltage is reduced 50% until you switch your lights on. Geoff