Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ucla-cs.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!trwrb!trwrba!cepu!ucla-cs!wales From: wales@ucla-cs.UUCP Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Re: Question on fog lamps Message-ID: <4584@ucla-cs.ARPA> Date: Fri, 29-Mar-85 21:37:10 EST Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.4584 Posted: Fri Mar 29 21:37:10 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 31-Mar-85 03:56:15 EST References: <57@cadtec.UUCP> Reply-To: wales@ucla-cs.UUCP (Rich Wales) Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department Lines: 60 In article <57@cadtec.UUCP>, Rick Auricchio said that fog lamps must be COMPLETELY DISABLED (lights covered, switch off, fuse removed) when driving on public roads -- and that the simple act of driving with uncovered fog lamps (even if they are turned off) is enough to get you a ticket. This is NOT TRUE -- at least, not in California. (If it is true in any other state or country, I hope someone will speak up.) The relevant law in California as regards fog lamps is laid out in the California Vehicle Code, sections 24403 and 24405. Section 24403 says basically the following: (1) You can use fog lamps in addition to -- but not instead of -- the regular headlamps. (2) The center of a fog lamp must be between 12 and 30 inches off the ground. (3) The top of the bright zone of the fog lamps must be at least 4 inches below the level of the centers of the lamps, when meas- ured 25 feet in front of the lamps. Section 24405 limits the number of forward-pointing lamps that you can have on at once to four (six for emergency vehicles). If your car has four "high-beam" headlights (as does my Honda Accord, for instance), then this section effectively prohibits you from using fog lamps in conjunction with your high-beams -- assuming you'd want to do such a thing anyway. Hence, as long as fog lamps are aimed properly (as specified in Section 24403), are used only when the regular headlamps are also on (also Sec- tion 24403), and are not used in such a way as to have more than four lamps lit on the front of your car at once (Section 24405), they should be perfectly legal for on-road use. My fog lamps are enabled via a relay attached to the "low-beam" wire. Hence, they can only be turned on when the low-beams are on as well, and they automatically go out when I switch to high-beams. Regarding the aiming of fog lights, by the way, the instructions that came with my lights (purchased from Honda) were ALL WRONG. Had I fol- lowed Honda's instructions, I would have had fog lights that pointed up into the eyes of oncoming traffic! -- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rich Wales University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Computer Science Department 3531 Boelter Hall Los Angeles, California 90024 // USA -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Phone: (213) 825-5683 // +1 213 825 5683 ARPANET: wales@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA UUCP: ...!{cepu,ihnp4,trwspp,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!wales -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "UCLA" is a registered trademark of The Regents of the University of California -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-