- Fog lights are among the most critical components in cars.
- This post talks about the pros and cons of white and yellow lights.
- You can decide which one suits you better after going through this post.
In this post, we shall discuss a critical aspect of cars, white and yellow fog lights. You must’ve seen both of these on the roads on a daily basis. As the name suggests, the colour that reaches your eyes is referred to as white or yellow. Generally, cars have either yellow fog lamps or newer ones could have white light. However, there are distinct advantages and disadvantages to both. Let us take a look at them in depth here.
Yellow Fog Lights
Traditionally, cars come with yellow headlights and fog lights. The main reason for the colour a fog light emits is the temperature. It is measured in Kelvin. The temperature of yellow lights is around 1,500-2,000 Kelvin. Hence, it is regarded as a warm light. The human eye is more receptive to yellow light and feels relaxed by it. That is seen in electronic gadgets like smartphones and laptops where people use softwares or physical screens to turn the display yellow. This reduces stress and the driver doesn’t have to focus too much on the road/screen.
Also, the driver coming from the opposite direction doesn’t feel irritated by it. The yellow colour has a longer wavelength which also lets the other drivers know that you are on the road from a long distance out. However, the main advantage is the fact that it doesn’t refract/reflect light in fog, mist, snowstorm, etc conditions. That is the main disadvantage of white light. Hence, visibility in fog conditions is greatly enhanced by yellow lights. The low-positioning of fog lamps also aids visibility in foggy conditions. However, that is applicable to both yellow and white lights.
White Fog Lights
On the other end of the spectrum is the white fog light. Its temperature is around 6,000 Kelvin. The higher this temperature, the more white/blue the lights get. To be honest, white lights have more to do with aesthetics than practicality. People prefer white lights over yellow to make their cars look cool and modern. Apart from that, the wavelength of the white light is shorter and it also refracts/reflects causing visibility issues for the driver. In addition to that, the drivers coming from the opposite direction get irritated with it as it is a bit stressful for the eyes. Even the driver has to focus more while driving in white light. Hence, you could decide between yellow and white fog lights as per your needs.