Question: E.A. Thomas of Tucson had a question about headlights. "I have noticed that on a lot of late-model vehicles, that there is another set of headlights right below the 'regular' headlights. This second set is set into the vehicle's front bumper. Some drivers have those lights on along with the regular car headlights, and some drivers do not. What is the purpose of these lights? Is it legal to have both sets of lights on? Are these in place of what used to be called 'brights?'
"Also on the subject of headlights, why are some 'blue-white' some 'off-white' and some 'bright white?' Are all of these legal?"
Answer: Sgt. Mary Kay Slyter, a traffic-investigations supervisor at the Tucson Police Department, said many newer-model vehicles have two auxiliary lights to the front of the vehicle when the headlamps are on. On many models, she said, the auxiliary lights go out when the high beams are activated. Much older-model vehicles, she notes, had four front lamps - two being the headlamps and two that came on when the high beams were activated.
People are also reading…
As far as the colors, she said, newer halogen lights tend to be bright white or blue-white, while the older lights are off-white. All are legal.