Kim,

either I dont fully understand your email or that is not correct. We have
low and high beams just as the u.s.
We usually drive with low (Fahrlicht) and switch to high (fernlicht) if
there is noone else around. We also do not use te high beam if there is
traffic in front of us.
In short, nothing changed when I immigrated to the States (unless you are
all wondering who is the idiot with the wrong lights on driving around
berkeley:-)

flo

On 12/19/06, Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@mac.com> wrote:
>
> In the rest of the world there are MAINS which you DIP when there is
> on coming traffic. The US uses Low Beams and High Beams. Driving
> lights are MAINs, and hence the equivalent of HIGH BEAMS, and the
> other drivers are DAMN RIGHT to flash you if you drive around with
> your mains on. You are blinding them.
>
> Eurospec headlights have a VERY sharp cut off which means you don't
> blind on coming drivers. US low beams scatter the light much more. US
> high beams scatter a fair amount too. Main beams in European spec
> direct the light straight out and are very bright to on coming
> drivers, which is why they dip them (i.e switch to low beams.)
>
> And you don't need 100 watt bulbs to get bright light. 55 watt bulbs
> more than handle the job.
>
>
> On Dec 19, 2006, at 10:13 PM, JordanVw@AOL.COM wrote:
>
> > In a message dated 12/19/06 9:51:35 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> > vanagon@FRONTLEFTSPEAKERPOSSE.COM writes:
> >
> >
> >> They call those lights in the middle 'driving lights' - but aren't
> >> they
> >> just brights?
> >>
> >> Aka, its just for looks really, you cant actually use the center
> >> lights
> >> as driving lights unless your on the road by yourself?
> >>
> >
> > theyre driving lights, not high beams.
> >
> > but your right, people have it psychologically burned into their
> > minds, that
> > four lights on at the same time, horizontally, the inners must be
> > high beams..
> > and therefore you'll get 'flashed"...
> >
> > chris
>