Interpretation ID: 16441.ztv

Mr. Norbert Westerhujis
Aleidastraat 1
7555 TH Hengelo Ov
The Netherlands

Dear Mr. Westerhuis:

This is in reply to your fax to Taylor Vinson of this Office which we received on November 13, 1997. You have asked "Is it allowed to have fog lighting (front and/or rear) on your car in the United States."

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment does not prescribe specifications for fog lamps, either as mandatory or optional equipment on new motor vehicles. This means that the individual states have the authority to regulate the performance of fog lamps, and even to forbid them. I am sorry that we cannot advise you on the laws of the individual states. You will have to contact the Department of Motor Vehicles in each state for an answer.

Standard No. 108 prohibits supplementary original equipment such as fog lamps if they impair the effectiveness of lighting equipment required by Standard No. 108. We would regard as an impairment, for example, a fog lamp whose intensity masked the operation of a turn signal or stop lamp. Additionally, front fog lamps must be located either greater than 100 mm from a front turn signal lamp, or the turn signal must be up to 2.5 times more intense than otherwise required, depending on its distance from the fog lamp. See paragraph 5.1.5.4 and Table 2 of SAE Standard J588 NOV84 Turn Signal Lamps for use on Motor Vehicles Less than 2032 MM in Overall Width,incorporated by reference in Standard No. 108.

I hope that this information is helpful.

Sincerely,
John Womack
Acting Chief Counsel
ref:108
d.12/8/97