Remember. Some time ago, it was common to see yellow lights on our cars. In particular, cars “registered in France”. Until the 90s, our transport was easy to recognize abroad, especially at night! But where does this French feature come from? We will explain it to you…

Yellow lights: decision of November 3, 1936

The transition to yellow lights was dictated by a Decree of November 3, 1936. Initially, this obligation applied to vehicles put into circulation withApril 1937 then it was extended to all vehicles from 1939 year. However, it was not until the end of World War II that all vehicles began to use yellow lights. The first reason for this French specificity dates back to 1936: France would choose yellow lights in anticipation possible conflict in order to better recognize the enemy’s equipment. However, this explanation is still disputed due to a lack of sources. This often applies to solutions classified as “defense secret”. There “French documentation”, A highly respected source indicates that the adoption of yellow lights was carried out “at the request of the military.” Another explanation is that the scientists of the time were convinced of this the yellow light was less blinding for drivers In 1934, the Academy of Sciences announced: “Observations made by users, and especially by persons with a scientific education, show that a headlight illuminated by yellow light dazzles less than white light, and that when two cars meet, the duration of the rehabilitation period of the eye after being dazzled is significantly reduced. . Yellow light results in less light being reflected from fog in foggy weather or from liquid droplets in rainy weather. This seems to increase the contrast value and thus reduce eye strain. »

The obligation remained until January 1, 1993

The rules changed in the early 90s. After a ban of more than half a century, white headlights become the norm again for cars registered in France. From January 1, 1993, all new vehicles, including military ones, were equipped with these white headlights. It allowed to standardize the car lighting system throughout Europe. Today, if you have a car that was registered before this date and has yellow lights, don’t worry, You always have the right to travel! Indeed, Article P-313 of the Traffic Act defines: “Every motor vehicle shall be equipped at the front with two or four high-beam headlamps emitting yellow or white light forward to effectively illuminate the road at night, in clear weather, at a distance of at least 100 meters.” If you want to stand out on the road with your original headlights, it’s still possible!