Re: 3,000K yellow fogs installed tonight.
Grip,
In basic this is correct. However, HIDs work different than normal filtered lights, since I am pretty sure they are Black-Body Radiators. Which is one hell of a scary and complicated subject... But 3000k is still less visible than 6500k, but for different reasons, including light efficiency on a constant system, aka our cars.
I will say however, that in a strictly foggy condition the lower overall EMITTANCE of light is a plus in the reflection of light on water molecules, which can then reflect into the drivers eyes causing reduced visibility. Try driving through the fog with your lows beams on, and then try it with your high beams. In this regard, typical yellow filtered fog lights could be a plus by reducing this the level of emitted light thereby preventing reflection into someones eyes. To find out, one would have to experimentally determine the tradeoffs between bright light and more reflection in fog versus the tradeoffs of less visible light and less reflection in fog. So don't fret, your yellow lights may not be a total myth afterall.
JHM2K,
Not trying to be meannnnnn... Buttt...Regardless of your opinion, yellow filtering is NOT a good way to improve visbility in every day situations. The human eye absorbs best around 550nm, not 600nm. When you use a filter, you basically filter all light except the color of the filter, which will lower visbility. The more the filter deviates from the max absorption of light for the human eye, the less visibility you will have... which is why you can look through a light yellow filter and see ok, but look through a dark red filter and not see too well. In all cases, visibility is reduced as you approach the ends of the visible light spectrum (dark purple and dark red).