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All Right: Time to turn off the Fog Lights

4305 Views 46 Replies 28 Participants Last post by  satheian
This is more aimed at the owners of SUVs who unfortunately won't be reading this, but maybe we can start a trend.

Why fog lights are such a dim idea | Wheels.ca


From Wiki:

"Front fog lamps
A pair of yellow fog lamps

Front fog lamps provide a wide, bar-shaped beam of light with a sharp cutoff at the top, and are generally aimed and mounted low.[10][11][12] They may be either white or selective yellow. They are intended for use at low speed to increase the illumination directed towards the road surface and verges in conditions of poor visibility due to rain, fog, dust or snow. As such, they are often most effectively used in place of dipped-beam headlamps, reducing the glareback from fog or falling snow, although the legality varies by jurisdiction of using front fog lamps without low beam headlamps.

Use of the front fog lamps when visibility is not seriously reduced is often prohibited (for example in the United Kingdom), as they can cause increased glare to other drivers, particularly in wet pavement conditions, as well as harming the driver's own vision due to excessive foreground illumination.[13]

The respective purposes of front fog lamps and driving lamps are often confused, due in part to the misconception that fog lamps are necessarily selective yellow, while any auxiliary lamp that makes white light is a driving lamp. Automakers and aftermarket parts and accessories suppliers frequently refer interchangeably to "fog lamps" and "driving lamps" (or "fog/driving lamps"). In most countries, weather conditions rarely necessitate the use of fog lamps, and there is no legal requirement for them, so their primary purpose is frequently cosmetic. They are often available as optional extras or only on higher trim levels of many cars. Studies have shown that in North America more people inappropriately use their fog lamps in dry weather than use them properly in poor weather.[14]"

Anyone else irritated.
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Not irritated at all, although I probally irritate you because I typically have mine on. Helps with vision at night.
How does it help?

Looking for road-kill. LOL

I can see you saying it makes your car more visible to un-coming traffic but it also blinds them. Certainly doesn't help with forward lighting unless you drive with your headlights off.
Not irritated at all, although I probally irritate you because I typically have mine on. Helps with vision at night.
Ditto.
Anyone else irritated.
Nope.

I would rather have a car with normal halogens and fogs facing me or behind me, than any car with HIDs in any situation.
Nope.

I would rather have a car with normal halogens and fogs facing me or behind me, than any car with HIDs in any situation.
+1
But even halogens on certain suv's are blinding, just because the headlamps are level with our heads.
How does it help?

Looking for road-kill. LOL

I can see you saying it makes your car more visible to un-coming traffic but it also blinds them. Certainly doesn't help with forward lighting unless you drive with your headlights off.
Ever heard of deer? I am trying not to plow into one. Also Texas has more head of cattle than 46 other US states have people. Have you ever seen what a deer does to a car? How about a cow? I would rather piss you off then crash my car. Sorry.
Ever heard of deer? I am trying not to plow into one. Also Texas has more head of cattle than 46 other US states have people. Have you ever seen what a deer does to a car? How about a cow? I would rather piss you off then crash my car. Sorry.
+1
Ever heard of raccoons? Skunks? Potholes?
Those can do serious damage to a low riding car.

and my fogs do help me spot them.
I put HIDs in mine and then only use them with the high beam.
Ever heard of deer? I am trying not to plow into one. Also Texas has more head of cattle than 46 other US states have people. Have you ever seen what a deer does to a car? How about a cow? I would rather piss you off then crash my car. Sorry.
We have deer here too. Ever see a moose standing in the middle of the road? LOL
If you ever see one turn off your lights as they will charge your vehicle.

Fog lights are designed to shine under the fog and to the sides, so you can see the ditch, but not very far ahead as that would defeat the purpose. The reason that headlights create that wall in the fog is the light reflecting back from the water droplets so fog lights are designed not to shine very far ahead.

I'm not sure how fog lights would help with any animal in front of you as your headlights would illuminate them long before your fog lights.

Anyway I'll leave you with this one....

Driving Tip of the Moment: Fog Lights are for FOG!!
I used to run my fogs/driving lamps all the time when I was a kid showing off, because not many cars came with fogs/driving lamps back then. But now days everything including mini-vans comes with fog/driving lamps, so no cool points.

I was the same way with cell phones, had them for the 1st 5yrs they came out when I was young, then everybody & their brother got one, so I haven't carried one in over 10yrs except for a short stint a little while back when my fiance' lived several hours away & it was cheaper to have a cell than long distance service.
There was only one time that I used my fogs + headlights together, and that's when I was traveling on a country road with no street lights in the middle of the night. There was little to no traffic, so I turned them on and it made a huge difference. But after hitting the more populated areas, I turned them off.
They're off 99% of the time unless there's fog or if it's really pitch black and I can't see a darn thing.
I keep mine on at night when I'm on the highway... LOTS of wildlife here and some of the road lines blend with the dirt on the shoulder.

My Subaru's fogs are on ALL the time because I'm way to cheap to buy brighter lights :p
I leave mine on because they look cool.
I leave mine on. Its a noticeable difference in light with them on.. facing down or not. I also like how they look, and I've never had an issue being blinded by others.
rock my fogs day and night


haters gonna hate.. :D
I actually didn't even know my fogs had an individual switch until last winter....

I was cleaning it in my dad's garage before storing it and found the switch haahahaha
The manual says to not leave them on all the time, it was due to power drain or heating up, cant remember. So I only use them when visibility is bad.

When I had halogens, I noticed a huge difference with the fogs. Now that I have HIDs, I barely notice them when theyre on.

Ive only found them useful one time where I was driving on a pitch black country road and in the middle of storms on the highway.
I just leave mine on because I like how the car looks at night.

I will continue to do so.
Because they light up the ditch which is typically where the deer/cattle are.

We have deer here too. Ever see a moose standing in the middle of the road? LOL
If you ever see one turn off your lights as they will charge your vehicle.

Fog lights are designed to shine under the fog and to the sides, so you can see the ditch, but not very far ahead as that would defeat the purpose. The reason that headlights create that wall in the fog is the light reflecting back from the water droplets so fog lights are designed not to shine very far ahead.

I'm not sure how fog lights would help with any animal in front of you as your headlights would illuminate them long before your fog lights.

Anyway I'll leave you with this one....

Driving Tip of the Moment: Fog Lights are for FOG!!
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