Fog Lamps: Do you drive with them on all the time?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Joey D
  • 143 comments
  • 5,584 views

Do you drive with your fog lamps on?

  • All the time both front and rear

    Votes: 2 2.5%

  • All the time but fronts only

    Votes: 16 20.0%

  • All the time but rear only

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Only during poor weather conditions/backroad driving

    Votes: 28 35.0%

  • I have them but rarely or never use them

    Votes: 16 20.0%

  • Do not have fog lamps on my car

    Votes: 18 22.5%
  • Total voters
    80
I live in the USA. 95% of the places I've been here (46 of the continental US-states), haven't required the use of fog lights, both by legal standard, and if you judge the use of fog lights by the type of climate/weather (which is the whole point of having them in the first place).

So, I've never had any desire nor need to ever buy/install them. And, personally, they look awful in most situations. Not to mention, they're just a nuisance for others on the road.
 
toyomatt84
So, I've never had any desire nor need to ever buy/install them. And, personally, they look awful in most situations. Not to mention, they're just a nuisance for others on the road.
Click to expand...
Not if they're used the way they're supposed to be used..
 
I don't have any at the front, but have a single one at the back; I use it only in conditions with poor visibility. If there's a sudden traffic jam, I use hazards to alert drivers behind, regardless of conditions. <- Very effective!

Front fogs have a nasty tendency that few if any drivers notice; we all know that eyes adjust to light. Front fogs makes it brighter directly in the front of the vehicle, which causes the eyes to adjust to that and reduces the visibilty further away in front of the car, thus making the general visibility worse. Obviously, it generally only applies when it's dark, or when the light is reflected of the road. And like moaibob said, they flash horribly in good light (and especially wet!) conditions and make nothing but hell.

That, plus driving with front fogs on when the conditions don't require it might result in a big, fat, expensive ticket.
 
I stand corrected. I see so many European-manufacture cars around here with the rear fog on that I just assumed it was automatic. Little did I know that the same dimwits who drive with the fogs on when it's not necessary are not smart enough to avoid turning on the back one as well.
 
I only use mine when the conditions require it, and find it a pain when you are stuck behind/opposite someone who has left them on when conditions clear.

The 3-series allows the front and rear fog lamps to be controlled separately, each has its own button.

Regards

Scaff
 
I've never had to use mine yet (rear only), though I expect I will at some point this winter as one area I drive through gets quite bad marsh mist.

Otheriwse, they're just really annoying, but people who are slow switching off their full beam on unlit and fairly quiet roads are worse.
 
I only use my rears when visibility is less than 100m. This is either during... erm... fog or sometimes in heavy spray on motorways.

I use the fronts to flash "thanks" to people at night because my full beams are really ****ing bright, and I don't want to trash their night vision. I also use fronts when driving quickly along country roads at night as I find they give me a heightened awareness of my road position.

In the Espace, they're controlled by a rocker ring on the indicator stalk: rock forward to switch on/off the fronts, rock back to switch on/off the rears. Killing the ignition switches them off, and they don't switch back on automatically (which is, I believe, the reason why most people drive along with them on in clear weather.
 
Wolfe
I voted "all the time but fronts only" because that's what I would be doing if I still had both of them. Last winter (or was it the one before?) I drove through a deep snow drift to get into my house's driveway and bent one of the metal foglight mounts. While trying to bend it back, I was grabbing the plastic housing instead of the metal mount and broke the housing. The still-functional light now sits in my room, waiting for a new housing (if I ever find the right one).

I understand the blinding concerns, but with a lot of cars (including my own) it's not a factor. Very rarely do I see foglights on a car that affect my eyesight more than just headlights -- it's always the tall trucks and SUVs that really cause a problem. Then again, tall trucks/SUVs and brand-new cars all blind me anyway, fog lights or no (I can't even stand waiting at stoplights behind some of the super-bright brakelights on new cars), so there still isn't much of a difference.

My own decision to run with the foglights on is mainly because I think it looks neat (as most people who use them do). Now that I have only one, it looks silly, not neat, so I use it for extreme weather.
Click to expand...


That pretty much sums up my view. I use them on my Grand Am (only has fronts) all the time, but pretty much just for looks. I've never had foglights (let alone those on a GA) blind me, so I think mine are fine.
 
We use ours because the light that our regular lamps put out is terrible. The plastic has that fungus-- it's all fogged up. So, we usually have our fogs on when we are driving roads with no lights, or just all the time. It helps a lot.
 
Don't have them. Looking for the square, yellow Cibie-type lamps for the Nova, though. Much of my nighttime commute is on rural roads, and I'd like to see in the ditches, as sealed-beams dont have much side-to-side throw.

I did put Silverstar High beams on the car, and the difference is amazing...though I don't use them much.
 
Wolfe
I understand the blinding concerns, but with a lot of cars (including my own) it's not a factor. Very rarely do I see foglights on a car that affect my eyesight more than just headlights -- it's always the tall trucks and SUVs that really cause a problem. Then again, tall trucks/SUVs and brand-new cars all blind me anyway, fog lights or no (I can't even stand waiting at stoplights behind some of the super-bright brakelights on new cars), so there still isn't much of a difference.
Click to expand...


+1. From personal observation, I think the vast majority of fog light applications on cars made in the last 15 years simply do not blind oncoming drivers as Army Chief says.

I think this may actually be a manufactures' response to their misuse. Years ago when I started driving, fog lights seemed to be aimed higher than they are today. The fogs on my E30 really could blind oncoming drivers, so I left them off unless I needed them.

But these days, they don't bother me at all. People around here drive with them on all the time; I don't even notice them.

What I can't stand is the lazy fools who use their daytime running lights at night --on early cars, DRLs use a lower wattage bulb in the highbeam lens. But they can still dazzle you like highbeams because they are aimed at your face instead of the ground.

Of course, here in Jersey I see someone driving around at night with no lights at all at least twice a week.


Speaking of misuse of lights, let me relate an experience from a few weeks ago. My neighborhood is wooded. We live at the top of a small mountain and there is a wildlife reserve not far from my house. We have MANY deer in our area.

One night on the way home up the mountain, a deer jumped out of the woods about 60-70 feet ahead of me. I stopped without a problem, but once it cross my side of the road, an oncoming driver had a close call with it. But he/she was able to stop in time.

Now most people around here know if you see one deer, there are usually more. So we all stay put for a few seconds and I start scanning the tree line of both sides looking for more.

Then the other driver switched on their highbeams. It was a large SUV with very new and effective bixenon HIDs.. a Lexus LX or something along those lines. Regardless, they were ****ing BRIGHT.

And I'm sitting there thinking to myself, "gee, I'm glad you can see well enough to look around for Bambi's mom, but now me and everyone behind me can't see a damn thing. Thanks ********!" The amazing thing is that even after I flicked my own highbeams a few times at this person, they didn't bother lowering their lights. They drove all the way down the mountain with them on... blinding the **** out of every one coming the other way.

I fumed about that selfish idiot for the rest of the night. Ask my wife.


M
 
Indeed. I rarely dip into the Silverstar brights.

I think many people who install aftermarket "Fogs" aren't really installing foglights at all, but spot or driving lights, which have a FAR Longer throw, the spots going beyond your high beams! I think that a foglight should be considered the same as a ditch light: You use it to see in the ditches, not ahead. It shouldnt' throw more than your low beams.

so, to be nice, I think I'll aim my new, square fogs, when I get them, nice and low.
 
👍 after experimenting last night with this a little more I found mine aim very low as well it's easy to tell since they're yellow...
 
///M-Spec
+1. From personal observation, I think the vast majority of fog light applications on cars made in the last 15 years simply do not blind oncoming drivers as Army Chief says.
Click to expand...

You have the Z4 M Coupe right? You must sit pretty low in that and I'm surprised they don't bother you. I sit quite low in the Cooper and when a truck or SUV is behind me it drives me nuts, especially when they are running their fog lamps.

Then the other driver switched on their highbeams. It was a large SUV with very new and effective bixenon HIDs.. a Lexus LX or something along those lines. Regardless, they were ****ing BRIGHT.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I have the bi-xenons on the Cooper and they are awesome on dark nights on back roads, especially when I turn my ralley lamps on as well. However, I will turn them off (the rally lamps will come off as well) when I even get the notion another driver is coming at me. Also if I can see tail lamps in front of me I will not switch them one either...they really are that bright.

Jim Prower
Indeed. I rarely dip into the Silverstar brights.

I think many people who install aftermarket "Fogs" aren't really installing foglights at all, but spot or driving lights, which have a FAR Longer throw, the spots going beyond your high beams! I think that a foglight should be considered the same as a ditch light: You use it to see in the ditches, not ahead. It shouldnt' throw more than your low beams.

so, to be nice, I think I'll aim my new, square fogs, when I get them, nice and low.
Click to expand...

People who install aftermarket "fogs" bug the hell out of me. A buddy of mine has PIAA ones on his Neon and they are brighter then his normal lights and the idiot thinks he needs them all the time...even during the day.
 
Joey D
You have the Z4 M Coupe right? You must sit pretty low in that and I'm surprised they don't bother you. I sit quite low in the Cooper and when a truck or SUV is behind me it drives me nuts, especially when they are running their fog lamps.
Click to expand...

I have the Roadster, but yeah, I do sit very low. But I can't remember the last time when I saw oncoming fog lights and got annoyed at how bright they were. Every time I'm dazzled, it's by some jackhole driving with his DRLs or highbeams on.

I agree truck and SUV lights can be a real nuisance from the rear. I have autodimming mirrors in the Z4, so I'm fortunate not to be bothered anymore. Back in my other cars I recall finding tailgating trucks/SUVs quite annoying. It was a perfect excuse to out run them, though.


Joey D
Agreed, I have the bi-xenons on the Cooper and they are awesome on dark nights on back roads, especially when I turn my ralley lamps on as well. However, I will turn them off (the rally lamps will come off as well) when I even get the notion another driver is coming at me. Also if I can see tail lamps in front of me I will not switch them one either...they really are that bright.
Click to expand...

Yep. I refuse to own another vehicle without HIDs. They are that good. 👍 It's funny. I remember when I got my first car with halogen bulbs, I thought they were incredible... lightyears beyond the old-school incandescent sealed beams I grew up with. Now when I drive a halogen equipped car, I feel like I can't see a thing... :lol: "damn.. are my light even on??"


M
 
My Sol's driving position was lower than M's Z4, and I never noticed a problem with fog lamps in particular. Often times an F150's headlights would be at roof-level with my car, and since they shine down they went right into my eyes.
 
my car doesnt even have fogs lol, i have yet to see them be used properly, usually associated with tards who leave them on or turn them on at the slightest mist :dunce: doesnt really get bad enough to really need them anyway
 
fogs when its clear out= the lose. period. doesnt look cool. makes one look like a prat if you ask me.

i see so many people driving in their fancy imports with the fog lights on, in bright clear conditions, and i think "you poor overcompensating twit. get a penile/ breast implant(s)"

real fogs are yellow. :hardcore
 
When I drive either my mom's or my dad's car which have fog lamps I usually turn them on.
 
I have had fog lights on just every car for the past 10 years. I have never driven with them on during a clear day, and hardly ever even on foggy nights. I think they look cool, but do not need to be on. The ones on my STI are the best so far, but my vision just doesn't require them. Heck, I hardly require brights, even on the unlit highways near me.

I do find it strange that more and more people are driving not only with the foglights on unnecessarily (rarely during the day), but with their brights on all the time, even during the day! It's maddening and idiotic. It makes me want to punch their car in the face.
 
I thought I was told in Canada you have to drive cars with your lights on all the time? True or not? I know Motorbikes here are required to do that.
 
Bad weather only, I wonder when I see people with their lights on, all their doing is draining thier battery. Granted, it's not likely to drain it fully, but it's still a useless waste of energy.

What really irks me is people who put thier full beam on at night, I think some of them are so obsessed with how much they can see they become completely ignorant of the fact that anyone coming towards them suddenly can't see anything but thier lights. I nearly mounted a pavement once because of that, I slowed down but I couldn't see anything until the car had passed.
 
Since I do not use my fogs in everyday driving anymore I'm thinking of switching them over to yellow/amber. What makes yellow lamps better over white-ish ones? Also I don't want crappy painted yellow bulbs off of eBay, any suggestions? The guys on North American Motoring say the Höen makes a good set of yellow bulbs.

http://www.hoen-usa.com/endurance.htm

Any other suggestions?
 
Casio
I thought I was told in Canada you have to drive cars with your lights on all the time? True or not?
Click to expand...

Yes, true. Canadia requires Daytime Running Lamps. In the early days, as ///M said, most manufacturers did it by running the high beams at 60% power. This was incredibly annoying because even though the light was not that bright, it shined directly in your eyes. Plus idiots would never turn their lights on after dark because they were already on, even if only powerful enough to inconvenience other drivers without helping themselves see very much.

Lots of American cars have DRLs as well. GM was convinced that the US was going to adopt the requirement, and so they just went ahead and made their US cars compliant anyway.

Personally I think DRLs do NOTHING to improve the visibility of the average car on the average day. However, they do A LOT to obscure trivialities such as turn signals, pedestrians, and motorcycles. I had the DRLs on my 3er turned off when I bought it.
 
My DRL's on the Cooper are these city lights just above where the fog lights are. They aren't very powerful and I don't think they would hinder anyone's vision since they are mounted so low. In Michigan's constantly overcast winters I think it helps a little bit, especially with the colour of my car.
 
Sometimes I think DRLs give people an excuse to leave their lights off when, say, it starts raining or something. I can't tell you how often I see a Silverado with headlights on, but no taillights, and it drives me batty. DRLs do help on overcast days and at twilight, but people tend to get lazy with them. I tend to have lights on on overcast days.

The other thing that drives me batty is the "One eyed Monster:" a car with one headlight out. Okay, they may be on the way to the parts store, but more often, that's not the case. I guess it's not really my problem, but I find it irritating nonetheless, just like when a couple taillight bulbs are out, especially on multi-bulb taillights.
 
When I was in the States driving around at night with my rented car and my American friend (Catherine) next to me, I switched on the "high beam" of the car to have a better view. There were no other cars, bycicles, motorcycles etc to be seen. When I switches them on, my friend yelled at me, like I did something terribly wrong, that I had to switch them off.

So up till today, I still don't know why she made a big fuss out of it. Isn't it allowed to use these lights when it's dark in the States? Because I use them all the time over here, as long as I don't hinder somebody.
 
I think your friend wigged out for no reason. It is perfectly acceptable to use your highs in the States when there is no oncoming traffic. In wooded, unlit rural areas, it becomes a smart thing to do.


M
 

Latest Posts

Back