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

[stumpydino]

i thought there was an unwritten understanding to turn off the high beams when theres oncoming traffic, most smart people do..or even more annoying when some idiot turns em on behind you >.< if theres street lights they arent needed..well i say that i drove through one area of "experimental street lighting turn off" the most stupid thing iv seen, all the lights, street lights, road sign lights off for a half mile or so, not too helpful especially on the roundabouts

 

[Jim Prower]

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

On the other hand, it's probably rude in urban or resedential areas. I'm sure no-one needs hi-beams glaring into their house at night. Besides, there's cars there, anyway.

 

[Joey D]

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

+1 for this statement.

In the northern areas there are deer everywhere and they really feel the need to jump out in the middle of the road. Hitting a deer isn't much fun and can also be quite costly to your automobile and your body.

 

[Famine]

I only use my rears when visibility is less than 100m.

This is almost the exact position of UK Road Traffic law - "high visibility driving lamps" (front and rear fog lights) must only be used when visibility is restricted to 100 yards or less, be it fog, spray, snow, soup, Nigel Mansell's eyebrows, whatever. If the conditions will not allow you to see more than 100 yards clearly, the foglights ought to be on and if not they shouldn't.

As a pointer, I've had them on maybe twice this calendar year.


As for main or high beams, they should be used only if you cannot see any other road users, including pedestrians, in either direction. You should also, in the UK, dip them if approaching a junction with another road (that is one at which you must turn) or a left-handed bend (due to alignment of the lights, meaning you could dazzle someone before you even see them).

 

[Gil]

I rarely see fogs used properly, here in Kansas. But then I also see very little fog.
I was "lucky" enough to grow up in Northern and Southern California.
In the Northern parts of California (San Francisco to the Monterey Peninsula) Fog Lights are not a neccesity, but they are damn sure useful on those days when the fog is like pea soup.
I was always taught that fogs are not to iluminate your path, but to allow other drivers to see you.
Besides, if the fog is any kind of thick, you will know immediately if your fog-lights are aimed wrong (too high) as they will reflect back in your face.

As for High beams, they should be reserved for use on deserted/near deserted roads with no street lights.
Around here, deer and bunnies run out into the road with little warning. (deer I try to avoid, the bunnies get smooshed) It's bad enough this time of year that I won't drive in the right hand lane if the sun is not full up, or at twilight. Though I have seen deer/car altercations in full daylight, it is the exception. And like has been said, where there is one deer there are usually 3 to 8.

 

[Roo]

They're actually really quite bright and somewhat useful if you're reversing in an unlit area with things behind you.

Do you not have white reversing lights in Oz?

which helps avoid crazed roo's and possums.

I'm not crazy!!! You take that back!!!!!

(I can't even stand waiting at stoplights behind some of the super-bright brakelights on new cars)

This annoys me too. Why can't they just use the handbrake?

I use my fog lights only when it's foggy. I may put them on when I'm on the motorway and it's really heavy rain with a lot of spray.

^ What he said.

I have one, single, rear fog light on the Mini - not sure about the Ovlov, I haven't had to use them yet - and it only gets lit in the heavy rain on the motorway, or the fog anywhere. I've got a pair of spotlights on the front, in the same style as Joey's, but they're just an extra pair of full beams and turn off when returning to dipped beam.

 

[bennyrrr]

When I drive my Sequoia I drive with lights and fog lights on all the time. When I drive my Tacoma I drive with lights on since it has no fogs. Driving with lights on day or night is safer, its what Ive been taught all my life.

 

[V1P3R]

I have fogs but they are so ****ty I don't use them for fogs because they wouldn't make a difference.

There are a lot of times during sunset time that I'll run around with my parking lights and fogs on just to look that much more cool and different. Everyone I'm behind can wonder what that car is behind them. BTW, my headlights are pop-ups so they are hidden til I turn them on.

 

[YSSMAN]

In the northern areas there are deer everywhere and they really feel the need to jump out in the middle of the road. Hitting a deer isn't much fun and can also be quite costly to your automobile and your body.

As I recall, they teach you in (Michigan) drivers education classes to have your brights on with no oncoming traffic because of the horrible deer problem in our State. That, and of course, it helps you see better...

I know on the road I live on deer scare the hell out of me all the time. Too often they just are there, lookin' at cha, waiting for their turn to jump out and play their own twisted version of FROGGER over five lanes of concrete packed with Chevolet Suburbans, International School Buses, Steelcase Semi-Trucks, and my Volkswagen Jetta.

 

[Jim Prower]

too true. Deer jump out when you least expect it, especially on the edge of the Illinois River Valley. They seem to like the woods in the hills.

 

[Famine]

I have fogs but they are so ****ty I don't use them for fogs because they wouldn't make a difference.

This makes no sense.

Foglights are designed to illuminate the road very close to the car, underneath the usual level of fog. They aren't designed to be super bright and light up passing aircraft - you have main beams for that, but in proper foggy conditions your main beams would be diffracted and refracted by the fog and end up dazzling you. So you have sharply down-angled low power lights to illuminate the road at the very low speeds you ought to be doing in fog and assist other road users in seeing you.

There are a lot of times during sunset time that I'll run around with my parking lights and fogs on just to look that much more cool and different. Everyone I'm behind can wonder what that car is behind them. BTW, my headlights are pop-ups so they are hidden til I turn them on.

I've never encountered foglights which can be turned on with just parking lights ("sidelights"). You normally need at least dipped headlights for foglights to come on when selected. Are you sure you don't have driving lights you're confusing with foglights?

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

This annoys me too. Why can't they just use the handbrake?

I'm not sure my handbrake is strong enough to hold the car during idle.

 

[V1P3R]

This makes no sense.
Are you sure you don't have driving lights you're confusing with foglights?

They were a $30 set from Kragens auto.

Whether they did say fogs or driving they don't do either well. Not to mention we don't get fog here anyway. xD

Two things I can think of off the top of my head. 1. Driving lights like my friend's don't have a yellowish coating. 2. These use H3 bulbs and if I remember correctly, there's a certain bulb(s) for different kind of lights?

These are wired directly to the batt. so there arn't any restrictions like on stock vehicles.

 

[Famine]

I'm not sure my handbrake is strong enough to hold the car during idle.

It ought to be. Put the car in N or P.

They were a $30 set from Kragens auto.

Whether they did say fogs or driving they don't do either well. Not to mention we don't get fog here anyway. xD

Two things I can think of off the top of my head. 1. Driving lights like my friend's don't have a yellowish coating. 2. These use H3 bulbs and if I remember correctly, there's a certain bulb(s) for different kind of lights?

These are wired directly to the batt. so there arn't any restrictions like on stock vehicles.

Colour is pretty much irrelevant - yellow lights of any description at the front of the vehicle would be illegal in the UK in any case. But if they come on with your sidelights (or parking lights), they aren't foglights.

 

[Roo]

I'm not sure my handbrake is strong enough to hold the car during idle.

Even so, I bet your brake lights aren't insanely bright. It really only applies to new cars, particularly with LED brake lights; if your car is that new, thee handbrake should be fine.

 

[Takumi Fujiwara]

They may well be foglights, Famine. If they're aftermarket ones, bought from Kragen, it's quite possible to wire them in a way that allows them to be activated with only parking lights on. (Or, even, with the car's factory lighting off entirely.) I had a set on the 240 back when I had it, and they were wired so that they could be turned on when the parking lights were on, as I wired the circuit to the gauge cluster illumination. (It was the easiest way to do it...)

I have my fogs on most of the time in the WRX. It's almost a crime to leave 'em off on a Bugeye, as they're such a part of the car's look, and they're neither bright nor aimed high. The fact that my car's a bit lowered makes them even less likely to blind oncoming traffic. However, I'm going to be replacing them with an aftermarket driving light conversion soon, and at that point, they'll only be on with the high beams.

 

[Famine]

Fair enough.

 

[Joey D]

When I drive my Sequoia I drive with lights and fog lights on all the time. When I drive my Tacoma I drive with lights on since it has no fogs. Driving with lights on day or night is safer, its what Ive been taught all my life.

It's people like you that I can not stand, there is no reason to have them on, especially on an SUV unless you need them. The fogs no a Sequoia sit up high and will blind on coming motorist. And no it's not any safer to drive with your lights on during a bright sunny day, over cast days I will agree with you.

As I recall, they teach you in (Michigan) drivers education classes to have your brights on with no oncoming traffic because of the horrible deer problem in our State. That, and of course, it helps you see better...

Yup that's what they taught us, we even had a night drive during my drivers training so they could show us...like I didn't know how to use high beams .

I've never encountered foglights which can be turned on with just parking lights ("sidelights"). You normally need at least dipped headlights for foglights to come on when selected. Are you sure you don't have driving lights you're confusing with foglights?

I could have the fogs and parking lamps on with the Blazer. They were stock as well.

 

[V1P3R]

But if they come on with your sidelights (or parking lights), they aren't foglights.

Well... I can turn them on whenever because it's a totally different system than what the car came with. They could be used for true "day time running lights" which sounds really g...

Speaking of Day time running lights, how is it different than running around with your parking lights on? I mean, yeah... so the rear lights aren't on but say for instance on certain GM cars for a while were using the amber parking lights for the "day time running lights"

 

[Joey D]

Speaking of Day time running lights, how is it different than running around with your parking lights on? I mean, yeah... so the rear lights aren't on but say for instance on certain GM cars for a while were using the amber parking lights for the "day time running lights"

Parking lamps typically were never very bright, although GM has changed that since they are pretty annoying now and you can see them a long ways down the road.

 

[Famine]

I could have the fogs and parking lamps on with the Blazer. They were stock as well.

Whoah! Brightest. Foglights. EVER.

Sure they aren't spotlights?

 

[GilesGuthrie]

I've never encountered foglights which can be turned on with just parking lights ("sidelights"). You normally need at least dipped headlights for foglights to come on when selected. Are you sure you don't have driving lights you're confusing with foglights?

Dunno what you're driving mate, because pretty much every car I've ever driven has been able to run in the "sidelights+front fogs" configuration. Unless you omitted to specify rear fogs in your post?

 

[Joey D]

Whoah! Brightest. Foglights. EVER.

Sure they aren't spotlights?

They were Silverstar bulbs in the factory housings, also the camera was on some weird setting to amplify the light...they were quite bright though.

 

[Takumi Fujiwara]

My car is strange. (The WRX) It seems to use the same bulb for the parking lights and the DRLs, but, while they work fine if I click the headlight stalk one click, if I hit the parking light switch on top of the steering column, one is sometimes out.

 

[Famine]

Dunno what you're driving mate, because pretty much every car I've ever driven has been able to run in the "sidelights+front fogs" configuration. Unless you omitted to specify rear fogs in your post?

My front and rear fog switches have always been useless toggling things on all of my cars until at least the dipped headlights were switched on. Including the MX-3 which doesn't come in any configuration which doesn't have front foglights.

 

[bennyrrr]

Dont worry Joey, in 2500 miles away hahaha. I drive with em on because it makes the SUV look cooler, and Ive never had anyone get pissed at me for driving with em on.

 

[Slick Rick]

I thought it was a bit obvious that fog lights were meant to be used when theres fog or poor visibility. Why would anyone want to keep them on all the time? Especially during the day!! Its pretty stupid and annoying imo...
If you think your car looks good with them on why dont you just switch them on when your parked so you can admire them when you go to the shops, fill up, whatever. Not on the road where poor motorists coming in the other direction get blinded when you drive past!

 

[V1P3R]

Well and transversly... I never understood the concept of "driving lights" since you have Headlights already.

 

[Famine]

I thought it was a bit obvious that fog lights were meant to be used when theres fog or poor visibility. Why would anyone want to keep them on all the time? Especially during the day!! Its pretty stupid and annoying imo...
If you think your car looks good with them on why dont you just switch them on when your parked so you can admire them when you go to the shops, fill up, whatever. Not on the road where poor motorists coming in the other direction get blinded when you drive past!

Foglights are angled sharply down to the ground. Foglights should never blind other drivers.

 

[Slick Rick]

Foglights are angled sharply down to the ground. Foglights should never blind other drivers.

I uhhh....sit quite low in my car... I was ranting about the wrong thing then I think its those bright hid lights that piss me off then.