Some mornings, our publisher Matt likes to call me. Well, “likes” may be strong; I think he tries to call our managing editor Peter first, and if Peter is unavailable or on a bender, Matt will settle for calling me. Usually he just recounts his most recent erotic dream involving Bebe Neuwirth (“we were trapped on an oil rig” or “her and I were teamed up on the Olympic mixed-doubles sensual massage team”) or describes, in remarkable detail, his most recent rashes. Sure, there’s also plenty of work talk (“we can make vowels only visible to members”) but today Matt had a genuinely interesting question: do I use my fog lights?
As always, a question a child might ask, but not a childish question. Fog lights! I love fog lights! Now, I should clarify that I’m very old school when it comes to fog lamps; I tend to think only of the yellow lamps as fog lights, and the clear/white ones I think of as driving lights. I think this sort of distinction is largely considered obsolete, and almost all auxiliary front-facing lighting is called a fog light today.
Lots of cars have fog lights built in, and I have two cars in my fleet with fog lights right now: my 1990 Nissan Pao, which has add-on yellow fog lights, and my 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan, which has integrated clear fog lights from the factory. I drive the Pao a lot more than the Tiguan, and I prefer its add-on yellow fog lights much, much more, but I do regularly use fog lights on both cars.
On the Tiguan, I like the fog lights on dark roads, as they cast more light on the road surface itself, which I find helpful. The Pao’s fogs are usually pointed in a similar downward orientation, casting two pleasing saffron-colored oblongs on the road. Of course, sometimes I lean up against one of the lights, and then it serves to light up the tops of trees in a yellowish glow, freaking out the squirrels.
In the Pao, I think I use my fogs both for throwing some extra light on the road, and, equally importantly, to make my car more visible itself. I don’t have DRLs or anything, so sometimes I use the fogs during overcast days or around dusk just to make my car more obvious. I also just love the way they look, to be honest. A nice set of large, round, yellow foglamps makes even the most boring car seem significantly more fun and exciting.
Now, the big question is probably do these lights actually help in foggy weather? I think the yellow ones sort of do, as I tend to get less glare in fog than from the white ones, but I’m not sure there’s any actual magical fog-penetrating going on. I’ve heard and read some conflicting studies, but overall I think it is accepted that yellow fog lights do scatter less and provide less glare in foggy conditions. It has something to do with a phenomenon known as “Rayleigh scattering,” and, again, I’m not exactly sure just how much difference there really is, but I feel like the glare from yellow lights is a little less pronounced than from white.
But who knows? I think I mostly use them because it makes me happy.
Rear fog lights, like those required in the UK, are a different sort of thing, I think. I think they unquestionably make your car more visible from the rear in foggy conditions, and they probably should be more common here in America.
What about you? Do you have foglights? If so do you use them, and if so, how? Or why? Tell me, dammit!
Neither car in our fleet has fog lights thanks to both being base models. Sooooo I suppose I don’t use fog lights at all.
One of the fog lights on my ’11 Fit Sport was smashed out by a stone so I taped it up with thick tape for a track-day. I couldn’t see a difference in how much it lit up the road before and after I taped over it. But it’s also one of those ‘must have the headlights on’ fog-light switches.
I like fog lights. I think they look cool! Due to my lack of skills in electronics I wired the halo/ angel eye aftermarket headlights into the fog light switch on my E85, so whenever I switch on the headlights I automatically press the fog light button too.
On my Camaro I have also rewired the fog lights to be on with the DRL. I started with white then was inspired by Initial D and changed to yellow when the white ones failed. Now I am in the process of installing halo fog lights that have both yellow or white, but I am waiting on finding some free time to design and 3D print some brackets to get them properly installed.
I put OEM fogs on my ’06 xB (it was really easy because of the pre-wiring) but can’t really tell the difference when they’re on or off. They only work when the headlights are on. The xB now seems like a very small car so the extra visibility is probably helpful.
I’m in the UK, so I only turn fog lights on when the visibility is below 100 meters, as is the law. So maybe ten times a year?
Front fog lights have a particular beam pattern, like dipped beams but lower. The idea is that they illuminate low down and produce less glare back at you than dipped beams. I’ve never found them to help much, except in cars with pop-up lights where the glare back at you is horrific in thick fog. I used to use the front fogs a lot on my mk2 MR2, and they really helped. Not just in fog, but also in heavy snow.
Rear fog lights I will turn off if there is a car close behind me as they don’t need the glare. My GT86 doesn’t allow rear fogs on without the fronts, which is a shame as the fronts do nothing useful.
Using fog lights (front and rear) is only allowed in Germany if there’s actual fog, and as that never happens, I never used mine. I don’t even know for sure if my car has front fog lights.
here in some place especially in countryside area you’re expected to turn off your headlight when driving in residential area because it could be ‘blinding’ to somebody who might be in ‘nightwatch’ or just hanging around in the front of their house so for me, I use only fog light in this condition since usually fog light is located quite low so it doesn’t shine directly to people but it is bright enough for me to see the road
That is a remarkable restriction!
Fog lights are only fog lights if the headlights can be turned off while the fog lights are on. If the headlights have to be on, then the fog lights are totally negated. I use mine once or twice a year, typically in snowy blizzard conditions. My wife’s vehicle is the one we drive the most so therefore we get caught in the most in bad weather conditions in it. It irks me to no end that the headlights have to be on for the fog lights to be on. I actually see better with with only the parking lights on, but then safety becomes a concern of others seeing me.
He is correct. Headlights on while using fogs- cancels out the usefulness of the fogs. It is illegal in some countries. My Opel Manta would only let the fogs be on if the headlights were off. Turn the HL on? The fogs wentoff by themselves.
That electrical defect can be fixed.
If that’s true, then none of the cars I have owned had fog lights. They all needed the headlights on to operate, as they have always been in the knob/dial position after the one that turns on the headlights,
So…then they are just……low power lights?
“How Do You Use Your Fog Lights?”
Umm, to illuminate the darkness when sunlight alone isn’t doing enough? By way of a switch or toggle?
I mean, I used to take them out in the woods to scare small children by the campfire, but it turns out that’s frowned upon.
I have multiple cars that I have owned for a decade or more that I’ve never used the fog lights on. They go in the same category as sunroofs and moonroofs…..absolutely useless.
I have retrofitted several cars with rear fog lights. Those are a different story. I use them dozens of times/year in fog and mostly in moderate to heavy snow.
Amber fog lights? Not a fan. I had them on a Mercedes 240D and converted them to H4 driving lights connected to the high beams. I currently have an Alfa GTV 2000 that was factory equipped with amber fogs. I have not converted them simply because I don’t drive it at night enough. I think amber lights are a bone thrown to the French so they do feel so stupid for making headlights yellow in the 60’s
A few vehicles (F-Series pickup for instance) have aftermarket lights that fit into factory mounting points. I have converted those vehicles to driving lights wired to high beams.
To me, fog lights are any beam that has a short but broad reach. Great for lighting up ditches, but angled driving lights do it better.
I had retrofitted H4s in amber lenses for the fogs on my 300TD and really found them useful the few times we had snow I drove at night in. Other than that, they did look cool on that lowered purple thing. Worth it.
Cornering lights are different.
Fog lamps are identifiable by their razor edge cutoff.
That is why aiming is so sensitive.
Feel bad about being Danny downer on this subject but I have to call it like I see it, or maybe them is more appropriate.
I sometimes turn mine on in the AM (with parking lights) when having headlights on isn’t really necessary. In a 98 ZJ, they just let a car know you are there, they don’t really provide illumination.
So many people misjudge when to turn headlamps on, or fail to, due to thinking running lights are enough, that it is illegal in my state to turn on any lights without the headlamps on.
Fog lamps when needed would be the only exception, since fog lamps cannot work when the headlamps are on.
Yeah most of our vehicles have factory fog lights and yes that is what is installed in cars today. One way you can tell on a US spec car is that they go of when you turn on the high beams.
The purpose of the fog light is two fold. #1 it is supposed to be mounted low to the ground so it shines underneath a fog that settles from above, or at least is the less dense area. #2 is they are designed with a wide pattern so that you can clearly see the Fog Line right in front of the vehicle, while the headlights shine further down the road and less to the side.
Because of that yes my Fogs are turned on and the car is on the autolamp setting so they are always on when the headlights are on. I live in a rural area w/o many street lights so that wide pattern is an almost passable substitue for one of the best defunct lighting features, cornering lights, a white light that shines to the side when the turn signal is activated.
Of course just because I do have a couple of one of the last cars to come with cornering lights doesn’t mean that I don’t have those set to on as well.
Like you I do think of yellow when I think of fog lights, even if it isn’t more effective, I do think it looks cool. I have put yellow bulbs in the fogs of some of my vehicles. So yeah I’ve put the yellow bulbs in the fog lights of some of our cars.
So yeah “upgrade” your VW, Silviana, Optilux by Hella and Hella all offer yellow options for the fog bulbs. I also saw an add for a Yellow/Amber film to put on the lens like tinting a window, didn’t click on the ad so no idea who it was that sold it.
My 4Runner has LED headlights standard, the usual bright white Toyota special that’s typical these days. The high beams are halogen, but later models just “uncover” the rest of the LED which doesn’t quite sit right with me how the only difference then is aiming.
I’ve adjusted them down farther than they came stock especially since the softer suspension can blind folks as it bounces along. They’re below the rear window of most any car on level ground.
I modified the fog lights so that I can turn them on separately – otherwise they are only able to be used with the headlights on.
I use them in well-lit areas or not-dark conditions where the DRL’s are too dim so drivers and pedestrians farther ahead aren’t blinded if I hit any slight incline in the pavement.
I know it’s not “proper” especially without fog in recent memory but I feel better not seeing people’s faces lit up.
especially since no lights and high beams are my top, common pet peeves.
Wait, I have fog lights? Crap I totally forgot about them
My dad’s 89 f250 got them because the headlights were useless in snow up close, where as the aftermarket things lit up the lane markings close to the truck.
Wrx got deleted because useless.
Svx, also useless. Let’s hear it for “fog” lamps as high as the headlights. Same enclosure too.
F150 kinda useless, as I preferred to use them without headlights but with marker lights in town w bad weather. But laws said no.
Oh yah SHO removed them because the ground liked to re-aim them at passing ufo.
For style points. They used to be good for low speed, winding roads at night. But when I switched to a car with the headlights that turn with the steering wheel, that worked so much better.
In inclimate weather I turn on the fogs to increase my visibility to other drivers. As for helping me see better, useless. However, I’ve never had yellow foglights. Maybe they’re better.
I am not really sure if my frog lights have a separate switch.
Fog lights? I thought they were frog lights. I used them for going frog gigging at night. This makes so much more sense. I guess the weather people weren’t saying it’s getting froggy tonight describing Friday and Saturday night fights at the High School and College football games.
However the yellow white argument is easier to solve as in Pennsylvania they have both yellow and white street lights at state route off ramps. If it is yellow you can see better,but if it is white it is like a blizzard. My vote only yellow light is fog light white light is frog light light. Ribbit
Pure amber light from a native source amber like low pressure sodium, or native amber LED, NOT filtered, will let you see in monochrome, black and white.
This may be helpful.
Tests on amber fog lamps have been dismal, equal to running dimmer bulbs.
In intense fog, you only see outlines, equivalent to black and white.
Better than nothing.
Finally, my daily (nightly) internal monologue/rant can be released on an appropriate audience! Although, it seems I will not be well received after reading the current comments.
I basically hate fog lights at this point because they are just extra light (pollution) in my face while driving, everywhere I go. In this central Texas city, fog is not a common occurrence for most of the year, yet people leave them on eternally. The consensus here in the early comments so far seems to be that it helps you to see and be seen better. While I will happily grant an exception to one of my favorite 1990 Nissan Pao owning authors, the rest of you are mostly wrong. I seem to recall many people in agreement here once that modern headlights have become so bright as to be dangerous to oncoming traffic yet it seems everyone here wants to add more light to the front of their cars. Two headlights are more than enough to be seen (small, old, or weird cars like a Pao still excepted) and adding more just decreases an oncoming driver’s ability to see surrounding objects at night. The yellow ones are often much worse (brighter) and I have been blinded by some in broad daylight! As far as helping you see, I don’t get that either.
Most cars’ fog/driving lights just illuminate the ground right in front of the car. Unless you’re creeping along at .5 mph trying to find a lost nickel or donut on your street at night, it doesn’t really help you. I have flicked the fog lights on and off and it made no appreciable difference while driving, even the few times it was foggy.
I will admit that I thought they made the car look cool but I think that was when I was a teenager and my mom bought a V6 Camry in the early 90s. Now I’m old(er) and I just bought a new to me G70 manual. It doesn’t have fog lights and it doesn’t bother me one bit. I’m just happy to be shifting gears again.
I agree and disagree. Proper fog lights aimed properly in no way blind an on coming driver. They are the equivalent of a yellow light on a traffic light. However the addition of extra lights on most vehicles should be banned. I ran into a convoy of overlit semi trucks all over lit as we met up at the fuel pumps I had to ask why they were so overwhelmed with lights? They said for safety. I unwisely responded well you’re so lit up I can’t see a damn thing so it’s not safe I thought you guys were going to a #@& &$#@* parade. They like here sometimes did not get my sense of humor.
You are correct. Generally, fog lights do not blind me and I’m mostly referring to just the added light in my field of vision. I occasionally see cars and trucks with some kind of orange or yellow after market fog lights that are so obnoxiously bright that the street, cars, and trees around them glow too. During the day I’ve seen them and it was maybe even harder to look at for some reason. It was similar to the ones driving around with a really bright light bar on their bumper. Then there are the people with bright blue lights now, too.
I think it’s silly when I see lifted trucks driving around glowing from various truck orifices. Ironically, I must admit that I like some of the semi trucks that were all lit up on the interstate, although, still not the ones blinding me with added bright white lights.
Thank you, totally agree, just added glare with minimal utility. Add in the bastards that leave them on constantly, they can KMA.
Both of our cars have LED headlights with auto high beams. I haven’t touched the fog light switch in years.
The only car I’ve owned with yellow fogs was an ’87 Acura Legend. On that car, I used them all the time.
I was just thinking about the ’88 Integra I bought from my brother around ’98. I don’t think it had fog lights but I remember that when I turned on the headlights, the idle/rpms would noticeably drop. I think about that still and how every light requires a little bit of gas. I know it is slight to negligible, especially now with LEDs, but it is still something.
Back in the day of the OG Civc the tune up sticker specificially noted to set the Idle speed with headlights ON.
I use them in fog, very heavy rain when visibility is limited, or on dark off-road trails.
I also think the US is missing out on rear fog lights.
Unfortunately, people are not used to it and would leave them on all the time, and that’d be annoying.
Before I became aware of rear fog lights, my younger self thought all German cars had defective taillights.
“All the time, day and night, in all weather.” 97% of the vehicles on the road will obliterate my 30+ year-old cars in a collision, so I’ll take as much help as possible in avoiding that. Of all the sins being routinely committed by today’s automobiles, owners, and drivers mine are quite venal. I’ll owe you a few Hail Marys.
I recall a lot of aftermarket driving lamp tests and reviews in the car mags back in the day. The mandated seal-beam headlights of the time generally sucked, and everyone wanted supplemental lighting to project a useful distance down the road. I don’t see or read much about them anymore — possibly because modern headlights are better, and today’s front-end designs don’t always provide a good mounting point.
Fog lamps have a specific beam pattern, with a low cutoff so as not to reflect off moisture directly into the driver’s eyes. This is effective if you can use them as intended: instead of the regular headlights. Factory fog lamp setups for the US don’t allow this, so they’re useless decoration.
“How Do You Use Your Fog Lights?” I don’t. ????????️
We had a 87 Cherokee and then a 97 Impreza that had aftermarket fogs installed with their own battery hard wiring and switches. We could turn off the headlights and run only the fogs when needed.
I had a CJ with independently wired fogs, too — very effective. It was easy to bolt them on that big steel bumper. Harder to find a sturdy spot on today’s plastic-covered fascia.
So many cars now come with useless fogs built-in, and people don’t know what they’re missing, so they’re not motivated to add anything.
That big steel bumper was pretty glorious. I tapped a lot of stuff with mine in my youth and it still looked brand new.
This is The Way
I still haven’t done the wiring on the shabby wrx such that I can run the lower/fog lights by themselves. We don’t really get snow lately so I haven’t bothered
I grew up in northern Michigan (the UP) and when the blizzards hit those independent fogs were clutch.
Argh, my perfect face-covered-in-fog emoji got converted to “????????️”