What are fog lights and when should you use them?

Are you in the dark regarding fog lights? Allow us to shed some light on the matter. Fog lights are intended to improve vision in, well, fog. Although the name suggests the game, there is still considerable uncertainty about when and how they should be employed.

Aside from fog, fog lights are used to assist drivers in a variety of poor visibility situations when traditional head and taillights may be ineffective. We cover all you need to know about fog lights in this article, from when and how to use them to the rules that govern their use and placement.

By legislation, at least one rear fog light must be installed.

Optional front fog lights

Fog lights should only be utilized when vision is poor.

When the sky is clear, you must not utilize fog lights.

What are fog lights used for?

Fog lights are intended to improve visibility when poor weather reduces your ability to see the road ahead. Because they are situated lower than the front headlights, front fog lights can cut through mist, fog, rain, or even dust.

Front fog lights are typically located in the bumper beneath each headlight.

Rear fog lights employ high-intensity bulbs to cut through mist and fog and warn other drivers of your presence.

On an automobile, where are the fog lights?

Front fog lights are often situated low down, beneath the headlights.They light up the road just front of the car. Front fog lights are not required by law, and many manufacturers do not include them on their base models, instead saving them for higher trim levels.

When visibility is poor, rear fog lights are integrated into the rear light cluster and glow directly backwards, alerting the car behind you of your presence. In the United Kingdom, having at least one rear fog lamp is a legal necessity, and it must be installed on the vehicle's center or offside rear.

Daytime running lights (DRL) have been required in the UK since 2011, although they are not the same as fog lights and do not improve visibility in severe weather. They are constantly on and are intended to make your vehicle more visible rather than to offer additional illumination.

When should fog lights be used?

When vision is reduced, such as when it snows or there is dense fog or mist obscuring the road ahead, fog lights come in handy.They can also be useful when there is a lot of spray on the road.

In these situations, using your high lights might actually limit your vision since the strong light bounces off the fog or mist, making it even more difficult to see ahead.

According to the highway rules, you must not use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is severely limited. Using this word indicates that something is a mandate, not a suggestion.

Because fog lights can dazzle other drivers, they should only be utilized when absolutely required.

This is due to the fact that improperly used fog lights may dazzle or blind drivers, while rear fog lights can conceal your brake lights. The usual guideline is that you should use them only when you can't see more than 100 meters ahead; this also applies to headlights. The highway rules also requires you to turn off both the front and rear fog lights when visibility improves.

You don't always need to turn on both front and rear fog lights; under normal driving circumstances, the front ones should never be used to light the road; your headlights are for that. Use common judgment; if it's foggy but you can see the road ahead, there's no need to wear them.

When visibility is poor, turn on your rear fog lights; they are designed to inform other road users of your presence, not merely to give you a better view of what's behind you.

How do I activate my fog lights?

There are several ways to activate your fog lights depending on the make and model of your vehicle.To regulate the fog lights, there will either be a separate button on the dashboard or a function on your indicator stalk.

Fog light controls are frequently seen near headlight switches.

Some vehicles feature a rotary knob on the dashboard that may be pulled or pushed to activate the fog lights, while others have buttons adjacent to this knob that do the same function.

How can I know whether my fog lights are turned on?

Like the headlights, most vehicles will have a sign that illuminates on the dashboard or driver display to indicate that the fog lights are turned on.

The front fog lights (if equipped) are represented by an oval-shaped bulb with three diagonal lines connected by a wavy vertical line to the left of it.

The rear fog light emblem is an oval-shaped lamp with three horizontal lines divided by a wavy vertical line on the right.

When should I turn off my fog lights?

The Highway Code requires drivers to turn off their fog lights when visibility improves. Leaving the front ones on may dazzle oncoming vehicles, while leaving the rear fog light (or lights) on may obscure the brake lights. When the vehicle is parked, neither the front nor rear fog lights may be left on. You might be punished if you use your fog lights inappropriately.

Do all automobiles have fog lights?

As a legal requirement in the United Kingdom, all vehicles must have at least one rear fog light. They must be installed in the vehicle's center or offside rear.

Front fog lights are not necessary, and most manufacturers save them for higher-priced vehicles. They are often installed low down into the bumper, below the headlights.

Some automobiles may feature a small LED strip on the front; these are Daytime Running Lights (DRL), which have been standard on all new cars in the UK since 2011. They illuminate when the automobile is turned on and serve to make the vehicle more visible to other road users. They do not serve the same purpose as front fog lights.