Fog light etiquette

[Amail]

I usually drive around with my fog lights on in the daytime to make the car more visible. While scanning through another thread, I find that is actually somebody's pet peeve!

Am I commiting some sort of road-going faux-pas?

[legion]

On all of the vehicles I own (and have owned) with fog lights (driving lights, actually), I turn them on with the headlights. In my case, the foglights always pointed down at a greater angle than the headlights. They fill in the area between where the headlights hit the ground and the front of the car. They also have always had a wider projection than the headlights close to the car, allowing me to see curbs and road lines much clearer when parking.

My old 300D had true, amber-colored fog lights. I only used those in fog.

[notfarnow]

To clarify, I always thought amber lights were "fog lights", and clear lights were "driving lights".

[Rick Lee]

I got pulled over in Germany for running my foglights in a torrential downpour. Female cop was not pleased she had to get of her car and tell me. Because I speak German like a native, she was particularly irked, thinking I was local and should have known better. They have some law about not running fog lights unless visability is under 10 meters or something like that. She let me go with a warning.

[masraum]

Originally posted by notfarnow
To clarify, I always thought amber lights were "fog lights", and clear lights were "driving lights".

THe difference between fog and driving is the light pattern.

Driving is a long reach light, fog is a short wide pattern.

[Amail]

Originally posted by masraum
Driving is a long reach light, fog is a short wide pattern.

In that case I drive with fog lights. Clear, by the way.

If anyone has been bothered by them being on, either I couldn't tell or I'm not that observant.

[stevepaa]

I just added a relay into my 964 and my clear fog lights are now daytime running lights. I used to run with with my headlights on all the time.

[tcar]

Fog lights shouldn't bother other drivers much, but driving lights will; they're like super high beams.

Fogs can be yellow or clear. I've never seen yellow driving lights.

[pwd72s]

Early 911 factory fogs, the through the grill type, can only come on when your headlights are on low beam. Meaning, that's the way the factory wired them.

[Joeaksa]

Its illegal to run with either your front or rear fog lights on in Europe unless vis is low. You will get a ticket for doing it and frankly I feel that its correct. Fog lights are for fog and most people do not have them aimed correctly and they shine in people's eyes.

Sorry to be a bit difficult but in this case I feel that the Europeans are correct. Fog lights are for fog and when its not foggy, turn them off.

Joe A

[Amail]

I suspect the reason it's illegal to run them in Europe is that fog light installations are not as rigorously specified as headlights. If all fog lights were aimed correctly, ie not in other's eyes, then I can't see any reason not to use them all the time, and the only reason they'd be illegal is because some lawmaker doesn't like the look.

Living in Phoenix, I'm sure you're familiar with stretches of desert road where it is mandatory to turn on your headlights, even in daylight. It's a visibility issue.

[Purrybonker]

Originally posted by Amail
Am I commiting some sort of road-going faux-pas?

Yes, and your table manners could use a bit of work as well.

This is a huge irritation for me and I'm a really easy going guy. Every dork in an SUV feels the need to snap on the fogs as a matter of course these days. Makes for a really nice, distracting light show (particularily for vehicles of lesser height) for everyone else on the road.

Fogs provide zero incremental visibility for in-city drivers and have become a simple fashion statement - like the wise man said.

Pathetic, irritating, distracting and illegal in several jurisdictions.

[tcar]

Originally posted by SoCal911SC
The most disturbing recent trend on a lot of cars is REAR fog lights. So now morons can get 360 degree annoyance coverage on clear, well lit nights.

Front and REAR fogs are required in Europe... northern Euorope anyway.

[Rodeo]

Originally posted by Purrybonker
Yes, and your table manners could use a bit of work as well.

This is a huge irritation for me and I'm a really easy going guy. Every dork in an SUV feels the need to snap on the fogs as a matter of course these days. Makes for a really nice, distracting light show (particularily for vehicles of lesser height) for everyone else on the road.

Fogs provide zero incremental visibility for in-city drivers and have become a simple fashion statement - like the wise man said.

Pathetic, irritating, distracting and illegal in several jurisdictions.

What he said!

[tcar]

Originally posted by SoCal911SC
Are they required to be ON AND BLAZING at all times, including on clear nights on well lit city streets?

If so, Northern Europe is retarded.

Chill. Read Joe A's post above. Illegal unless it's foggy.

Most people (in US) w/ rear fogs on probably don't even know they have rear fogs. "Hmm what does this switch do... hmm, nothing I guess."

[Amail]

Originally posted by Rodeo
What he said!

Wow, double whammy! I'll work on my table manners, though I'm kinda partial to elbows on the table. You may have to suffer along.

I guess I'm not familiar with these killer fog lights you guys are so upset with. I'm in a plain vanilla sedan, no SUV. My lights just kinda point onto the road in front of the car. No illuminating the rear window of the guy in front or anything like that.

So is your beef with lights that shine in your eyes, or just lights other than headlights in general? I can't believe that it offers no incremental visibility, else why are dtr lights a good idea?

My gripe is jacked up truck headlights that shine *directly* into my mirrors from behind. People that don't redirect their lights once they've lifted the vehicle should be cited. And taught better table manners.

[Phat Ham]

The fogs in my 540 are pretty much cosmetic. They are useless as actual foglights, and I find it hard to believe they cause more irritation to other drivers than the HID low beams. I leave them on for visibility.

My m3's fogs are a lot better at being actual foglights. The US spec low beams leave a lot to be desired, and leaving the fogs on actually does help me see better at night. The plan is to get euro projectors and possibly HID's, at which time I'll likely remove the foglights altogether.

I've never found fog lights on other cars to be irritating or distracting.

[kjb]

Originally posted by Amail
I can't believe that it offers no incremental visibility, else why are dtr lights a good idea?

If it's dark and clear, your visibility will be less with the fog lights on. Your eyes adapt to the extra close range light and will have a harder time seeing details further away from the car.

There's more good reading at this link:

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/fog_lamps/fog_lamps.html

/ J

[Rodeo]

If you are looking immediately in front of your car, the only place fog lights illuminate, and you are traveling at normal speeds, you are an accident waiting to happen. Shut em' off. If they even have a possiblity of annoying others (and they do), they do more harm than good.

[stevepaa]

Properly aimed fogs are better to use as daytime running lights than headlights. I always drive with lights on in all my cars. With the Porsche I can just use fogs in the daytime instead of the brighter and higher headlights. I use them so that I am seen better by others.