Fog lights

[Lord Tyrion]

Thought this might be an interesting one for people to check how well they know their own cars. We've had a lot of fog up here this weekend, some genuinely thick stuff and I've seen a range of fog lights on display.

I discovered that my car does not have any front fog lights and its rear one is simply some LED lights within the rear cluster, driver side only.

As it happens, with the advent of LED headlights and rear lights, do you actually need fog lights any more? Standard lights on most cars are bright enough that the extra brightness is unnecessary.

So, what does your car have?

(let's not have the obvious rants about people turning them on and then not turning them off)

 

[Neilds]

New car (and old Focus) have front and rear. Never used the front ones and rarely used the rear ones - always taught that if you could see the headlights of the car behind you, they could see you so don't need to turn them off.

Apologies if last sentence was off topic

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Have rear and front fog lights

Can’t recall the last time I needed them on

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

My little Cooper Works Mini has H8 bulb front fog lights built into the bumper and a single rear fog light in the drivers side cluster. But they’re never used a if it’s foggy I’m not taking that car out. Mrs M uses it for her daily commute to work but doubt she even knows how to turn them on

My everyday car DS7, has LED front fogs that have cornering function( no idea why the fog logs need it) and has no rear fog lights as it has 3D LED lighting set up designed to be bright enough even in the fog. I’ve used my fogs lights on it once which was over Christmas as it was literally so thick out I don’t think I should have been driving but had no choice due to something that had occurred.

 

[Robster59]

My Skoda Superb has front and rear fog lights seperate from the main lights. I do use the rear lights whenever its foggy and they are definitely brighter than the standard ones. For the front, I have used them and turned the main beam off as they cut under the fog and you get less light bounce back.

 

[GreiginFife]

Dual rear LED fog lights at the back built in to the clusters. No front fog units but when the rear fog is turned on the lower LED array in the front lights goes a bit brighter giving a more road level light source (kind of mimicking old style fogs).

 

[Pants]

My understanding has always been that front fog lights are mounted low to prevent your own headlights reflecting back and dazzling you. Rear fog lights, on the other hand, should be as bright as possible so that anyone charging up behind you has no excuse for not seeing you in time.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

My current VW T6 and my previous Mazda 3 haa/had them, my current CX5 doesnt.
I miss them on the CX5.
Front fogs to me are tonlight under fog and highlight kerbside possible issues.
The rear fog is only put on if I cannot see the normal rear lights of a vehicle in front around 100m in front. A rear fog is an "I am here" message, front fogs are for me to see the nearside.

 

[Imurg]

Front and rears on mine..
I've never found front fogs to be much use at all...they just don't seem to project enough to warrant them being there.
Rear fogs go on when visibility drops to a PW length......that's not very far when you're driving....
But lots of people either don't bother or simply drive too fast when it's foggy.

 

[jim8flog]

The web says all cars manufactured after 1980 must be fitted with a rear fog light.

I hate it when the driver in front leaves them on when I can clearly see them without it on.

My car has front fog lights but I have never used them, and I cannot remember ever using them on any car.

In the local papers I have seen reports of drivers being done for leaving their fog lights on when they were no longer needed and even my dad got pulled over because he had left his on.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

The web says all cars manufactured after 1980 must be fitted with a rear fog light.

I hate it when the driver in front leaves them on when I can clearly see them without it on.

My car has front fog lights but I have never used them, and I cannot remember ever using them on any car.

In the local papers I have seen reports of drivers being done for leaving their fog lights on when they were no longer needed and even my dad got pulled over because he had left his on.

I do wonder why mfrs don't have the fog lights switching off automatically once a car has been turned off. Press a button to turn them on, either press again to turn off or they turn off when the car is turned off. Each time you start the car, you have to press the button if you want them on. This would remove the issue of lights being left on. Can't be that tricky

 

[anotherdouble]

My 70 plate focus has fog lights reset to off when engine switched off

 

[KenL]

I do wonder why mfrs don't have the fog lights switching off automatically once a car has been turned off. Press a button to turn them on, either press again to turn off or they turn off when the car is turned off. Each time you start the car, you have to press the button if you want them on. This would remove the issue of lights being left on. Can't be that tricky

I think every car I’ve had in the last 25 years has had self cancelling fog lights.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I think every car I’ve had in the last 25 years has had self cancelling fog lights.

Genuinely not had a car do that, and I used to lease cars changing every 3 years. What brands?

 

[KenL]

Genuinely not had a car do that, and I used to lease cars changing every 3 years. What brands?

Mini, Audi, Ford - definitely.
I had a VW Golf 2004 -06 and I am pretty sure it was the same.
Turn ignition off then on, fog lights off if they had been on.

In the Ford Fiesta I have now, the auto lights also reset to back on.

 

[larmen]

Old Ford Focus, never used them.


What’s the actual legislation here?
I took my test in Germany and there it is that at less than 50m view you switch them on and the maximum speed you can drive is 50 km/h. View above 50m and you must have them off.

When I did my motorcycle license here we never talked about fog. I don’t have any lights for it either.

 

[Imurg]

Genuinely not had a car do that, and I used to lease cars changing every 3 years. What brands?

Citroën- so I guess Peugeot and Renault too - have had this for years....at least since 2004.