![]() "You MUST NOT use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226) as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights. The Highway Code gives explicit instruction on when you shouldn't use fog lights, in Rule 236: But do try and check that they are definitely off if you are still going to drive with your headlights on. If you've broken up your journey, then there's every chance that the fog lights have turned themselves off when you switched off your car's ignition, so they will only come back on if you switch them on yourself. Be aware of prevailing weather conditions - while fog usually forms in the early morning, it will melt away as the sun rises, so if you've started your day with your fog lights on, make sure you continue to evaluate the situation and turn them off when the weather is clear. If the fog has cleared, you must switch off your fog lights because you risk dazzling other road users. If there's fog, the roads are likely to be slippery, too, so give yourself more room to brake and slow down. Use common sense - if you can't see very far ahead, slow down, and keep a good distance to the car in front of you. Of course fog lights are a useful extra tool when visibility is poor, but they won't make you invincible. Use this rule, and it's clear that it's only going to be in the foggiest or snowiest conditions that fog lights should be used. ![]() So a good rule of thumb for using your fog lights is whether you can see the next street light up the road from the one you're passing. In the UK, street lights on 30mph roads are placed no more than 200 yards (183 metres) apart. So let’s explain when you should use them, and more importantly, when they should stay off.Ĭar headlights explained: LED, halogen, xenon, laser and future headlight tech Some drivers seem to think that the slightest bit of mist is reason enough to turn on fog lights, but that is certainly not a reason to turn them on. Most fog lights are designed to go off when the car's ignition or lights are turned off, so the most likey reason why a car is driving in clear weather with fog lights on is because the driver is not paying attention and has failed to turn them off. For rear facing fog lights, the symbol will be pointing in the opposite direction to the headlamp symbol, while the front foglight symbol (you've guessed it) points in the same direction as the headlight symbol. ![]() It's usually near the symbol that shows that the lights are on. Most cars will have a symbol in the instrument cluster that will tell you when the fog lights are on. Some cars use the rotary light switch control to activate them - simply pull the switch towards you, and the fog lights will come on. Some cars use buttons to activate them - one for the rear, one for the front (where front fog lights are fitted) - while others feature a collar on the light stalk that you turn back and forth to turn them on. How to use your car’s fog lightsįog lights are usually operated by a separate switch from the main light controls. These serve a similar purpose to front fog lights when visibility is poor - they're not designed to light your way (even though some are so bright that they can do exactly that), but rather they're designed to make you more visible to other road users. Some newer cars have foregone front fog lights in favour of the bright LED daytime running lights (DRLs) that are now a legal requirement on new models. They’re also useful to help you be seen when driving in fog but if you spend any time driving in inclement weather in the UK, you're likely to come across a driver that doesn't know how to use them properly. You'll usually find front fog lights fitted to mid-spec models and upwards, partly as an aesthetic feature that helps differentiate these cars from the most basic versions. However, UK law dictates that a fog light must be included in the tail lights at the rear of a car, while front fog lights are a useful extra that car makers can use to attract buyers to higher spec models. Car lights have come on in leaps and bounds in the past few year, to the extent that fog lights almost seem unnecessary these days.
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