Fog Lights in the rain

[TGTP]

I would like to hear everyones opinion
Driving on a motorway in heavy rain and reduced visibility because of spray. Do you use your fog lights?
The Highway Code says use them in reduced visability however there is then the problem with dazzling other users.
Today I decided the conditions merited them being used, only to be flashed up by a “ C Class”

 

[Teego]

Nope. Don't use front or rear in rain. They are fog lights.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

Fog lights in rain are incredibly dazzling for any following traffic. I’ve always been of the view the clue is in the name... fog lights, not rain lights.

Many, many years back I was stopped and ‘educated’ for driving in rain with fogs on, I took the lesson to heart.

 

[Deleted member 150136]

Wouldn't they be called rain lights?

 

[Darrell]

Wouldn't they be called rain lights?

I bought a mountain bike from Walmart once. It’s got a sticker on it saying it mustn’t be used for mountain biking.

 

[Darrell]

Fog lights in rain are incredibly dazzling for any following traffic. I’ve always been of the view the clue is in the name... fog lights, not rain lights.

Many, many years back I was stopped and ‘educated’ for driving in rain with fogs on, I took the lesson to heart.

But the OP said that the Highway Code states that they can be used in reduced visibility. Sometimes, heavy driving rain can reduce visibility.

 

[Deleted member 150136]

So 100m, not that complicated.

 

[Darrell]

View attachment 105626

View attachment 105627


So 100m, not that complicated.

100m refers to headlights not fog lights.

 

[Deleted member 150136]

Neither can I, to busy looking into my lap pretending not to be on facebook

 

[190]

Modern high intensity rear fog lights are worse than ever at dazzling following vehicles. They are mostly used inappropriately and that includes in light fog. To me it's very simple, if I can see the car in front without fog lights then I don't need mine on. If I can't see the car in front then that's the time to use them.

With modern rear lights now very much brighter than when fog lights were first introduced you have to question the need for them at all except in conditions so severe I'd be thinking about getting off the road to a place of safety.

 

[markjay]

How do you stop lunatic speeding motorists from crashing into your back when they can't see your tail lights (or your car, for that matter) because of the spray?

I understand why fog lights shouldn't be used in the rain, but I wonder which is less dangerous: dazzling the driver behind you or having your car completely invisible to them?

The number of times I saw cars doing 70mph on the motorway in very heavy downpour when the visibility is almost nil... they must have some sort of X-Ray vision.

 

[Deleted member 150136]

If you can't see the tail lights at 100m use fogs, thats how I read it.

But I think the op is talking about front fogs, which is completely pointless in rain.

 

[TGTP]

Everyone has made good arguments for and against which just proves what a grey area this is.
I just googled using fog lights in the rain. The RAC says no, but Auto Express said they can.
So still confused

 

[Teego]

Just use your experience and judgement. If I see people using their lights inappropriately I know that's a hazard to avoid. Because they have no roadsense.

 

[James Copeland]

If my rear fog lights dazzle a following driver then he/she is too close.

 

[Teego]

If my rear fog lights dazzle a following driver then he/she is too close.

Bollox

 

[Germgh0st]

Front fog lights are only any good at speeds under 25mph (ish), after that anything you happen to see in their beam will have been run over before you can react. Hence why they should only be used when visibility is that bad you're driving at those sorts of speeds. That's my take on it.

 

[baxlin]

Following a car with rear fogs on I’m not too bothered about, as I can - and should(?) - drop back so as not to be dazzled.

And as has been inferred above, on a motorway front fogs are as much use as a chocolate teapot, and on single carriageway roads, front fogs are just so unnecessary most of the time, just IMO being used as a fashion statement.

So to answer the OP’s question, no, don’t use them in rain. In fact I might go as far as saying that if front fogs were that important, they’d be a mandatory fitment to all cars, as is a rear fog light, but they often are not fitted to poverty spec models from some manufacturers.

Malcolm
(Stands by for the flak.....)

 

[Larkone]

fog = water droplets suspended in the air reducing visibility
rain spray = water droplets suspended in the air reducing visibility

I seem to remember some years ago there was a test case around this after plod tried to prosecute someone for using rear fog lights in the rain. The motorist won their case based on the above because the law could not offer a sensible definition on how the two scenarios were different.

 

[GeeJayW]

If it’s poor visibility and there is no one behind me, then I put the rear high intensity lights on. If visibility improves or someone is following me, I turn them off.