When is it appropriate to use fog lights?

Fog lights are specifically designed to illuminate the road immediately in front of your vehicle while minimizing the amount of light that is reflected back at the driver from fog, rain, or snow. They emit a wide, low beam of light that helps cut through thick weather conditions by allowing drivers to see better in situations where visibility is compromised.

Using fog lights is considered appropriate when visibility is less than 100 meters, as they provide additional illumination needed to navigate safely in such conditions. This is particularly crucial in dense fog, heavy rain, or snow, where standard headlights may reflect off the precipitation, creating a blinding glare. By using fog lights in these scenarios, drivers can enhance their ability to judge distances and see road markings or obstacles that might otherwise be obscured.

In contrast, using fog lights during daylight hours, on clear nights, or in crowded urban environments is generally not advisable. During daylight, the additional lighting is unnecessary and can distract other drivers. On clear nights, standard headlights provide adequate visibility without the glare that fog lights might produce, and in urban environments, they can be overly bright and distracting in traffic. Thus, the correct conditions for using fog lights center around situations with significantly reduced visibility.