Which Lights to Use in Heavy Fog?
2 Answers
In heavy fog, you should turn on the fog lights. If visibility is extremely low, you should also activate the hazard warning flashers. Driving in foggy conditions significantly reduces visibility and limits the driver's line of sight. Fog lights have strong light penetration, which can enhance visibility for both the driver and other road users, allowing approaching vehicles and pedestrians to spot each other from a greater distance. Fog lights are divided into front fog lights and rear fog lights. Front fog lights are typically a bright yellow color, while rear fog lights are red. The symbol for front fog lights features downward light beams, whereas the rear fog light symbol shows parallel beams. In foggy weather, both front and rear fog lights are usually used together. Fog lights are highly bright and penetrating, and they do not cause diffuse reflection due to fog. Therefore, using them correctly can effectively prevent accidents.
I've endured many foggy days on the road and deeply understand that light selection can be a matter of life and death. You must turn on the fog lights—both front and rear—as these lights are installed low on the body, projecting light horizontally to penetrate the fog without reflecting back into your eyes. Never use high beams; they bounce light back, creating a 'white wall' effect that doubles visual impairment! I remember one time on the highway during heavy fog when I turned on my high beams and nearly rear-ended another car—switching to fog lights immediately stabilized the situation. The golden rule for safe driving: reduce speed below 30 mph, maintain extra-large following distances, and roll down windows to listen for surrounding sounds as an aid in judgment. Don’t forget to regularly check if fog light covers are dirty or damaged—this is the most basic preventive measure for drivers. Turn on your lights early in thick fog; don’t wait until danger is imminent to act.
