Photo: fog lights in a car (media.vw.com) Author: Konstantin Shirokun
Fog is the most dangerous type of precipitation, and in fact there are not many technical means that could help the driver in such weather. In this article we will tell you how to use fog lights with maximum efficiency.
Read about the rules for using your car's fog lights in the RBC-Ukraine article.
Let's say right away that no fog lights will replace the main means of safety – special caution of the driver, in particular, keeping a reasonable speed. However, special headlights are also worth a lot in thick fog, and not only at night.
Fog lights: the secret of efficiency
Front fog lights (and today we are talking only about the front ones) have two secrets, knowledge of which will help the driver use them most effectively.
Firstly, an important difference between fog lights is in their location: they are installed as low as possible. As is known, fog never lies directly on the road, it always leaves a gap of clean transparent air above the asphalt itself – and it is into this layer that fog lights should shine.
The second “anti-fog” secret is that these headlights do not illuminate the fog itself – and therefore microdroplets of moisture do not become a white wall in front of the hood and do not obscure the driver's view of the road. Therefore, to prevent the beam from rising higher and not touching the main mass of fog, the fog light has a second feature – a flat and wide beam (55 – 56 degrees horizontally). Thus, these headlights cover the entire traffic lane and partly the shoulder, without blinding oncoming cars.
How to use fog lights
According to the Ukrainian Traffic Regulations, during fog, either low beam headlights or fog lights must be on. If we are talking about daylight, they primarily help not the driver himself, but the drivers of other cars, who can see cars with working headlights better in fog.
At night in fog, fog lights are simply a must, and it is often better to turn them on without high beam headlights, because the latter will frankly interfere, illuminating the fog and turning it into an opaque wall in front of the car.
Fog lights and the Law
The Ukrainian Traffic Regulations allow (do not require!) turning on the front fog lights in conditions of poor visibility – when visibility of the road in the direction of travel is less than 300 m due to twilight, fog, rain, snowfall, etc.;
Specifically, our traffic regulations name the following situations related to the use of fog lights:
During daylight hours, in conditions of poor visibility, fog lights can be used instead of low/high beam headlights or together with them – that is, to indicate the car on the road (p. 19.5);
In the dark, in conditions of poor visibility, fog lights alone are no longer sufficient – traffic regulations require that you first turn on the low or high beam (the side lights will also light up automatically) and, in addition to them, fog lights;
If, for some reason, a car is parked on the road in conditions of poor visibility, including on the side of the road, in addition to the side lights, you can turn on the low beam or fog lights and rear fog lights (p. 19.4).
Ukrainian traffic regulations do not directly prohibit the use of front fog lights in conditions of good visibility. Although it is worth remembering that in many European countries there is a fine for this.
In brief
Since fog is not a common occurrence on Ukrainian roads, a considerable number of drivers do not have special skills in driving in such conditions. Therefore, in order not to be distracted from the road by buttons and levers in a difficult moment, it is better to understand in advance the algorithm of the switches that are responsible for the fog lights and lanterns in your car – so that you can turn them on without fail when necessary. And once again, we remind you: the main means of safety when driving in fog is not lighting devices, but moderate speed and double attention.
In preparing this article, materials from AutoBild and Autocentre were used .
Let us recall that RBC-Ukraine recently reported what is better for a car: a canopy, a garage or a parking lot.