It might sound straightforward and easy. LED Fog Lights are supposed to be used…well, when there is fog. However, it is not surprising to see drivers with their fog lights on as a way to increase their visibility even on clear nights.
Fog lights are designed to be installed lower down on the vehicle. Their main purpose is to improve your peripheral field of vision during foggy and snowy weather conditions. Since fog tends to hover around 18 inches from the ground, this explains why LED Fog Lights are installed so low.
The downside to this is that they are much more at risk of damage from flying debris. The upside, however, is improved visibility and safety.
The question most people ask is can you use LED lights together with your fog lights? The answer is no. It is absolutely not a good idea and the reason is simple.
Once the bright light from your headlights hits a water droplet, refraction takes place. The ray of light is bent and is sent in a different direction. Combine this with the millions of water droplets ahead of you and you will have yourself a wall of light.
Not only will it blind you to what’s ahead, but you will also cause glare to other motorists which increases the odds of an accident. LED fog lights should be used independently during times of snowy or foggy weather.
The opposite is true as well. LED fog lights should not be turned on when there is no fog or snow. They are designed to be super bright to help the driver see better in the adverse weather conditions. However, they also shine too bright on other road users and may contribute to accidents.
Something to look out for are automated LED fog lights. They will automatically turn on once the sensors detect the right change in ambient lighting. However, your cars inbuilt computer will not always be right and sometimes, external factors may fool it into thinking that there isn’t any fog. This will leave your fog lights turned off and increase the odds of running into something.
The best thing is to manually control your LED fog lights. Keep in mind that using fog lights the wrong way could draw police attention to you and you may end up paying some hefty fines for breaking the law.
Being a responsible driver will not only keep you safe on the road but will keep other motorists that you share the road with safe as well.
