Way Too Illuminating...
 

You slay me, John!

And David, just as you have outgrown your old screen name (thank you...), so to, will you outgrow your old preconceptions about driving lights. When I was 18, I used to think that I was a better driver by not turning on my headlamps until I actually needed them to see in front of my vehicle, and that the other lights on the car were sufficient for other cars to see my vehicle during dusk. Until someone pointed out to me that those were called "parking lights".

Yes, 18; and I can see better with my foglights on. The headlights light well, but I can see better at night with the foglights on also. I don't believe they are bright enough to be blinding other drivers. I don't to it to be seen in my Mercedes either. I don't understand how you can say my perspective will change in a few years?

As I said above, I could see much better with my foglights on when I was 18, too.
But, for some reason, now that I am 35, the regular headlights seem just fine, thank you.
And I thought night vision was supposed to get WORSE with age!

Confused??
 

I have no problems with the fogs or the rear fogs.

I only use mine if it rains hard and I am drivign on the freeway where all that rain and water makes visibility low.

The last time it rained here in LA, was a few weeks ago, and I had to driveon the freeway when it was raining alot.

The water spraying off the tires and the rain coming down, and the overcast sky, amde visibility bad, the fogs and rear fog light was on at that time.

When driving normally I don't use the fog lights.

Now if I had some nice driving lights int he bumper, and they provided more visibility at night I would use those, but fogz when visibility is clear is just not what I do.

Alon

Your front fogs do not help you see further ahead at night. Check out the beam pattern. They throw a pool of light about 25 ft forward and 10 ft to each side. They are designed to be used where visibility is 100 yds or less and assist you in those circumstances by showing where the curb is. Your dipped beam stretches much further ahead but in foggy conditions is reflected back by the fog.

Using your rear fogs in rain is very dangerouse. The glare they give off--especially when viewed through a rain soaked windscreen--makes it difficult to see your brake lights come on.

You think your front fogs ensure that I see you as you approach from behind. They do, but they dominate the view in my rear view mirror so that I cannot immediately perceive other following traffic.

If I am following you, your rear fog light makes it difficult for me to see your brake lights coming on instantly; my ability to react is diminished; the likelihood of me rear ending you is increased.

Why do you think every driving manual, every driving course, and every driving expert says that you should only use your fog lights when visibility is 100 yds or less? Come to think of it, why do you think they're called fog lights?

Jjrodger,
Well thank you for helping me further understand why not to use the fog-lights. Though I don't think there was a need to be snappy.

My rule of thumb is if I have trouble seeing the tail lights of the car in front of me, I turn my tail fog on.

I'm sorry if I was snappy, I really try to avoid such behaviour, and the internet--of course--makes it easy to speak without thinking. I try to imagine I'm in an argument in my local--though without success it seems! Driving these days often works one into a rage; yet that is the sign of a bad driver; we must be calm. I should know, I'm bloddy hopeless at being safe and keepinng my cool.

WELL SAID BRAIN K
 

I own a Jeep Wrangler with clear fogs and use them only when driving at night with little traffic. Mine are very useful because they light up the sides more so that i could see deer faster. And this has happened and saved me from hitting a deer.
I used to use my fog lights all the time with my low beams on until i started to notice how bright the other jeep wranglers lights were when the fog lights were used and approaching them. Not needed in the city!!!
There should be laws prohibiting their use in the city.
Have respect for other drivers, and if you blind them, you are only increasing the chance of them hitting YOU!

Well done, my friend!

Fog lights
 

If we cannot drive w/out a bunch of lights on,unfoggy nights
We have to have our vision examined.
We are just endangering ourselve,the driver infront of us
and the one approaching us.A friend of mine drives a 2.6
he disabled driverside fog,cut a hole on the plastic lense,
cover it w/descent screen and route the intake runner for
his baby breathed more better.

clauser1

You guys talking about these blinding fog lights approaching from the front, approaching from the rear, etc., must be talking about some new-fangled "fog light" I'm not familiar with. I have too often seen cars coming toward me in front and/or approaching from the rear with bright white lights of bazillion lumens bright enough and aimed high enough to be annoying even in bright sunlight, but the original fogs on my 123 & 126 don't throw a beam far enough nor high enough to flash into anyone's eyes day or night. I've been in front of both of mine, looking at them, trying to find something annoying; all I see is an orange/yellow glow the shape of the lense; no beam in my eyes at all. I think if your're seeing anything else from a real/original fog light, they're too bright or, more likely, aimed too high.

driving in heavy rain on the highway, your forward visibility can be drastically reduced by the spray generated by the cars you are following. A rear foglamp is a great help in such situations, as in ... thick fog (!). The spray or fog create glare which reduce your forward visibility. So what i do is put on my Serengetis, and this gives me that oh-so-critical extra few yards of visibility.

i sometimes use the front foglamps at night when i am in a residential area, so i can see better anyone who is attempting to cross the street.

the front fogs are also useful for night driving on winding or zigzag roads, because they illuminate the bends in the road, so you can hit your apexes spot-on. Endurance racecars have driving lamps aimed to the sides for this purpose, also.

because my car is a 1989 model, it does not come with daytime-running lamps (thankfully!). I turn on my front foglamps in overcast or rainy daytime conditions, and these are excellent for being seen because of the wide beam angle.

and by the way, i like the Benz (European?) convention of having brake lights that are separate from the tail lamps, to make night braking more distinguishable to the other drivers. The 3rd high-mounted brakelight helps, for those taillamps with brake lights in the same cell as the taillights (i.e., with double-filament bulbs). The worst designs are the American taillamps, which do not even use amber for turn signals, and blink a group of lamps for this purpose.

now, if i could find a way to (tastefully) add front driving lamps to my 190e, without buying those expensive airdam kits ... that is, without making it look like one of those riced-up hondas ...

Bobbyv,
Try removing the "mason" jar filters that are on your fog lights. I did this and it maorks wonders on the illumination without being obnoxious to oncoming traffic. The yellow light that is in your fog lights is produced by a little cover that goes over your fog lights. This cover looks like a little mason jar. They can be removed, but be careful since the yellow glass is thin. I did that and these lights work better than my POS US spec headlights.