Question about fog lights

[deepdiver1950]

In my town there seems to be an epidemic of people driving in the city at night with their fog lights on, even though it’s illegal. I have never owned a vehicle with these lights and I always assumed that they came on automatically when the headlights came on. In 2002 I bought my mother a new Nissan & it came with fog lights.This is when I realized that they had to deliberatly turned on, that they operated separate from the headlights.I asked a couple of people why they do this, one told me that they were automatic in his car, the other told me that he just liked it.

 

I wonder if these people realize that it is blinding to the other cars on the road and creates and unsafe condition besides being illegal.

 

I am writing this because I just read another post where this person wanted to know how he could make his fog lights even brighter.

 

The question is this: Do fog lights come on automatically in Chevy & GM trucks? Do any of you drive in the city at night with them on & if so, WHY?

[99silveradoz71]

Stock, they are controlled by a switch and it must be pushed to activate them independent of the lights. However, you can buy a kit which rewires them so they'll come on with the headlights.

[TarheelZ]

Well, I'll go with the obvious and say I use mine when it's foggy in the city.

[gave20]

I rarely use mine except when it IS foggy. Occasionally I will use them to help see on the back roads but usually I turn them off when I follow someone because I have been in their shoes many times.

[SxViper]

I added driving lights to the front of my truck in the lower plastic air dam. I drive at night with them on. I also have silver star head lights.. If your in front of me you know I am back there. Even with the driving lights off I toss a lot light down the road. I don't drive in the city that much. On the back roads in the middle of the winter heading to snowmobile I will turn on every light I got. Its nice not to hit that 2,000+ mouse...

[asepgrad98]

It not illegal in NC and should not be a problem if they are aimed properly

[lrymal]

I rarely use mine except when it IS foggy.  Occasionally I will use them to help see on the back roads but usually I turn them off when I follow someone because I have been in their shoes many times.

Same way here. GM's '03 upwards fog lamps are perfect and work great when the coastal fog rolls in at night. They don't blast someone's eyes.

 

As a side benefit, these can be switched to be the ONLY illumination---no headlamps, no other lights. We camp out a lot and if there are other campers at night nearby, having these on will give enough bright illumination for driving around the lots, yet they don't annoy the other other campers.

[deepdiver1950]

SxViper, You seem to be the type of person that I am talking about. A person who has absolutely no consideration for the other people on the road. Haven't you ever wondered why people flash their bright lights at you? I know that if I ever meet you on the road that I will flash mine. I would still like to know why you feel the need to have the brightest lights on the road.

 

By the way, most of you seem to thing that I was talking about following another car when in fact I actually meant what effect these bright lights have on the oncoming traffic. It is like you are driving with your bright lights on .I’m sure that you have all seen this & know what I’m talking about.

[MCourson]

On our 04 Tahoe, just like our old 02 they are manually operated. I NEVER used them unless it is foggy or I come up on someone coming at me that feels they have to have a ton of lights on when its nice and clear out.

 

In my 94 my silverstars in my yellowed 10 year old head light housings put out PLENTY of light for me or anyone else to see. I do not see where the need for this extra light comes from besides want. Im sorry but its the same principle, if you can use your fog or "driving lights" when they are not needed maybe I should be able to use all 4 of my headlights when they are not needed....

 

Even when aimed properly they are still a blinding nuisance.

[Shadowfax]

The fogs on my 03 S10 dont put out that much light, which is odd cause they dont do worth a darn for helping cept maybe 2 feet in front of my truck right on the road. I usually never even use um, unless Im at a campground like somone else mentioned. I can drive around without disturbing others.

 

Now, on my older S-10 I used to have, I bought some of those yellow fog lights and those suckers threw down some light. I used em only on foggy mornings or on the backroads during the rain at night where this is no side street illumination and no traffic.

 

Basically I try to be conisderate with them, If I have to use them to help me out I will, but if I notice an increase in oncoming traffic,I'll just deal and turn em off.

 

Kinda a different subject but still the same, I hate HID lights. I hate when Im driving at night and one of those high dollar german imports rounds the bend and blinds me with those bright @$$ dims, and when I flash them my brights to tell em its too bright, they throw on their real brights, much to my dismay lol. (everytime they do that,I think they have their brights on when they dont lol, think I'd learn by now )

 

Those systems should be outlawed IMHO. Or not allowed to be put on American market cars.