Fog lights "legal" when not foggy out?
 

Many years ago I was told by a police officer that you are not supposed to drive with your fog lights on unless you are driving in fog. Does anyone know if it is actually illegal to do so?

Personally, I find SUVs and Dodge Ram trucks that drive with theirs on very annoying, but I doubt it is actually against the law.

Since I see so many people doing it (in Virginia) I assume it's legal here. Dunno about the other 49 states and countless countries worldwide who also reside in this forum.

(Pondering) Then again, how often do they get fog in the Outback in Oz? :)

I think it depends on the state, but a quick google search and I could only find one site listing a law where you couldn't use your foglights unless foggy..., and I won't be going to Malta any time soon.

A lot of state require you to turn on low beams or fog lights when foggy or raining. Florida is one of those states. I'd check with your local police, also most states have a website of searchable laws/regulations.

i think that was a law when you had the great big fog lights that blinded everyone you passed. when my lights are on my fog ligts come on with them .it looks better with the fog lights on and nobody has flashed me to turn them off so it must not be blinding them.

what i hate are those german cars with the rear fog lights...very useful in fog, otherwise very distracting and dangerous, it looks like they are hitting the brakes constantly and have a broken taillight (rear foglights are usually only one side). Cresting a hill in traffic and seeing a rear foglight has caused me to almost get rearended three times to date, i react to what i think is a car stopping in front of me when it isnt stopping at all.

in fog these are superior, and i believe in some european countries fog lights are required to be yellow

White fogs used to be known as driving lights. Yellow fogs mounted down low pierce the haze and offer better road visibility.

I don't know if anyone else has really tried them, but our fog lights seem to be more for decoration than anything else. It doesn't really make a difference whether they're on or off on my 8. I doubt it would be illegal to use them.

Well, fog lights are for fog and in really thick fog, it does help somewhat although I feel they're slightly worse than yellow ones.

As for legality, it's typically illegal to use them in non-foggy conditions in the US for most states, however, this is one of those rarely enforced laws, despite how much of a hazard some are (especially the poorly aimed aftermarket ones on trucks are), that it doesn't make a difference if you have them on.

I have the Xenon lights, and they cover so well short-range that the fog lights are pretty much redundant. Haven't tried them in fog yet.

That's the thing- I've tried them repeatedly in fog, heavy and not, and it doesn't make any difference. They just aren't bright enough and they aren't aimed well. I've used foglights on cars before that were useful- these are not. I can't imagine anyone would ever get pulled over for these- they just aren't bright enough.

i notice it but its about a 20 foot splash of light and thats about it. They are quite excellent though if you want to illuminate your shoe and see if you have any gunk on it at night.

I agree with you...RX-8 "foglights" are just decorative. They light up a little patch about 2 feet in front of and lateral to the car.

Seems like you could replace them with aftermarket ones though. I remember at least one guy on here did.

front fog lights aren't so important anyway. they have to aim high to be effective.
but they don't cuz everyone uses them without being foggy.

WHAT MATTERS MOST is the rear fog light. it helps in fog AND in heavy rain, when visibility is reduced. I know cuz it gets foggy alot around here...

what I hate most though is when ppl turn on the rear fog light for no reason. its very annoying to the person in the following car...

I loved the rear fog light on my wife's Audi. It worked great too when someone would be riding your ass because it seemed to be aimed right at the driver and they would back off pretty quick. Of course I didn't leave it on after they backed off. I wish we had one in the 8.

They're driving lights... so they can be on while you drive.. ;)

I found our fog lights works decently in a dark unlit street with thick fog where you can barely see the hood of your car, but more so, I think it's to help others see you.

yep

Er, can you expand on that just a little bit?

nope :D

Just kidding. I knew that would get someone. Fog lights are legal in occasions. They are no brighter than regular lights. They just point lower to see the road better at a lower level. The only thing I know of(and will check this tomorrow) is that when cars have the xenon lights the fog lights can't be xenon aswell. I think. We had a ticket on this a while back(guy was a d!ck so it was written just cause). But foglights are legal. I will get back to the light thing tomorrow.

The front and back foglights are for two different purposes, aren't they? Front fog lights should help you see better- in my dad's SHO they illuminated the sides and front in fog much better than the regular lights alone, which just bounced light reflections back at you in the water droplets of the fog (We also never turned those on unless it WAS foggy, because they were kinda bright). Rear fog lights are to let other cars see you better, and are super bright- especially usefull in many areas of Europe, in my understanding. Otherwise, you're just blinding people with them.

Actually its the same purpose, the way I understand it. These lights are there for 'reduced visibility' conditions, either fog or heavy rain: the rear for poeple in the back to see you soon enough and the front for oncoming traffic.

For me, NONE should be used in any other cases. They just blind people.

I remember when I was in the UK for studies, a taxi driver got really pissed with the front's car driver, cuz of the rear fog lights: he turned on completely the headlights, (at the point where the blue light comes on on the dash, dont know how its called, sorry) just to blind him too from the mirrors and started swearing. Then he pulled over next to him and shouted: "Ooii, mate:D, turn them off, you bloody bast..." brits are very funny when pissed...

I think someone had mentioned to me in the past that it's not so much that fog lights are only usable during fog but rather the rule is that you cannot have 6 lights in use at the same time. Notice that about all cars that come from the dealership with fogs will only allow you to use your brights or fogs but not at the same time! So it might be you cannot use brights and fogs simultaneously!

In Illinois, I'm pretty sure that it is perfectly legal to use the RX-8 type foglights 24-7. I downloaded the vehicle code while researching a lighting issue for another car and remember reading that.