You walk to your car and you notice it right away: the world seems a bit smaller. It’s foggy. Do you know when you can turn on your fog lights in the car? And is that allowed, or should it even be?
Mist can seriously limit the view of the road, and in such circumstances it is important to be clearly visible and see it sufficiently. That’s why your car has fog lights. But when can or should you actually use it?
Let’s start with what the Dutch traffic rules say about this. According to the Road Traffic Act and Deregeling Vehicles, specific rules apply to the use of fog lights on the front and back of your car.
You can turn on the fog lights if visible through fog or heavy rain is less than 200 meters. They are meant to make the road surface and any obstacles more visible. However, do not use them with light fog or drizzle because they can blind other road users.
The fog light, this is usually only one, may only be switched on with a view of less than 50 meters through fog or heavy snowfall. This is an important limit: with incorrect use, these bright lamps can be confused with your brake light, or they can hinder the view of drivers behind you, according to the ANWB.
The question of course remains how you can estimate whether visibility is less than 50 or 200 meters. A handy rule of thumb: look at the distance between hectometre posts on the highway. These are about 100 meters apart. If you can hardly see the next pole, it’s time to turn on your fog lights.
Although the rules are fairly clear, fog lamps are often used incorrectly. According to the National Road Traffic Agency (RDW) and the ANWB, there are a few pitfalls:
Turning in too early or too late: some drivers turn fog lights in light fog or drizzle, which is not only superfluous but also disturbing for others. On the other hand, some motorists wait too long, which reduces their visibility dangerously.
Forget to switch off: Mistage lights in particular are often forgotten when the fog is raised. This can blind drivers behind you, especially in the dark.
Incorrect combination of lighting: Some motorists combine fog lamps with great light, which can be extra blinding for oncoming traffic. Use fog lights instead of, not together with, great light.
Nowadays, not all cars have more fog lights at the front. With new cars, modern lighting is strong enough to offer enough vision in poor conditions. Yet there are still many cars with both fog lights on the front and back.
But how do you see the difference between the two when you are behind the wheel? This is indicated by different lights on the dashboard. If a green light burns on your dashboard, the fog lights at the front are switched on. A red or orange light indicates that the fog lamp on the back of your car is burning.
Many modern cars are equipped with automatic daytime running lights. This lighting ensures that the headlights start automatically during the day, but often the rear lights do not burn. This can be dangerous in foggy circumstances, because other road users see your car less well at the back. According to the ANWB, it is important to manually adjust the light switch to the correct position in the event of fog, so that both the headlights and the rear lights burn.
The use of fog lamps is not mandatory in the Netherlands, but it is wise if necessary. If you choose not to use them, while visibility is less than 50 meters, for example, you cannot get a fine for that. What is fined is the wrong use of your fog lights.
For example, if you drive with fog lights while it is not quite foggy, or only with some light mist, you risk a fine of 150 euros.
Do you have any questions about other traffic rules? Or about something else, that is just allowed! Send your question to find it out! And who knows, we might find the answer for you.