Driving through fog can be extremely difficult and stressful.  With the help of fog lights, a clearer view of the road conditions can be able to be seen; thus, driving in a foggy environment is typically not as dangerous as it was so many years ago.  Nowadays, LED fog lights are extremely popular fog lights for cars, as well as glass fog lights.  These types of fog light bulbs are very effective at breaking through the fog, substantially improving your driving conditions.  When enabled, the fog light symbol will enable on your dashboard. 

How Do Fog Lights Work?

Fog lights operate differently than your normal headlights or high beams.  It’s important to understand that fog light kits are not the same thing as high beam light kits, as most universal fog lights hover above the ground and utilize a sharp cutoff angle in the top of the light housing to avoid reflecting off of the fog.  Once the light is able to avoid reflecting off of the fog, it is able to illuminate the road and create a much safer driving environment overall. 

In addition to front fog lights, many cars come equipped with rear fog lights as well.  These lights make it easier for cars behind you to spot you through the fog, which is great for decreasing the chances of an accident occurring.

My Fog Light Symbol Is Always On

If you find that your fog light symbol is on, it’s likely that you switched it on without realizing it.  Unlike the high beam symbol that is typically blue and easy to notice, the fog light symbol is usually a green symbol and similar to that of the regular headlights symbol on your car dashboard. 

Locate your light switch on your car and ensure that you have your fog lights set to “off”, as well as your other lights to match the appropriate driving environment.  In order to avoid any light or battery issues, we recommend setting your headlights to “auto” if your car allows it.  

Your fog lights, just like any type of light bulbs, have a limited lifespan and should only be used when you find yourself in a foggy driving environment.  It’s important to pay attention to the headlight dashboard symbol in order to be aware if your fog lights are enabled or not.  When driving in fog you should always enable these, so it’s important you don’t burn through them by leaving them on always.

What Type of Fog Lights Should I Buy?

As mentioned earlier, there are several types of fog lights that you could purchase for your vehicle.  Most vehicles nowadays come equipped with fog lights pre-installed.  These lights are usually quite good, so if they’re working for you, we’d recommend just sticking to your manufacturer’s brand.

However, if your car did not come with them pre-installed, it’s very likely that you will have to remove the bumper and install the fog-light-specific grille in order to keep your car looking unmodified.  Colored fog lights such as yellow, red or purple are also an option, but colored fog lights are a cosmetic upgrade rather than a functional upgrade.  You should check with your local and state laws before installing colored fog lights, as states such as Indiana have laws that prohibit such fog light installations.