Driving in Fog

Jan 20, 2009 | 11:41 AM

jstaneff

Thread Starter

Super Member

Joined: Dec 2007

Posts: 648

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From: Seattle

C-300, XC70, Wrangler

Driving in Fog

Rather foggy out this morning, and getting light, so I drove with the fogs. One notch past the 'A'utomatic setting, so all I had up front were the fogs and the eyebrows.

Okay, not a great deal of light, but it didn't "blind" me from reflected light. I noticed that most folk just drive with their low beams. Some drive with both low beams and fog lights, and one Audi had ALL the fogs on, including the single bright one in back.

I've poked around a bit on the RCW (state law) and interestingly, it requires that my car can be seen at 450 ft in front (hard in thick fog, for any car). It also requires that fog lamps be positioned not lower than 12 inches from the ground (do we meet that requirements?). (They also cannot be higher than 30 inches, but that's no problem, eh?)

How do you drive in fog? I didn't see anyone else using just their fogs, event though it was light out, but foggy.

Jan 20, 2009 | 05:36 PM

416to212

Junior Member

Joined: Oct 2008

Posts: 30

Likes: 0

2009 C300 4matic

I tend to think of our foglights as being more for show than for go. Real foglights usually emit a longer wavelength of light (mostly yellow, because red and orange really aren't that visible to us). Our fogs are too white to really penetrate the fog to do any real illumination. Another feature that makes our fogs played out is the corner illumination trick they do... worthless IMO, I'd rather have a tilting sideview mirror.

As for how to drive in fog? When you are passing an oncoming car, don't stare at his lights, but keep your eyes tracking the lane marking closest to the right shoulder or lane. It's reduce your eye strain. Otherwise, just keep your speed in check and be able to see at least 3 seconds ahead of your wheels. Oh and just low beams and fogs will do.

Jan 24, 2009 | 12:49 PM

jstaneff

Thread Starter

Super Member

Joined: Dec 2007

Posts: 648

Likes: 1

From: Seattle

C-300, XC70, Wrangler

A couple of observations to follow the above:

- I agree now that these fog lights are merely decorative. They do almost nothing, even in the "help you turn a corner" mode.

- I tried them at night in dense fog, just fogs and eyelids, and nada. Too dangerous to drive since I couldn't see anything.

- Yesterday I drove my Volvo (XC70) with dims and fogs in thick fog. World of difference between just dims. And, those fogs work!

So, what it it with the MB fogs? I would have expected an MB to have decent fogs that were useful. Apparently not!