During the first subject of the driving license test, there will be a question about fog lights: "What does the light on the dashboard of a motor vehicle (as shown in the picture) mean?".
But when I got my driver's license and touched the actual car, I discovered... the new car only has one rear fog light switch?
Are "disappearing" front fog lights important?
Are front fog lights important? Let us first look at the function of fog lights before making a conclusion:
Fog lights are installed on the front and rear of the car to illuminate the road when driving in rainy and foggy weather and to warn other drivers to ensure safety.
This means that the disappearing front fog lights can at least provide additional lighting for the driver in rainy and foggy weather, and allow the car in front to detect your presence in the rearview mirror more quickly.
So, when should you use fog lights?
Let us first understand the regulations for the use of fog lights:
When visibility is between 200m and 500m, low beam lights, width lights and tail lights must be turned on, the speed must not exceed 80km/h, and a driving distance of more than 150m must be maintained with the vehicle in front of you in the same lane;
When visibility is between 100-200m, fog lights, low beam lights, width lights and tail lights must be turned on, the speed must not exceed 60km/h, and a distance of more than 100m from the vehicle in front must be maintained;
When the visibility is 50-100m, the fog lights, low beam lights, width lights and tail lights must be turned on, the speed must not exceed 40km/h, and the distance from the vehicle in front should be more than 50m.
When visibility is less than 50m, the public security and traffic control departments will take traffic control measures to close part or all of the highway in accordance with regulations.
This means that it is necessary to turn on the fog lights only when the visibility is within 200m. At the same time, illegal use of fog lights will result in a minimum fine of 50 yuan and a deduction of 1 point.
At the same time, because the fog lights are more dazzling than the low beam lights, they cannot be turned on at night when the weather is good to avoid disturbing the vision of other drivers.
Why do some cars' front fog lights disappear?
Although fog lights are not used frequently, if they are not used, it will still have a certain impact on safety in rainy and foggy weather.
In some countries or regions, front fog lights are not a standard feature, even at home! This also gives manufacturers the opportunity to cut corners: with a cost of 100 yuan for a pair of fog lights, if a car sells 100,000 units annually, the manufacturer can save 10 million, and if it sells 50,000 units annually, it can also save 5 million... ....
This has also resulted in many entry-level joint venture models raking in costs from front fog lights, such as the Nissan Sylphy, Hyundai Rena, Volkswagen Polo, Volkswagen Santana, Toyota YARiS L, Ford Escort, and so on. The front fog lights are omitted in the lowest, second-lowest and even mid-lower versions.
As for why the rear fog lights were not reduced? Presumably, it may be because from January 1, 1999, the Ministry of Public Security requires motor vehicles to be equipped with fog lamps that comply with national standards. Motor vehicles that do not install rear fog lamps in accordance with regulations are not allowed to enter the highway.
Is it because cars without front fog lights are cutting corners?
Everyone knows that red and yellow light have the strongest penetrating power. Therefore, compared to white daytime running lights or even low beam lights, the penetrating effect of fog lights is more worthy of recognition. However, with the continuous development of technology, today's front fog lights no longer need to be limited to the old urine-yellow color, and can also play a very good role in rainy and foggy weather.
Due to the continuous development of technology, many luxury cars now begin to integrate the functions of front fog lights into the headlight sets.
Audi, nicknamed the "light factory", added All-weather Light (all-climate light mode) to its LED headlights a few years ago to cope with low-visibility weather such as fog, rain, and snow; of course, today's Audi has installed matrix laser headlights on mass-produced cars, which takes the lighting effect to a higher level.
As for the rear fog lights, the integration difficulty is much lower than that of the front fog lights, so it is not surprising that there is no extra space for them.
If there are no front fog lights, what should I do in rainy and foggy weather?
If your car is not equipped with front fog lights, you can also choose to turn on the low beam headlights to make up for the lack of light and increase the probability of being noticed by the car in front of you in low rain and fog weather. After all, the previous usage regulations also mentioned: "When the visibility is between 200m and 500m, the low beam, width lights and taillights must be turned on. The speed must not exceed 80km/h. You must keep a distance of more than 150m from the vehicle in front of you in the same lane. Driving distance.”
As for those who plan to use daytime running lights to replace fog lights, it is better not to take any chances. After all, the functions of the two are completely different and the brightness is also completely different. As for the method of using double flashers, since the penetration power of the hazard warning lights is still different from that of the rear fog lights, the effect is definitely not as good as turning on the rear fog lights directly. As for lighting, the double flashers do not seem to provide any effective light source.
Moreover, if the double flash is turned on, what should I do when the lane changes in rain or fog?
If you are really worried, you can choose to install fog lights on low-end models. After all, the manufacturer has reserved the position of the fog lights in advance because of the same set of bumper molds...
