Super Bright Fog Lights

[Shutterbug]

AARRRGGGHH! I have serious issues with the extremely bright fog lights on new vehicles. Mainly SUVs It seems to be a trend to have them on all the time in these parts. The drivers have no idea how bright those things are for us small car drivers low to the ground. On a long dark highway they can absolutely blind me. It actually hurts my eyes.

Does anyone else have problems with this?

[FineExampl]

I SOOOOO frickin agree with you, but i go one step further. I hold a hand over the brightness and use my other one to flip them off and then go 10mph less than the posted limit. Call it a deathwish or whatever, but it's not right that people have these ultra bright beams. Yeah they can be advantageous at night with the visitbility, but what about when they become a hazard and you are now seeing spots of light and can't see the road ahead of you?? There has to be something that can be done to regulate this.

Perhaps make spotlights legal so us Beetle owners can blind them back???

My personal favorite idea that i'd love to do is put a "dotty board" or similar thing in the rear window that has custom sayings that can be shown at the push of a button like "back off" or "i brake for tailgaters" or "your car sucks" or "nice cans" and the like.

Anyone ever done this??

John

[Fowvay]

arrrgghhhh I hate driving at night now...

[squeebug]

I hate driving at night over here because of all the hills. It also doesn't help that half the cars have those damn HID lights where are bright as snot. It really sucks on a curvy hilly road with trees all around you.

[The Cheat]

I'm all for brighter lights, as long as they're aimed properly. I used to get blinded by SUVs in my Jettas all the time...but the joke was on them as I had HID projectors in my low and high beams. Tail me with your regular lights and when you pass me, I will high-beam your ass with my 12000k high beam HIDs. I also had HID fogs as well...those made night driving fun.

Oh yeah, rear fogs are cool too...make people think you're slamming on the brake.

Like I said, I'm all for brighter lights...if used properly. I need them as I'm practically blind at night (my doctors have told me I shouldn't drive at night, but what are ya gonna do), and the more light I have, the better.

[OrangeLessTop]

I have spoken with a couple of SUV owners. Some of them don't even know how to turn them off.....many times it is just one notch past the regular headlight setting, and they just turn it all the way to the front an can't tell the difference.

[Shutterbug]

Its gotten to the point that I am seriously tempted to make me a mess of business cards to leave on their windshields that reads.....

"Love your car....Hate your FOG LIGHTS!" and give a detailed and kind explanation as to why. Maybe if I kindly ask them to be considerate, they might just comply. What's the odds of that happening. I'll most likely get a "mind you own business" response.

I could always write a letter to our 2 local papers. Hey, maybe I'll post something on the bulletain board at the DMV
They'll really love me then.

I think most of them are too busy yacking on their cell phones to bother with whats going on with the lights

BTW, I am really a very happy person, this is just something thats in my crawl.

Be safe out there.

[hannaco]

Write to the Federal Trade Commission, and tell them about it. They have a special docket for comment on bright automotive lights. They may never do anything about it, but at least you will feel better.

[hygieneboy]

The best thing to do for yourselves is to just not let it bother you so much. Nothing you do will make a bit of difference in the big picture of things. Confronting someone outright on the road only promotes road rage and violence. If someone is behind you blinding you with their lights just slow down and put on your hazards and let them pass or switch lanes. Putting on your windshield wiper mist works well too. Getting upset accomplishes nothing except raising your blood pressure. Learn how to better internally deal with it and that is your best solution.

[yellowherbie]

Good Thread.

It happens to me every day, on the way to work. I swear... or in the Stabucks drive thru-.. I just point my side mirror towards them, so they get blind by their own light's. Its mostly the big trucks and suv's....

I have a rear fog, and yeah, I can admit using that as well, but I think it works better if you just slow down and go the speed limit....


OR I cant belive Im asaying this, but on the side road's, if its really bad, I just stop as if Im seeing this pretend dog cross the street.

Oh, crap. Its not that bad, right?

[Slug]

Lights are just getting better and your just not use to them.

Back in late 70's Halogen headlights came out on automobiles, ouch they were bright compaired to the regular Sealed Beam Headlights, now we are all use to them.

20+ years pass.....

Now a new generation of lights have emerged, in a few years you will not even notice them anymore because all the cars will have them.

I know that the thread is about "Super Bright Fogs", but now days you have brighter heads to go with those brighter fogs.
Usually its only 55w bulbs, they just put out a different "white" light.

[VW2.0Driver]

I have no problem with foglights blinding me at all, because foglights are a weaker bulb than the standard Headlight bulb.

My complaint is people who drive around with high beams on because they are too lazy to fix their bad low beams. I also love the new Xenon lights, I find them far easier than halogen on my eyes.

[Deserion]

I think part of the issue is that the lights are misaimed...

On the foglight issue, it irks me when people use those at night instead of their headlights.

-Des

[Shutterbug]

Maybe its a passing fad in these pasts, I doubt it though. I'd say 99.9 percent of those with them, run with them on at all times.

I have tried flashing my brights to clue them in but all I seem to get are their BRIGHTS in return! I swear, I think it comes close to Lasik Eye Surgery!

Whats a gal to do?

[Steinola]

Originally Posted by The Cheat

I also had HID fogs as well...those made night driving fun.

Hold on... hold on. Back up. How da heck did you get HID fogs?!?
HOW-TO please!

[macdave]

Properly designed and aimed fog lamps and low beams will produce no glare to oncomming trafic on a level road. Many cars have improper xennon conversions and cheap fogs that throw light everywhere.

High beams and driving lamps will produce glare because of their design and are not supposed to be used with oncomming traffic.

I have Hella H4 Ecode lights with 150watt bulbs on my old pickup. On the low beams they have a sharp cutoff and no glare. All that you see are 2 white squares on the front of the truck. The high beams wil let you see about a mile down the road and are great for flashing at those blinding lights comming at me. These H4's are a 40 year old design that is about 10x brighter and still far superior to any DOT(US) code light.

Fog lamps should also have a sharp cutoff and should not have any upward light. Some good ones are the NB projector fogs, Hella MicroDE, Hella MicroDE HID, Hella MicroFF, Hella 550F, any fogs from Cibe and Marchal(not available in the US).

Most OEM fogs, especially on american cars are olny there for looks and produce a poor beam with lots of glare.

Here's a pic of the output from a Hela MicroDE Fog. this will not bother any opposing traffic if it is aimed properly.