You can use fog lights with this fog

Motorists often tend to switch on their high beams in dense fog, but this generally makes little sense. The fog will reflect the light and that will only be a nuisance to you. Special fog lights on the front of a car are a better solution. They produce extra bright and low light, giving you better visibility in a fog bank and making you more visible to others. This involves a wide, non-dazzling beam of light that shines onto the road from a low position. That is why we also call these lights floodlights. This allows you to illuminate the road under the fog bank.

Less than 200 meters

You should not use your front fog lights as a type of daytime running light. You may only use your dipped beam for this purpose, unless there is dense or very dense fog. Objective criteria have been established by the legislator for this. Article 34 of the 1990 Traffic Rules and Traffic Signs Regulations (RVV) is very clear about this: “In the event of fog, snowfall or rain that seriously impairs visibility (visibility up to 200 metres), drivers of a motor vehicle and a disabled vehicle may turn on the fog lights. front.”

Rear fog light only when visibility is less than 50 meters

The rear fog light should only be used in very dense fog. The visibility is then less than 50 meters. During heavy rainfall, the use of a rear fog light is expressly not permitted in the Netherlands. The idea behind this is that a driver behind you could possibly be blinded by the reflection of the bright light in the rain.

Are you using the fog lights incorrectly? Then the police may impose a fine on you. If you have very bright lights on, this will be annoying for other road users in non-foggy conditions. That is why the fine for incorrectly using fog lights is €110 for the front fog light and €160 for the rear fog light.

Rear fog light mandatory

Front fog lights are not legally required. The rear fog light is, at least on passenger cars built after December 31, 1997. The mandatory rear fog light also applies to trailers and caravans.

Low beam on during daytime fog

Do you have daytime running lights and automatic lights? In case of fog during the day, make sure that you switch on your car’s low beam headlights. Then the rear lights will also come on and with low beam you will be slightly more visible.

Belgium: more flexible when using fog lights

The rules are slightly different in our neighboring countries. In Belgium, vehicles can be registered as cars for daily use or as vintage cars. For a vintage car, fog lights are only mandatory if the car was originally equipped with them, but in daily use every car must be equipped with one or two rear fog lights.

Front fog lights are – just like in the Netherlands – not mandatory in Belgium. In Belgium, the rules regarding the use of fog lights are slightly more relaxed. For example, there is no distance criterion for the front fog lights: they can be used in rain, fog or snow. The rear fog light may be used when visibility is less than 100 meters. This also includes extreme weather conditions.

Germany: lower maximum speed when using rear fog lights

In Germany, the rear fog light may only be used if visibility is less than 50 meters. Then a maximum speed of 50 kilometers per hour also applies. The rules for the front fog lamps are slightly more flexible: in urban areas they may be used with a visibility of 60 to 70 meters, outside the city at 100 to 120 meters and on the highway when visibility is less than 150 meters. The fine for improper use of fog lights in Germany is a lot lower than in our country: €20. Fog lights are also not legally required on passenger cars in Germany.