Do foglights improve night visibility?

[easyfame]

Getting my foglight kit in the mail today from gen5diy and was wondering if there is a noticeable difference with the addition of the foglights when running them at night or is it just for looks.

I noticed the stock halogens on the 1ls are pretty poor at night when compared to other cars.

[stoopid]

Poor? They seem fine to me.

As for the fog lights, they're not going to be a lot of help at night but certainly a small benefit in poor weather to give you that slightly better illumination of the road. Has to do with where your eyes focus in poor visibility (fog, heavy precipitation). When it's clear you look further down the road hence no advantage most of the time, but you tend to look directly in front of the vehicle more during bad weather to ensure you're staying in lane, etc.

But really, they're for looks.

[Rock-It Man]

Fog lights are great at illuminating potholes and debris.

Mine are always on, in my non-RS Camaro.

[MrChrisLS3]

The true purpose of a fog light is not to see better in adverse conditions, but to be better seen in adverse conditions.

[stoopid]

Originally Posted by MrChrisLS3

The true purpose of a fog light is not to see better in adverse conditions, but to be better seen in adverse conditions.

Entirely incorrect. Proper fogs are angled such that they illuminate the road "with a sharp cutoff at the top, and are generally aimed and mounted low... were designed for use at low speed to increase the illumination directed towards the road surface and verges in conditions of poor visibility due to rain, fog, dust or snow."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automot...ront_fog_lamps

The Camaro fogs are more ornamental though, as I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong) they do not have a sharp cutoff at the top nor are they particularly aimed downward like a good set of fogs would be. They rely more on their low placement on the front of the vehicle for any benefit, but because they're not aimed it's mostly just for looks.

[ChrisBlair]

I run them 'on' any time the headlights are off. I feel they make my car more visible than DRLs.

[NJScorpio]

Originally Posted by stoopid

Entirely incorrect. Proper fogs are angled such that they illuminate the road "with a sharp cutoff at the top, and are generally aimed and mounted low... were designed for use at low speed to increase the illumination directed towards the road surface and verges in conditions of poor visibility due to rain, fog, dust or snow."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automot...ront_fog_lamps

The Camaro fogs are more ornamental though, as I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong) they do not have a sharp cutoff at the top nor are they particularly aimed downward like a good set of fogs would be. They rely more on their low placement on the front of the vehicle for any benefit, but because they're not aimed it's mostly just for looks.

But in theory, could after market fog lights have a different angle and cutoff, and thus more functional?

[Jfoster]

I think they help alittle with luminating the center line and fog lines, but not much. By the time they luminate anything that your headlamps didn't catch you've already ran over it or into it. About all their really good at is pissing off other drivers in clear weather.

[ChrisBlair]

Originally Posted by Jfoster

I think they help alittle with luminating the center line and fog lines, but not much. By the time they luminate anything that your headlamps didn't catch you've already ran over it or into it. About all their really good at is pissing off other drivers in clear weather.

Probably 1/2 of the SS 5Gens I see here run with the fogs on instead of DRLs

They do not produce any "pisses off other drivers" effect when I look at those other cars.

[JR 1]

Originally Posted by Rock-It Man

Fog lights are great at illuminating potholes and debris.

Mine are always on, in my non-RS Camaro.

I agree, they throw light low down right in front of the car and it helps me dodge all the potholes around here.

[stoopid]

Originally Posted by NJScorpio

But in theory, could market fog lights have a different angle and cutoff, and thus more functional?

The manufacturer would put that in the product description. The OE fogs don't claim to be. They're mostly for decoration.

I know with our second car the fogs help. They're aimed and cut off as the wikipedia page explains.

[MrChrisLS3]

Originally Posted by stoopid

Entirely incorrect. Proper fogs are angled such that they illuminate the road "with a sharp cutoff at the top, and are generally aimed and mounted low... were designed for use at low speed to increase the illumination directed towards the road surface and verges in conditions of poor visibility due to rain, fog, dust or snow."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automot...ront_fog_lamps

The Camaro fogs are more ornamental though, as I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong) they do not have a sharp cutoff at the top nor are they particularly aimed downward like a good set of fogs would be. They rely more on their low placement on the front of the vehicle for any benefit, but because they're not aimed it's mostly just for looks.

I stand corrected, thanks for the info.

[jkchambless]

Originally Posted by JR 1

I agree, they throw light low down right in front of the car and it helps me dodge all the potholes around here.

+1

[easyfame]

Well just put them back in last night and my God what a difference in looks and visibility. Some users hit the nail on the head, the ground in front of the car is much easier to see


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