There are a few things in life that are certain: death, taxes, and the fact that you’ll always run into someone driving with their fog lights on when it’s not foggy… or the fact that some people mistake their high beams with their fog lamps.

Look around you next time you’re out there in the thick of rush hour traffic… that if you aren’t blinded by those shiny high beam headlights. You’ll see it… or not. Don’t be like those people. Keep reading.

There are many types of auto lights, but high beams and fog lights are two of the most important for safety while driving. Here’s what you need to know about high beams vs. fog lights.

The Short Story

  • Fog lights are supplementary headlights that help you see better in foggy conditions. They work by projecting light in front of the vehicle, which allows you to avoid obstacles and maintain situational awareness.
  • On the other hand, high beams are intended for use during clear weather conditions at night or in low-light conditions such as twilight or dawn. They project a bright light forward so you can see further than normal.

The Hemingway Version of High Beams vs. Fog Lights

What are high beam headlights?

More specifically, high beams are the standard headlights equipped on most cars. High beam headlights illuminate more of the road than low beam headlights. This means you can see farther ahead when driving at night with high beams, but it also means that you need to be careful so as not to blind other drivers who may be traveling in your direction.

However, high beams should not be used all the time because they can be dangerous for other drivers if they are too close or behind you. Low beam headlights should always be used when following another vehicle and when approaching intersections with lots of traffic or other potential hazards such as pedestrians or animals crossing your path.

Furthermore, in some states, it is illegal to use your high beams when you’re within 500 feet of another vehicle and 200 feet when you’re approaching other vehicles. So if someone has their high beams on, turn yours off. This will help improve visibility for both parties involved in the situation.

You know it. As a driver, you know that it’s essential to keep your high beams turned off in traffic. The glare can be blinding and make it difficult for other drivers to see at night if you don’t.

These rules exist because bright lights can blind others on the road and cause distractions that may cause accidents. The glare from your headlights will make it difficult for other drivers to see what’s ahead of them on the road or at intersections.”

If you need help seeing better while driving at night without blinding anyone else on the road with your headlights, then consider switching into daytime running lamps instead; these lamps don’t emit nearly as much light but will still make it easier for everyone around you sees clearly enough during bad weather conditions like rain or snow (and there won’t be any glare)!

When should you use high beams?

It’s all fun and games when you’re speeding down the highway, blasting your favorite song, until you find yourself passing through a dark stretch of road. Then you have to make a vital decision: do I use my high beams or low beams? Everyone has their own opinion, but as always, there’s only one correct answer.

If you’re driving on a dark road, there’s not much traffic around, and the weather is clear, then high beams can help you see farther ahead as they provide more light. However, this added brightness also makes it easier for other drivers to see you coming (and vice versa). High beams are best used sparingly in situations where visibility is limited and when you want to ensure that other drivers see your vehicle.

If you’re driving on the main road at night in an urban area with lots of streetlights or headlights from other vehicles, using high beams may blind other drivers who did not expect them. This could result in dangerous situations where all parties involved have trouble seeing where they are going because your bright lights blinded them! If this happens while turning or changing lanes suddenly without warning – watch out!

How do you turn on low-beam headlights?

You can switch between high beams and low beams by pulling on the headlight stalk (turn signal lever) on the left side of your steering column.

If you want to use your high beams, make sure you’re not within 500 feet of another vehicle and that no other vehicle is approaching. Also, avoid using your high beams when driving at night on a dark, winding road or in fog (hint: low beams are better for these situations).

If you need to switch between high and low beams while driving, take your hands off the steering wheel, so they don’t accidentally hit the headlight stalk. Pulling on the stalk will give you access to a lever that lets you flip between high beam and low beam settings.

What are fog lights?

Fog lights are used primarily for visibility during inclement weather conditions like snowstorms or heavy rainfalls when visibility is limited by foggy mist/foggy conditions caused by reduced temperatures which condense water vapor into small droplets creating a dense cloud covering, making it difficult for us humans to see very far ahead, especially at nighttime.

As such, fog lights improve visibility by lighting up the base of objects on the road ahead of you. This makes it easier to see what’s coming up, like rocks and potholes that could cause damage to your vehicle if driven over at high speeds.

In terms of position, fog lamps are aimed lower than the headlights and illuminate the road in front of your vehicle. This makes them more effective at low speeds and in fog or heavy rain. It’s also safer because they create less glare than headlights do, so other drivers can see you better.

When should you use fog lights?

Fog lamps should be used in fog, snow, or smoke when visibility is reduced, and the high beams just reflect back into your face

Fog lights are designed to help you see in poor weather conditions by illuminating the area ahead of your vehicle. They’re mounted low and aimed at a 45-degree angle directly away from your car—not up at the sky like headlights do. If you’re driving a vehicle with fog lights, you should use them in fog, snow, or smoke when visibility is reduced and the high beams reflect back in your face.

If you have any doubts about whether or not it’s safe to drive with your high beams on, turn them off and turn on your fog lights instead! If there is any sort of moisture in front of you (i.e., rain), it’s probably best that you keep only the foggies on because even though healamps can be used during snow, they may still reflect back into other drivers’ eyes, causing them pain if they’re looking into their bright light source rather than away from it as intended by design.

Long Range vs. Short Range

High beam headlights are used for extended range visibility, whereas fog lights are used for short range visibility. High beam headlights are brighter than fog lights, but they’re also more focused and have less of a spread. Fog lights have a wider spread than high beams, making them ideal for illuminating an area immediately in front of you when conditions aren’t optimal for seeing far away objects like other cars or street signs.

Purpose

High beams are a part of your car’s headlights, so they are necessary for safe driving. They can be used to see far ahead—which is great if you’re driving on an empty road at night. By contrast, fog lights are auxiliary equipment specifically designed for inclement weather conditions. As such, they are not created to light up the road in front of you.

Brightness

Fog lights are typically more powerful than regular headlights, but they’re not as bright as daytime running lights (DRLs). Fog lights also have a shorter range than full-intensity headlights; therefore, when driving under low visibility conditions or at night with foggy weather.

Position

If you’re driving a vehicle with fog lights, you should use them in fog, snow, or smoke when visibility is reduced, and the high beams just reflect back in your face. Fog lights are designed to help you see in poor weather conditions by illuminating the area ahead of your vehicle. They’re mounted low and aimed at a 45-degree angle directly away from your car—not up at the sky like headlights do.

High Beams vs. Low Beams vs. Fog Lights

  • Low Beams are designed for normal nighttime driving.

Low beams are designed for everyday nighttime driving. You won’t be able to see distant objects, but that’s not their purpose. Low beams are meant to illuminate the road ahead so that you can see what’s right in front of your car. 

Such lights do an excellent good job of giving you a clear view as far as they go, but they won’t illuminate objects far away from your vehicle (like oncoming traffic). So if someone starts coming towards you at night and something looks odd about them—perhaps they’re carrying an umbrella while it’s not raining—it might just be because their high beam headlights are shining into your eyes!

  • High Beams are designed to allow the driver to see objects and people at a greater distance.

High beams are designed to allow the driver to see objects and people at a greater distance than low beams. The high beam headlamp is usually at its brightest when the headlamp switch is turned on, then dims as you lower it below 5°.

High beams produce more glare than low beams because they project light farther ahead of your vehicle than low beams do. This means that you’re sending light toward other drivers or pedestrians in front of you who may also be operating vehicles with their own headlights on – potentially blinding them as well as blinding yourself!

Consequently, high beam lights should only be used when necessary (for example: when driving past an oncoming car). 

  • Fog Lights add extra safety when it is foggy, snowing or raining.

Fog lights are often used in conjunction with low beams. Fog lights are more powerful than regular headlights, but they’re also narrower. They’re mounted low on the car to shine into fog or rain instead of shining into oncoming traffic (and blinding them).

In addition, fog lights should be used in conjunction with regular headlights to provide adequate illumination for safe driving at night.

You should use high beams or fog lights depending on the conditions, but not both at the same time

In a tragic twist of fate, high beams are actually hazardous to use when you’re driving on roads with other cars or pedestrians. This is because high beams can blind drivers of other cars, and then those drivers will go into shock in their vehicles, sometimes causing them to crash into things.

You should use fog lights instead if you’re driving on roads with other vehicles or people because they don’t blind them as much as high beams do—though it’s still possible for a driver to get blinded by fog lights too!

It’s important to remember that although fog lights are better than high beams in many situations (like nighttime driving), they’re still not perfect: there are still some situations where using both at the same time would be preferable over either one alone (such as daytime highway travel).

When it comes to driving in low visibility, you should use the right kind of light

So how do you know if it’s time to turn on your fog lights? When it starts raining outside, you should probably switch them on before getting into your car (it might also help if your wipers are working). If it’s snowing or foggy out—or any combination thereof—then go ahead and give yourself a little extra visibility with those little yellow bulbs that come standard in most modern vehicles.