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Fog light law?

12K views 46 replies 34 participants last post by  KingFisher85 
#1 ·
Just curious if there is a law about fog light use? Seems like there are a lot of em in use when there isn't any fog, maybe people just wanna look good in the dark? It seems they are kind of blinding to oncoming traffic. Maybe it's just me?
 
#2 ·
I was pulled over once for them and the officer told me that you have to treat them like your high beam headlights, your supposed to turn them off when there is oncoming traffic. Mine were driving lights btw so they were white not yellow.
 
#4 ·
Just curious if there is a law about fog light use? Seems like there are a lot of em in use when there isn't any fog, maybe people just wanna look good in the dark? It seems they are kind of blinding to oncoming traffic. Maybe it's just me?
yes there is and i found out the hard way with a DOT vialation. so this is what i was told by the DOT officer for ALLl cars and trucks in oregon, for light can be used only if there is LESS than 300 feet OR if you are useing them in the place of your high beems.
 
#21 ·
I too learned something today. I had mine on last night coming over the 6 in the fog and will make sure they off today when i get in the car. It would be interesting to find out if that is whats known as a "primary offense or secondary offense" in Oregon and how does that affect out of state plated vehicles if it is legal to drive with them in their state.
 
#5 ·
There are laws and they need to be enforced. It is completely ignorant for people to drive around with twenty five million candle power lights blinding oncoming traffic.

They do speeding stings maybe they should start doing stings for people that are not following the law with regards to using the lights on thier cars. I can't believe I said that but it does become a safety issue. I am tired of almost going into a ditch because I am temporarily blinded by some yahoo lighting up the road into the next county.
 
#12 ·
There are laws and they need to be enforced. It is completely ignorant for people to drive around with twenty five million candle power lights blinding oncoming traffic.

They do speeding stings maybe they should start doing stings for people that are not following the law with regards to using the lights on thier cars. I can't believe I said that but it does become a safety issue. I am tired of almost going into a ditch because I am temporarily blinded by some yahoo lighting up the road into the next county.

At that candle power they would not be a fog light so that has nothing to do with the original question.
 
#10 ·
I talked to a Hillsboro police officer about this issue and his explanation was a cop-out....pun intended... It seems the manufacturers have changed the name of those things in order to evade the law. He told me the current correct name for the lights is "safety lights." It appears with the new name they get around the law. I didn't buy the explanation and no one else should.

The worst offenders are Dodge truck drivers and Subaru drivers. Not because they use them more frequently but because they are so big and bright.

The law used to say, the only forward pointing white lights are headlights. Everything else must be colored. I tried to find this in the Oregon driving laws a year or so ago and it seems the law has changed. I looked on-line and not in the written manual. Maybe I didn't look in the right spot or misread the information.
 
#11 ·
From OSP News:

Use Fog Lights Correctly and Safely02/16/2009The following is a news release from Oregon Department of Transportation:

With steadily increasing numbers of vehicles on the road with auxiliary or fog lights, state transportation safety officials are reminding people to use vehicle lighting correctly and safely.

"Driving towards a car with both headlights and fog or auxiliary lights on can be like driving toward a car with its high headlight beams on, it can be blinding," said Michele O’Leary with the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Safety Division.

Fog lights are designed to be used at low speeds in fog, heavy mist and snow situations where visibility is significantly reduced. Front fog lights are generally aimed and mounted low to increase the illumination directed towards the road surface. In low visibility situations, fog lights should be dimmed or turned off when an oncoming vehicle approaches. In normal visibility conditions, fog or auxiliary lights should be turned off.

According to Oregon law, auxiliary and/or fog lights must be used like the high beam headlight system of your car. They must be dimmed or turned off within 500 feet of approaching an oncoming vehicle and 350 feet when following another vehicle. The color of auxiliary and/or fog lights is also regulated. Fog lights may be either white or amber (yellow). Rules prohibit other colors such as blue.

If your car came equipped with auxiliary lighting, O’Leary recommends knowing where the switches are, and how to use them - at least to turn the lights off, and leave them off if you don’t want to deal with dimming.

If you plan to install fog and/or auxiliary lights as an after market feature, it is important to know that Oregon has adopted special rules that manufacturers must meet. Products are required to be labeled that the product is not to be used on the street. Manufacturers must meet or exceed SAE and/or DOT manufacturing standards to market their products for street use.
 
#13 ·
Let me be a counter point. Headlights go so far out. High-beams go out the same distance, but of course are brighter. Fog lights are lower and only light the immediate area to the front of the vehicle and are lower. I have never had a problem with someone driving with their fog-lights on. I think that just by being given the name "fog-lights" they are getting a bad rap. If they were called the "ASL" additional safety lights, the industry would hail them as a safety device that save countless life's by enabling the driver to see the small objects that jump right out in front of them and they take immediate action to avoid an accident.

Since we are talking about lights, How about those aftermarket halogen lights that light up the whole highway for everyone. Now I do think those are a hazard, they are like having your high-beams on all time (and then some). The first time I encountered one of those vehicles and I flashed them to turn down the high beams. They flashed their real high beams. I wanted jump out of my vehicle and started counting one one thousand two one thousand and but my head between my knees, it was light a little nuclear blast going off.
 
#14 ·
Driving lights aren't always lower. I had mine on my 4 runner and got flashed quite a bit. I didn't understand how bright they really were. They said they were a 55w bulb on the package but I guess the reflector inside made them out to be a 85w.
 
#18 ·
I agree with everything on this thread. Know what kids tell me? Stop driving an old man truck or just stop driving at night, get a 6-8 inch lift and be above it all and quit complaining. I've always thought it is about safety for all, but never have I seen or heard of the law enforced for to high or misdirected lights. I see 30-100 vilolators every time I go from Florence to Eugene. The OSP I have complained to say it is not enforceable.
 
#22 ·
People driving with fog lights on has become quite aggrivating to me. It seems more and more people are doing it--for no good reason. These "fog lights" have become much more bright in newer vehicles and SUV's. Especially SUV's with their lights being high enough to really cause a blinding situation for oncoming drivers.

When someone is coming at me with their fog lights on (only when there are no other oncoming vehicles), I turn on my brights. Maybe they will get the message.
 
#23 ·
We've been discussing this for almost four years now. Here is one thread:
http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=135208&highlight=headlight+wars


I know another time we discussed this and I asked the local PD and they said running 4 lights were illegal.

I now have a Tundra equipped with said lights. I have tested them but really don't see a lot of advantage. I never run them when behind or approaching others.

I have definitely noticed that the cars using them don't bother me much now that I'm sitting so much higher when driving the Tundra.:)

I have sensitive eyes and when I drive my little Nissan they really cause me to divert my eyes from where I should be looking.:( So I try not to drive it at night.
 
#24 ·
This has been one of my pet peeves for a long time, and I thought I was the only one that it bothered. Glad I am not alone.
I wish they would stop more of the offending drivers, it is getting way out of hand!!!:mad:
 
#26 ·
ORS 811.515

(6) When limited visibility conditions exist a person shall use a distribution of light or composite beam that is directed sufficiently high and that is of such intensity so as to reveal persons and vehicles on the highway at a safe distance in advance of the vehicle. A person violates this subsection if the person does not comply with the following:
(a)Whenever the driver of a vehicle approaches an oncoming vehicle within 500 feet, the driver must use a distribution of light or composite beam so aimed that the glaring rays are not projected into the eyes of the oncoming driver. The use of the low beams of the vehicle headlight system is in compliance with this paragraph at all times regardless of road contour and loading of the vehicle.
(b)Except when in the act of overtaking or passing, a driver of a vehicle following another vehicle within 350 feet to the rear must use the low beams of the vehicle headlight system.
(7) When a vehicle is upon a highway a person shall light not more that 4 lights at any one time that are mounted on the front of the vehicle and that each projects a beam of intensity greater than 300 candle power.
(8)(a) A light, other than a headlight, that projects a beam of light of an intensity greater than 300 candle power shall not be operated on a vehicle:
(A)Unless the beam is so directed that no part of the high intensity portion of the beam will strike the level of the roadway on which the vehicle stands at a distance of more than 75 feet from the vehicle;

At this point, the ORS goes on to describe lighting on motorcycles. According to the ORS, I read this as saying you can operate fog lights as long as they don't shine past 75 feet from your vehicle.

This information was taken from the 2008-2009 Oregon Traffic Code.
 
#27 ·
OK...found it in the headlight war thread. This is what I received from the west Linn Police.





Finally received response from local police department. Sorry, it's in capitals, but this is the way it was received:

SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG FOR AN ANSWER, BUT THE AUXILIARY LIGHTING SHOULD BE TREATED LIKE A HIGH BEAM. WHICH MEANS THEY SHOULD BE SHUT OFF WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE APPROACHES. UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW THIS AND THINK IT IS OK TO RUN THEM ALL THE TIME.



OFFICER JOHN SATTER



Also asked the same question a year or so later in the "ask a cop" section of newspaper.
The next week there was a long response again stating that these lights were illegal. Sorry..I don't have the paper in hand.
 
#28 ·
Properly adjusted lights don't bother me much but only about 10% seem to be pointed at the road the rest seem to be aim to the side or up in the air. I have a pair of 200 watts on the ladder rack/wader drier for those wonderful folks who leave their high beams or driving lights on when following at close range so that I can if needed remind the nuckleheads that they might want to dim theirs. :passout:
 
#29 ·
Just curious if there is a law about fog light use? Seems like there are a lot of em in use when there isn't any fog, maybe people just wanna look good in the dark? It seems they are kind of blinding to oncoming traffic. Maybe it's just me?
hi my thoughts exactly they are hard one my eyes and makes it hard to see i finally gave up on flashing the high beams they just don't get it i new i wasn't nuts mike :applause::applause::applause:
 
#31 ·
It's really poorly written, in my opinion. I asked several Washington County officers and the Patrol commander how they would enforce this law. What they said was that without a meter, they really can't make a judgment about candlepower. But if lights are so bright they make it difficult to see, they are violating by "impeding traffic" or something like that. And if the auxiliary lights are brighter than the low beams, the presume they are too bright. But in general, they wouldn't pull someone over just for lights unless it's egregious - like flame-throwers on a roll-bar.
 
#32 ·
I've got two set of LightForce lights I was going to mount on a lightbar on the front of my Super Duty, and wire them to a relay that turns them on when the high beams come on, and turns them off when the low beams are on. My main objective is to see deer and other critters running out from the sides of the road when driving over the passes. Even the high beams on most rigs don't do a very good job of illuminating the roadway. If you're doing more than about 35 MPH you're pretty much driving blind.
 
#34 ·
I've got two set of LightForce lights I was going to mount on a lightbar on the front of my Super Duty, and wire them to a relay that turns them on when the high beams come on, and turns them off when the low beams are on. My main objective is to see deer and other critters running out from the sides of the road when driving over the passes. Even the high beams on most rigs don't do a very good job of illuminating the roadway. If you're doing more than about 35 MPH you're pretty much driving blind.
Depending on the size of these lights I would make sure you are not required to have them covered. I am envisioning them like the KC type lights and I have had friends who get pulled over from time to time because they do not have the covers on the KC lights.
 
#35 ·
If all the lights on you car / truck were aimed correctly there would not be so many complaining about the lights.

My fog lights are factory lights and are adjusted to light up the lines on the road just in front of me and not way up in the air.

They will not work when the high beams are on only when the low beams are on or when the parking lights are on.

I have tried driving with the fog lights only and the fog lights shine no more than about 50 or 60 feet in front and very unsafe to drive with them alone.

What burns me is you guys that have your truck jacked up where you have to have a step ladder to get in and a parachute to get out and never had your lights re aimed properly . If the shoe fits wear it.

DAB
 
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