Do you drive with your fog lights on?

[roblab]

DRLs aren't enough?

Excess light is irritating to almost all life forms. Even microbes will swim away from bright light. Humans want sun shades, and some drivers wear dark glasses even at night.

Personally, bright lights, high beams, excess running lights, pickups with lights sitting at 6 feet, etc. are irritating to me. I will pull over and let some bat zip around rather than have his driving aids blind me in my mirrors. It is impolite and thoughtless.

 

[nvx1977]

Obviously I don't condone using fog lights against state law requirements, but I would argue that any state with a law treating fog lights the same way as high beams have no clue how fog lights work.

Fog lights are intended to illuminate the road beneath the fog cover. By design, they shine at the road immediately in front of the car, as low as possible to get under the fog. You can think of them as the lowest beam. High beams OTOH shine upward to illuminate as far down the road as possible, and with an approaching car, the beam basically shines directly into the eyes of drivers.

If you turn off Model 3 headlights at night, but keep fog lights on, you can see what the fog light contribution is. It covers directly in front of the car and some periphery. In no way does this blind other drivers. The Model 3 foglight design is especially good, as the LED strip is recessed, further eliminating any chance of glare.

 

[MP3Mike]

DRLs aren't enough?

Tesla's don't have DRLs. (At least the current ones, that is why in Canada the headlights have to be on all the time.)

 

[chronopc]

DRLs aren't enough?

Excess light is irritating to almost all life forms. Even microbes will swim away from bright light. Humans want sun shades, and some drivers wear dark glasses even at night.

Personally, bright lights, high beams, excess running lights, pickups with lights sitting at 6 feet, etc. are irritating to me. I will pull over and let some bat zip around rather than have his driving aids blind me in my mirrors. It is impolite and thoughtless.

That's why I'm glad rear and side mirrors in the Model 3 have auto dimming. I'm not bothered by fog lights but I hate people with super bright after market headlights.

 

[TT97]

I did say in most states. For example it is in Oregon: ODOT: Some drivers in a fog over proper fog lights use

There are a few states that group fog lights with high beams (only can think of Oregon and Colorado), however, (a) that hardly makes it "most" and (b) it doesn't make driving with fog lights illegal if not foggy. There are other countries that it is illegal to drive with fog lights while not foggy, also, some states have regulations that you can not have fog lights on without driving lights and there are also regulations on how maximum number of driving lights you can have illuminated.

 

[brobinson]

I leave mine on for a couple of reasons.

It's not to stand out, but I think that fog lights in general make the front fascia on most cars look nicer.

It's one less button press in the event that there is foggy weather that would benefit from using the lights.

 

[Darmie]

Does the model 3 have rear fog lights? Before placing our order on the Model X, we borrowed for a day the P100D they had at the time and there was a setting for rear fog lights. There is a small area on the rear lights that would illuminate when selected. It was blinding bright. Not sure if it's standard on the non performance model. The A/C seats were not.

 

[Big Earl]

I leave the fog lights on. When it's cloudy out or I'm driving on shaded or partially shaded back roads in the day, I run with parking lights + fog lights to add to the vehicles visibility, particularly from the rear. The daytime running lights only run the front accent lights and auto mode tends to turn the headlights on and off too often.

I also turn on parking + fogs when parked at car shows because it looks cool (according to me).

 

[MP3Mike]

Does the model 3 have rear fog lights? Before placing our order on the Model X, we borrowed for a day the P100D they had at the time and there was a setting for rear fog lights. There is a small area on the rear lights that would illuminate when selected. It was blinding bright. Not sure if it's standard on the non performance model. The A/C seats were not.

I thought rear fog lights were only on the EU cars, since it is required there.

 

[Big Earl]

Does the model 3 have rear fog lights? Before placing our order on the Model X, we borrowed for a day the P100D they had at the time and there was a setting for rear fog lights. There is a small area on the rear lights that would illuminate when selected. It was blinding bright. Not sure if it's standard on the non performance model. The A/C seats were not.

There are no rear fog lights on North American Model 3s. We looked at the fixtures and there are no LEDs installed where you would expect them for rear fogs.

 

[FlyNavy01]

Tesla's don't have DRLs. (At least the current ones, that is why in Canada the headlights have to be on all the time.)

That is incorrect.

 

[MP3Mike]

That is incorrect.

They are "signature" lights, they don't meet the requirements to be called DRLs.

From the manual:

Note: If daytime running lights are required in your region, the exterior lights used for this purpose are always on whenever a driving gear (Drive or Reverse) is engaged.

The definition of exterior lights is: "headlights, tail lights, side marker lights, parking lights, and license plate lights."

 

[Shizzrock]

Foglights just look cool, they don't even really add that much light. Having a hard time understanding people who say it's a courtesy thing.

i thought people would be talking about hurting your efficiency as they seem to do, but much to my chagrin they're worried about the health of wildlife due to foglight use.

As a counterpoint, and the model 3 doesn't even have these, people who use their rear foglights even when it's foggy out are total toolbags.

 

[FlyNavy01]

They are "signature" lights, they don't meet the requirements to be called DRLs.

From the manual:



The definition of exterior lights is: "headlights, tail lights, side marker lights, parking lights, and license plate lights."

Interesting, I've never heard them be referred to as anything but DRL's until now. Good to know.

 

[brobinson]

Interesting, I've never heard them be referred to as anything but DRL's until now. Good to know.

There are two parts to the Model 3 lights, at least that's how it's been explained so far. People have been under the impression that the eyelid is the DRL, and the LED strip beneath the eyelid is the signature light. I guess we won't know for sure until the non PUP lights are manufactured.

 

[FlyNavy01]

I'm just curious what the requirements are to be called DRL's. The Model S/X "signature" lights look extremely similar to other luxury brand DRL's (Audi, BMW, etc.) and if anything appear brighter.

 

[chronopc]

They are "signature" lights, they don't meet the requirements to be called DRLs.

From the manual:



The definition of exterior lights is: "headlights, tail lights, side marker lights, parking lights, and license plate lights."

I never knew DRLs was a legal requirement. Always thought it was just a design thing. Also, I thought signature lights and DRLs are the same thing.

 

[MP3Mike]

I never knew DRLs was a legal requirement. Always thought it was just a design thing. Also, I thought signature lights and DRLs are the same thing.

DRLs aren't legal thing in the US, because we are so far behind. Other countries have requirements for them...

 

[chronopc]

DRLs aren't legal thing in the US, because we are so far behind. Other countries have requirements for them...

Do they make driving safer? If so, how?

 

[MP3Mike]

Do they make driving safer? If so, how?

They make on-coming cars more visible, especially with the sun in your eyes.

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