As UK motorists prepare for the first of the cold winter weather over the coming few days, Driving Experience is warning motorists to be careful which lights they leave on or risk facing a £50 fine.
With forecasters predicting temperatures could drop to as low as -8°C in some parts of the UK, as well as the potential for snow across large parts of the country, reaching for the fog light dial could cause more harm than good.
Fog lights are recommended when visibility is poor as they are more effective in cutting through poor lighting conditions than headlights.
However, because of their position and different beam spread, fog lights are more likely to dazzle oncoming motorists if left on when conditions improve.
Dan Jones, operations manager at DrivingExperience.com, warns that unless drivers remember to switch their fog lights off when the weather improves, they could be slapped with a fine: "Sometimes it is easy to forget you have put your fog lights on as you can't see them while driving in lighter conditions."
"Failing to do so could mean that not only could you dazzle an oncoming driver and cause an accident, you could also be hit with a £50 fine due to breaking The Highway Code."
Indeed, according to the Highway Code, rule 226, drivers 'May use front or rear fog lights [if visibility is reduced by more than 100 metres] but must switch them off when visibility improves.'
Jones concludes: "Last year, nearly 6,000 collisions were caused because a driver's vision was affected by external factors which could include dazzling lights, so it is important to be alert to the conditions when they improve."
"Fog lights are generally switched on manually by the driver. With more cars now featuring automated systems, it is quite easy to forget they're on, or even think they've turned off naturally when conditions improve."
Visit our Driving Lessons page today on the Driving Experience website to browse and book from our driving day packages which help supply you with how to drive in challenging weather conditions including snow and ice, available to book through purchase of our open Gift Vouchers.
