Foggy? In this case, you can use fog lights

This morning and last night it was very foggy in the middle and west of the Netherlands. When can you actually turn on your fog lights?

Fog consists of tiny water droplets suspended in the air. This limits visibility. There are four types of fog: haze (visibility more than 1000 meters), fog (visibility less than 1000 meters), dense fog (visibility less than 200 meters) and very dense fog (visibility less than 50 meters).

Turn on fog lights

When can you use your car’s fog lights? You may only use the fog lights on the front of your car when visibility is severely impaired. This is the case when visibility is less than 200 meters.

You may only use the rear fog lamp when visibility is less than 50 meters. Fog lights are not required by law. Since January 1, 1998, rear fog lights are only mandatory for new cars in the Netherlands. Cars built before 1998 therefore sometimes do not yet have fog lights.

If they are on your car, they must work. Otherwise your car will not be approved by the TÜV. It is advisable to use them whenever possible. This has a direct positive effect on your visibility in traffic and road safety.

Fine unnecessary use of fog lights

If you turn on your car’s fog lights when it’s not required, you could be fined. Because you can seriously obstruct the view of other road users in this way, the fine is 150 euros. However, you also need to make sure you turn on your lights. In fog, that often doesn’t happen with new cars. We explain how this works in the following video.

Keep more distance in fog

Although fog lights provide better visibility, there are still a few things that can improve safety when you can’t see your hand in front of you. For example, you can increase the distance to the predecessor – or even double it. This gives more scope to act in a timely manner. It is also advisable to adjust your speed.