FOG LIGHTS VS DRIVING LIGHTS: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? Foglights are defined according to the beam pattern they emit. This means that a true Foglight will have a beam pattern that is projected very wide and not too far ahead of the vehicle. The purpose of this is to provide the driver with as much light as possible,
closer to the car so that the driver can see in bad weather... Thus, with Fog Lights on, the driver sees a concentrated band of light that forms a thick strip of bright light immediately in front of the vehicle, as well as to the sides.
Driving lamps (PIAA 510) on the other hand project a very narrow beam of light, very far ahead of the vehicle. This light
is not effective in foul weather other than to supply you with additional light. But they do not provide light to the sides of the car. Also, driving lamps are more of a perfomance add on, as they mimick the high beam, but sit lower on the vehicle, and thus offend the on coming traffic somewhat less. This means that you get to drive with your low beams
and high beams - sort of...
WHY GO WITH PROJECTOR FOG LIGHTS? I have gone over the matter of why projectors are superior on many occasions beforehand. However, when it comes to driving in bad weather, the advantages of having projectors are multiplied.
As you know, a projector emits a bright, concentrated beam of light, that has a sharp cut-off at the horizon. This means that
NO LIGHT IS PROJECTED ABOVE IT. And right there is the difference!! Why you ask?
Lets examine a normal fog light, with the traditional lens that splatters stray light in all directions. Anyone that has driven through rain or snow is familiar with the dangerous "Video Game Syndrome". You are driving your car, but it really looks like you are standing there and the road is coming at you, like in a video game. This is due to the fact that the light emitted from your lights
is reflected by the rain and snow particles BACK INTO YOUR EYES! So the very devices that are there to help you see, are actually contributing to the horrible conditions on the road!
With projector beams, there is no such thing as stray light, since all of it is concentrated down on the road. This means that the dangerous light reflection is eliminated to an extent of 99%. All you see is light on the road, and your vision is greatly enhanced.
As you can see, there are advantages of having projectors in your Fog Lights. Not only do they look cool, but they are actually functinal too. The same questions were raised when I introduced the Headlight Units. And the same can be said for them.
These are not just a mere cosmetic upgrade, but are legitimate peformance oriented lights.Hope I answered some questions...
