Foglight vs Spotlight
Spotlights and fog lights are two different types of lights with different purposes. Both are brighter than the headlights, but they increase the functionalities of the headlights differently. So let’s compare foglight vs spotlight and discuss their differences.
Spotlights are useful to direct light onto a specific object or area, while fog lights provide visibility in foggy or low-light conditions. Spotlights are more powerful than fog lights, and their placement is typically higher than the headlights to get brighter visibility with more details, whereas the placement of fog lights is usually lower than the headlights and they have a broader beam.
Due to differences, each light shines (No pun intended) in different scenarios. Spotlights are best in open areas without obstacles. They have a higher range and excel on open roads or high-speed drives. On the other hand, fog lights perform best in challenging environments such as fog, mist, or heavy rain. On an open road on a clear night, even the headlights have the upper hand over the fog lights.
What is a Spotlight?
A spotlight is a powerful light with a narrow but intense beam. Spotlights are typically more powerful than headlights and fog lights. At the same time, they are usually positioned higher than other lights, such as on top of the bonnet or even on the roof.
The purpose of a spotlight is to light up further ahead of the car and provide brighter illumination revealing more details. The higher placement and the greater range of the light are perfect for this.
Some spotlights offer further control and can be turned independently from the car, such as remote-controlled spotlights, but not all spotlights have this feature.
Spotlights thrive in open areas with a clear view, but they perform poorly in harsh weather like rain or fog.
Advantages of the spotlight:
Spotlights are more powerful and robust. The advantages of spotlights include-
- Provide greater illumination
- Have higher range
- Offers more details of the road ahead
- It makes the traffic, turns, and other details obvious from further ahead
Besides these, a car spotlight is also excellent in other scenarios like as a camping light while you are setting up your tent or as a spotlight to provide light on a spot like an emergency
Disadvantages of the spotlight:
But spotlights are not all fine and dandy. They do have some disadvantages. Some of them are-
- Can cause glare
- May seem too bright in some scenarios
- It can make the vision much worse in heavy rain or fog
- They consumes a lot of power and produces heat, thus can be problematic over extended use
However, the disadvantages are not major and easily overcome-able if used carefully and cautiously.
What is a Fog Light?
A fog light is a light with a wide beam that provides visibility in foggy or low-light conditions. Their name is self-explanatory. They are intended to be used in fog. But they also excel in other low-visibility conditions such as heavy rainfall, mist, sand-wind, and even dust storms.
Fog lights are usually more powerful than headlights but less powerful than spotlights. Additionally, they are placed as low as reasonably possible, sometimes even lower than the front bumper. That’s because the lower placements of the light boost its performance without raising the brightness and power consumption.
How fog lights work is that they shine their light, almost hugging the ground. The fog floats about 12 – 18 inches above the ground. The particles near the ground are smaller and easily penetrate able. Thus, by being lower, fog lights are more effective at lighting the road than headlights and spotlights in thick fog.
A distinguishing characteristic of fog light is that they usually cut off lights projected at higher vertical angles. It is done not to overwhelm the drivers of the oncoming cars. As a result, they mostly flood the road with light, but not above it.
(Learn more about fog lights.)
Advantages of Fog Light:
Fog lights have a few handy advantages over other lights, such as-
- Provides better visibility in challenging environments
- It does not block visibility after reflecting off of the fog or raindrops
- Reveals more details about the road right ahead
- It helps to see better at night in general (not recommended though)
To be discrete, fog light is pretty necessary for driving in thick fog or heavy rain. Because the headlight and even the spotlight, as powerful as it may, don’t help very much. Rather, a powerful spotlight may disturb the already limited vision further after it reflects off the suspended particles because they reflect right at the eye level whereas fog light limits the light below eye level.
Disadvantages of Fog Light:
Like most things in life, fog lights aren’t perfect. They do have a few crippling limitations. Some of them are-
- They have a very limited range
- Doesn’t reveal many road-side details, mostly focuses on the road
- They have pretty strict laws about when and where they can be used
Due to their brightness, some people prefer to use them regularly while driving in night, regardless of the weather conditions. But it is not recommended at all. It can cause a blinding effect on oncoming drivers, which may have serious consequences. Besides, many states have strict laws about when and where they can be used. Using them willy-nilly may get you in trouble.
Foglight vs spotlight: best usage for spotlight
Fog lights excel in foggy or misty weather, but they also perform great in heavy rain, sand-wind, or other storms in general. As it happens, most suspended particles float about 12 – 18 inches above the ground. Right above the ground is a thin layer where the fog is significantly thinner. The light from the fog light can penetrate this layer quite easily and illuminate the road ahead.
A fog light should not be used on a clear night, just for the extra brightness that they provide. It can cause a blinding effect for other drivers as well as get you in trouble. Some states have strict laws about it. For example, Maine’s legislature: Title 29-A §1909-A.
Foglight vs spotlight: best usage for Foglight
The answer to this question is quite obvious. If you are driving in clear weather, then the spotlight is the best option, but if you are in challenging weather, fog light is the go-to. There isn’t much middle ground between the two.
Spotlight is better for high-speed drives for their range, but fog light is better at revealing more details right ahead of you.
Spotlight has an upper hand in terms of brightness, but fog light has the lead in terms of consistency. Fog lights are more versatile and more reliable than spotlights.
Conclusion
In conclusion, spotlights and fog lights are two different types of lights with two different purposes. Spotlights are more powerful with a higher range, making them perfect for lighting up far ahead, giving you more time to react. Fog lights have a wider beam and are less likely to cause glare, making them better for use in general driving conditions.
And both of them have their pros and cons. It’s not a question of which one to choose. It’s more of a question of which one to use when. That means for the best experience, you will need both of them. And their use case is almost exclusive of each other. Regardless, they are both handy to have.
Great, thanks for sharing this post. Really thank you! Keep writing. Avery Corrga