LED Fog Lights

In considering the safety necessities of 21st century vehicles the concept of lights might not readily come to mind. What might be further confusing is the idea of a concept of lights. But without such a safety feature driving between the hours of dusk to dawn would be an impossibility. In as much as electric lights are so invaluable in the home they go without saying, so is the typical driver’s attitude when the question becomes the kind of light to have. To most drivers, the question of kind is a moot point. Lights are lights. But think when you are driving in impossible conditions and visibility is at a premium, the long stretches on a pitch black backwards road, the fog so thick you could cut it with a fork, the torrential down pour, when even your hi-beams cannot illuminate more than a few inches , you need something more or rather something different.

Fog lights are designed to work together with low-beams in emissions that, in essence, are designed to shine beneath the haze, thus eliminating the problem of bounce back glare. They work well in inclement weather as the size of water particles of mist or fog far exceeds the size of the light waves emitted by fog lights. As to the right color lights, there is no truth that yellow fog lights are superior to white or blue ones, the issue as conceived in the theorems of Lord Rayleigh, is particle to wave length. The bands of the color spectrum make no difference at all.

A major question is raised when one considers LED fog lights and off road lights vs. their halogen counterparts. Let’s look at basic technology. LED fog lights are known to use 75% less energy than halogen counterparts. While halogen lights are rated for approximately 6,000 hours of use, LED fog lights are rated at 5x more cost efficient or lasting on an average of 11 years. Much of the explanation for this goes to the fact that LEDs do not use a filament; rather they are run by a small semiconductor chip through which electrons pass. LED fog lights chief strength is the power of illumination vs. cost of usage. They have been measured at near 80% efficiency compared to the 20% efficiency of halogen lamps. A major drawback is in the arena of cost, the cost to replace one halogen 25 watt bulb with a single AC bulb is approximately $40, but it may be argued, that over time and with increased energy savings the costs are recouped. With respect to a comparison of HID (High Intensity Discharge) and LED flog lights, the HID are more delicate but much brighter than LED fog lights; the side emitting HID beam can be focused with greater ease. In that HID lights work with the creation of an electrical arc that ignites a cloud of xenon gas creating a bright blue illumination that resembles noon light, the illumination is generally favored. At this point in time, while most drivers prefer the HID lamps, it is important to note technological changes in LED fog light development are moving forward at an astounding pace.

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