Since I drive a lot at night, I’ve noticed a growing tendency for drivers to use their fog lights in addition to their regular headlights. It’s hard to believe anybody would be that stupid, but if you know anybody that does it, could you read this to them?

Fog lights are for driving in fog, they are low on the car to shine under it to see better, and have limited range. They work best if you turn off your regular headlights while in the fog. Frequent misalignment from hitting curbs or other protruding objects also ruins their effectiveness and usually means the oncoming guy gets full advantage right in the windshield.

For you morons that use them in clear conditions, you create a wall of bright light that oncoming drivers see, one that is even worse in the rain. From the limited light they provide, it seems infinitely better to not have a little extra light instead of blinding the guy closing on you at 80 to 100 mph and trying to miss you by 24 inches, especially if the other guy is one of our many older drivers and likely to be somewhat night blind anyway.

I would rather not have my (your) lights put out the hard way. Do everybody a favor, including yourself, turn the idiot things off and only use them properly on the four days of fog we have every year. While you are at it, check the alignment, too.

Rick Kiser

Oak Harbor