High-quality IPF fog lights greatly improve driving safety in inclement weather

Fog lamps on today’s trucks are pretty sad performers compared to their great headlights. Those little clear lights that we pay extra for when we buy our new vehicles are, for the most part, more cosmetic than functional.

Sure one can see their effects of lighting the road a few paces ahead of the front bumper, but that’s not really saying much in the way of true fog-light performance--especially along the Gulf Coast where dense fog and heavy rains are a common threat to driver safety.

Good fog lights, like the IPFs I had installed, penetrate the muck enough so that you can easily see their lighting effects a 100 feet—or more—down the road and to the sides of the vehicle. They should almost be like a second set of low-beams providing a distinct layer of light beneath the headlights.

Upgrading factory fog lamps with a quality set of aftermarket versions is not easy; the OEM lights on many models of pickups and SUVs are shaped for that specific vehicle and are not likely to be easily swapped out.

Another dilemma facing many truck owners, especially those with mid-size SUVs, is finding a location to mount aftermarket lights so they don’t look out of place.

The sleeker front ends and plastic bumper fascia on the majority of today’s models is a design that doesn’t lend itself well to bolting on better fog (or driving) lights unless you want them standing out like warts on swimsuit model.

The popular Chevy TrailBlazer is a good example of this dilemma;their fog lights are bright when viewed from in front, but from the driver’s seat they are slightly better than nothing at all.

If you really want to improve driving safety at night when it’s foggy, rainng, or both, find a set of quality aftermarket fog lights that will fit in the openings along the spoiler or lower bumper fascia.

Many SUVs and pikcups have a couple openings beneath the bumper that are well-suited to have IPF 840 fog lights (www.arbusa.com; 206.264.1669) installed. But it’ll take a bit more effort than just drilling holes and bolting them in place. The installation in a TrailBlazer takes the average DIYer about two hours. (We had Spears Auto repair in Long Beach (228.688.2281) handle to job so it looked factory.)

The cost for the toatl installation runs about $300. However, the extra effort and moderate cost of this vehicle upgrade does two things: 1) greatly improves the driver's road visibility in foul weather, and 2) retains the TrailBlazer’s clean, factory look.—Bruce W. Smith