How to Maintain Visibility While Driving in Unpredictable UK Weather

UK weather is famously unpredictable, with conditions able to change from clear blue skies to heavy rain or patchy fog within just a few hours. When driving through these weather changes, knowing how to maintain visibility is essential for keeping yourself and other road users safe.

A new survey of 2,000 UK drivers, commissioned by temporary car insurance experts Tempcover, shows that motorists often overestimate their knowledge of safe driving rules in foggy conditions.

While 83% of drivers say they are confident they know how to use their fog lights, more than half (51%) cannot correctly identify the visibility threshold at which they should be used. The Highway Code states fog lights should only be switched on when visibility falls below 100 metres, yet 30% of drivers selected a different distance and more than one in five (21%) admitted they weren’t sure at all.

Driver Knowledge Gaps in Foggy Conditions

Nearly one in five drivers (17%) believe full-beam headlights should be used when visibility drops below 100 metres, with 18% incorrectly thinking that this improves visibility. In reality, fog reflects the light back towards the driver, meaning high-beam headlights can actually reduce visibility and dazzle other road users.

The survey also highlights confusion surrounding vehicle controls. Over one in five (22%) drivers admit they don’t know where their fog light switches are, and while most drivers (80%) correctly understand these lights must be switched on manually, 13% are under the impression they are automatic or simply don’t know.

How Confusion Impacts Safety on the Road

This confusion has real-world consequences. Over a quarter of drivers (29%) admit they have driven in foggy conditions without turning on their fog lights. The main reasons cited were a belief that visibility wasn’t poor enough (52%), followed by 40% who mistakenly thought their standard headlights were sufficient. Concerningly, 21% didn’t use them simply because they couldn’t locate the switch[3].

Beyond usage, basic maintenance is also being overlooked. More than one in five drivers (21%) have never checked whether their fog lights are working, and over a quarter (26%) check them only rarely.

Claire Wills-McKissick, temporary car insurance expert at Tempcover, adds: “Our research shows a worrying disconnect between drivers and their vehicles when driving in fog.

“We urge motorists to locate their fog light switch before setting off, by looking for the lamp icon with a wavy line intersected by three beams.

“The Highway Code states fog lights should only be used when visibility drops below 100 metres, which is roughly the length of a football pitch. Once visibility improves, you must turn them off to avoid dazzling others or risking a fine. It’s a simple step that can make a real difference to safety in poor visibility.”