Does driving with your high beam lights on in foggy weather reduce visibility?

The National Weather Service warns that high beam lights do not shine through the fog. Instead, the light reflects back toward the driver and increases glare. This reflection makes it more difficult to see what is ahead on the roadway.

The Texas Department of Insurance instead recommends using fog lights or low-beam headlights in foggy conditions. In Texas, drivers can install up to two fog lights on their vehicle. These must be mounted at the front of the vehicle at a height of 12 to 30 inches.

Low visibility increases how often a car’s speed fluctuates, which increases crash risk, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Over a 10-year period, there were an average of 25,451 crashes caused by fog annually, causing an average of 8,902 injuries each year.