When should you use front fog lights?

If they are fitted above bumper level

If an audible warning device is used

If they aren't as bright as the vehicle's headlights

When should you use f… — In reduced visibility

The answer options

In reduced visibilityCorrect
If they are fitted above bumper level
If an audible warning device is used
If they aren't as bright as the vehicle's headlights

Why the other options are wrong

“If they are fitted above bumper level” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which in reduced visibility does. Picking it in the real test costs a mark you cannot get back, and with a pass mark of 43 out of 50 you only have seven to spare.
“If an audible warning device is used” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which in reduced visibility does. Picking it in the real test costs a mark you cannot get back, and with a pass mark of 43 out of 50 you only have seven to spare.
“If they aren't as bright as the vehicle's headlights” is a distractor. It does not meet the standard the question is testing, which in reduced visibility does. Picking it in the real test costs a mark you cannot get back, and with a pass mark of 43 out of 50 you only have seven to spare.

Why that is the answer

Front fog lights should be used when visibility is seriously reduced, generally to 100 metres or less, by fog, heavy rain, or snow. They help you see ahead and make you more visible to other road users. According to the Highway Code, you must turn them off when visibility improves so you do not dazzle drivers. Factors like headlight brightness or using your horn have no bearing on when to use fog lights.

What vehicle handling covers

· Front and rear fog lights and the 100-metre visibility rule
· Descending steep hills in a lower gear and engine braking
· Traffic calming, humps, and driving over tram rails
· Night driving, dipped headlights and dazzle from oncoming traffic

Mistakes learners repeat on this topic

· Leaving rear fog lights on after visibility improves
· Coasting downhill in neutral to save fuel
· Using full beam on a lit motorway or behind another vehicle
· Accelerating between speed humps instead of holding a steady speed

Instructor tip: Any question with fog in it usually turns on the 100-metre rule — check visibility before you check the lights.

How this comes up in the real test

Questions from vehicle handling appear throughout the 50-question multiple-choice section, and the wording changes between versions. Learn the rule rather than the sentence: the DVSA can ask the same point from the opposite direction, and a memorised answer falls over the moment the phrasing moves.

The pass mark is 43 out of 50, so seven wrong answers is your entire margin. If a whole category is shaky, run the topic practice below until you are getting every question right for the right reason, then go back to full mocks under the clock.

Practise Vehicle Handling Sit a full mock test