Rivian headlights at night in snowstorm = zero visibility

[Seano]

Yes: those grill mounted fogs sound like a great solution.

As an aside - not unique to Rivian: same issue with our Range Rover LEDs: thankfully I had a passenger with me that could keep an eye on the edge of I80 and help guide me!

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[Gorilla5]

I had this same problem driving at night to Tahoe on I80 in a mild snowstorm and before chain restrictions (so traffic was moving faster), and I could not see the road (just super white snow flakes) and had to try to follow other cars. The Rivian headlights are too high and white and make the snow flakes blinding. My previous Subaru never had this problem. I pulled over and called Rivian roadside assistance only to learn for the first time that the car has no front fog lights (only rear fog lights). I'm considering adding the Morimoto 2Banger yellow wide angle fog lights on the grill as mentioned by another post.

Frightening that the Gen 2 doesn't even have front fog lights... a questionable cost saving measure.

 

[DRIVIAN]

I just had the issue here in Vermont. Wet, sticky, big flake snow at night, and it was blinding. In all my previous cars, I could have put on parking lights or fog lights and had some visibility. I was shocked to find that I couldn't have just a fog light option. I had a four-mile drive that in any other vehicle I've owned would have been simple, turn into a white knuckle horror show. Snow mode should enable a way to have only the fog lights on in front.

 

[DRIVIAN]

Done

 

[Fes]

I've literally turned them off when driving and felt far safer behind the wheel. Not ideal for other cars though.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Snow mode should enable a way to have only the fog lights on in front.

Rivian follows FMVSS rules pretty strictly, and I'm fairly sure this isn't allowed anymore and hasn't been for a while if conditions warrant actually needing illumination.

 

[Jakelake]

Maybe there are weather conditions in which no one should be driving. When it gets that bad it would be wise to stop and wait. In some states that decision is made for you because they close the highways with big metal gates across all the lanes.

 

[MD89]

I had the same problem last winter (see my comment above) and did write a comment on the app. I don't think there's an easy fix with the Rivian's high very white lighting. And they changed the fog lights to turn signals with the gen 2. Given the lights can change color as demonstrated by the recent Halloween feature, it could be helpful to have a yellow, instead of white, light bar in snow. All the snow lighting experts say yellow lights penetrate through snow better instead of just reflecting back. Also, were your headlights on the low beam mode and not the auto mode? Auto mode defaults to high beams in the dark. I found recently just driving on a wet dark road that low beams were much better than the auto mode with the high beams.

 

[stormbreaker]

My 31 year old camaro z28 will run the fogs only. Those are the only ones I haven't swapped to LEDs. So they're weak AF but do work.

 

[DRIVIAN]

I had the same problem last winter (see my comment above) and did write a comment on the app. I don't think there's an easy fix with the Rivian's high very white lighting. And they changed the fog lights to turn signals with the gen 2. Given the lights can change color as demonstrated by the recent Halloween feature, it could be helpful to have a yellow, instead of white, light bar in snow. All the snow lighting experts say yellow lights penetrate through snow better instead of just reflecting back. Also, were your headlights on the low beam mode and not the auto mode? Auto mode defaults to high beams in the dark. I found recently just driving on a wet dark road that low beams were much better than the auto mode with the high beams.

Low beams, and stopped to brush the snow off the lights, which didn't make as much difference as I'd hoped.

 

[DRIVIAN]

Maybe there are weather conditions in which no one should be driving. When it gets that bad it would be wise to stop and wait. In some states that decision is made for you because they close the highways with big metal gates across all the lanes.

I've driven in much worse weather in cars that weren't as good in snow as my R1T, but I've never felt as snow blind as during what was, in reality, just heavy flurries in the R1T. The conditions the other night would have been safe in my Jeep Gladiator(previous daily driver), or my RAM 1500(the one before the Jeep), and I could walk you back from there all the way to my 1970 Chevelle. No car's lighting setup was worse for snow than the R1T.

 

[strykerwsu]

These have helped me. Even with some snow covering the yellow shines through pretty well. Not too bad to install.

 

[mkg3]

Maybe there are weather conditions in which no one should be driving. When it gets that bad it would be wise to stop and wait. In some states that decision is made for you because they close the highways with big metal gates across all the lanes.

Tell us this when your family member is stuck somewhere or when kids need to be picked up....

 

[White Shadow]

Tell us this when your family member is stuck somewhere or when kids need to be picked up....

I agree. I think people have different opinions depends upon where they're from. I lived the vast majority of my life in an area that sees a lot of snow every winter. So snow doesn't really deter me from driving at all. Ice, maybe....but not snow or normal winter conditions. Plus, I love winter sports, which means I'm driving in winter weather all winter long anyway....

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