Foglights: update

[AdamW]

I have noticed downward trend in the number of vehicles driving around with foglights blazing when it isn't foggy.

For instance, I have just been out (oooh, late night ) and on the drive back, despite loads of traffic I only saw one car with foglights on. Just one. Even though there were "cruisers" about.

I currently have two possible theories:

1) Those who used to drive around thinking front foglights are "cool" have finally realised almost all cars have them now, and thus lighting them inappropriately is as cool as driving around with your hazard lights on all the time.

2) Those who used to drive around with foglights on have found new ways to demonstrate their love for sucking big hairy donkey-balls to the rest of the donkey-ball-sucking community. Perhaps a special wave they do to each other as they drive past?

Is this decline in foglight-use a national trend, or are other parts of the country still being ravaged by those who think it is foggy even when it isn't?

 

[Big_Spark]

Adam, I welcome any drop in the number of idiots using foglights inappropriately, however I would point out that not all lights on the front of vehicles, apart from the obvious ones, are Fog Lights.

I have had the Police and several drivers comment on my Front lights, only to have eat humble pie when they realise that I did not have fog lights turned on, I had a second set of driving lights on to avoid having to keep turning my main beam on and off on unlit roads.

Many motorists have made insulting comments without knowing the facts, and this is part of the problem. Most people do not understand how to distinguish between driving lamps and fog lights!

 

[Spark123]

Arn't foglights the ones which make you squint? Lets face up to it, when there is a queue of traffic what is the point of the 2nd / 3rd / 4th etc cars using foglights anyway?

 

[AdamW]

I had a second set of driving lights on to avoid having to keep turning my main beam on and off on unlit roads.

Jim... you were driving around using lights that can take the place of mainbeam lights, in situations when you shouldn't be using mainbeam lights?

If you go strapping extra lighting on, then you are almost certainly exceeding the legal limit, no?

I have heard the "they are driving lights" argument before, only to find that the switch to turn them on is in fact labelled as a foglight.

 

[securespark]

Adam

I find the (invariably chavscum-driven) 1.0 Corsas made to look like dragsters only display their front fogs in that period where darkness is falling, but it is not quite dark. In the light or pitch black, they are off, but give them dusk and they are on all over the place..

 

[Big_Spark]

I had a second set of driving lights on to avoid having to keep turning my main beam on and off on unlit roads.

Jim... you were driving around using lights that can take the place of mainbeam lights, in situations when you shouldn't be using mainbeam lights?

If you go strapping extra lighting on, then you are almost certainly exceeding the legal limit, no?

I have heard the "they are driving lights" argument before, only to find that the switch to turn them on is in fact labelled as a foglight.

Adam, this was my point in my first post. The lights DO NOT replace Main Beam, they supplememt normal Headlights and increase the length of the beam and the width toward the left, but without adversely increasing the illumination to the right. The Fog lights on the FRONT of my car increase the brightness and also the width of the beam in all directions. There is a fundermental difference between the design of the lens of the two different types of lamps.

Further, these lamps were put on the Car by the Manufacturer and again why do you assume that I am breaking the law because I use lamps that increase my visibility without blinding oncoming drivers with my main beam????

As you your last point, thats for the insult fella, but I can read, I can correctly interpret the law and my Front Fogs only come on when I turn of the Fog Light Switch, the rear units energiuse at the same time. The driving lamps have a switch that is integral with the Normal Lights, although I have the option of switching them on or off.

Adam, thank you for emphasising my point, you clearly do know or understand the technical differences between Fog and driving lamps, you don't know or understand the difference between Main Beam Lamps and Driving Lamps either, s perhaps you might like to read up on the subject prior to critisising others with a few smug quips..Cheers.

 

[Diyisfun]

securespark

I find the (invariably chavscum-driven) 1.0 Corsas made to look like dragsters only display their front fogs in that period where darkness is falling, but it is not quite dark. In the light or pitch black, they are off, but give them dusk and they are on all over the place..

Thats how I use my lights, SEE & BE SEEN.
bytw not gota corsa, & nearly ready for my pension.

 

[ohmygodwhathaveyoudone]

arn't front fog lights yellow.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Sometimes, but I think it's a myth that yellow ones work better in fog than white.

AdamW - can't work out if you're talking about front or rear fogs? I've never found other peoples fronts to be a problem, and I use mine in the same way FWL does - AFAIK it's not illegal to use them as well as headlights in normal conditions, it's only if you want to use them instead of that it has to be foggy or falling snow.

It's those pillocks who leave their rear high-intensity lights on that p*** me off.

I used to have a good cure for that - at one time I had a car with 850W of lighting on the front, and I could turn it all on at once. Do that a few times behind someone and they would either get the message or pull over...

 

[Big_Spark]

BAS, I like the solution to Rear Fogs..Now I need an inverter capable of running the 2kW SON Floodlight I have in the garage as I will mount it on the front of my Van.

Seriously though, It is actually an Offence to Use Special Purpose or Adverse Condition Illumination Lamps when they are not required for safe navigation..so basically you cannot use Fogs unless it is teaming down with rain and reducing Visibility to such an extent it is prudent to use them, or if it is foggy.

The Penalty for misuse of lights on a vehicle depends on the circumstances, but can be a £500 fine in a Magistrates court and/or up to 6 points. If the use of those lights can be shown to have reasonably contributed to or caused another road user to be blinded or have an accident, then you can be banned for up to 12 months!!!!

Scary or what!!

 

[pipme]

Just been sorting in garage (just rearranging actually).. 1 Lucas spot plus matching Lucas fog, the 'round' type, 1 oblong wipac reversing light removed from 1st Sprite on purchase late 60's ... 4 original Mk2-3 healey Sprite hub caps, embossed AH. Mk4 Austin Sprite, half tonneau.
Valve lifting tool, plus the small double ended tin of valve grinding paste, not dried out !! .. Used on Sprite Mk3 over 35 yrs ago.
The lights still work .. no reason why not, just strange to think I tied the cables together in '70 to hang them up..same knots. Chrome polishes up quite nicely... long retirement.

 

[Big_Spark]

94: You MUST NOT

use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users
use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users.
Law RVLR reg 27

From the DVLA Highway code site

 

[Steve]

i see people driving without proper lights all the time. A fellow Punto driver i was following earlier had NO brake lights. Thought about flashing her, but she was just looking at HERSELF in the rear view mirror (no joke), and, could she see my flashes, i fear she would not realise what i meant.

(before you ask, i check my brake lights whenever i can, i consider them an essential tool in NOT BEING RUN INTO FROM BEHIND)

People driving along residential roads AT NIGHT, with FULL BEAM and FOG LIGHTS all BLINDING EVERYBODY really does my head in, though i fear some of these people dont even realise their lights have a LOWER SETTING (women and young drivers, no offence meant but its the truth and i am a young driver but i know all the controls in my car), they just crank them up as high as they can go.

If i called the police call centre, would they give a damn?

 

[pipme]

What happened to the old 'dipping' Cibie Oscars? were they 10 inch? ... 1970'ish
Good light, great looks and the dipping facility made for very 'acceptable' usable lighting .. Way over the top of course, same diam as wheels on the 'S' !

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891796_en_1.htm#tcon

 

[ban-all-sheds]

BAS, I like the solution to Rear Fogs..Now I need an inverter capable of running the 2kW SON Floodlight I have in the garage as I will mount it on the front of my Van.

Useless plan - it'll never strike fast enough...

I was always very careful with my lights, as I was aware I could seriously impair peoples' vision with them. Sh** - I could seriously impair mine with the help of a large reflective roadsign...