Fog Lights - What ARE the correct rules?

[Sleepers]

silverthorn2151 said:

Sleepers said:

Yup, driving standards are so poor that I find if you don't join in with the majority and try to be a good little careful driver you get cut up and shat all over... Unfortuately the roads are taxed NOT policed...

What a load of rubbish. Care to explain what you mean as it sounds to me that you are advocating driving as poor as those you complain about. Cut them up before they cut you up? Just drive wiser and chill out a little.

And front fogs on all the time??? It's one of the indicators that I use to indicate an increased awareness that the driver of said car may well be an idiot.

What are you on about?

To be honest I can't be bothered replying...

[silverthorn2151]

Sleepers said:

What are you on about?

To be honest I can't be bothered replying...

I thought I was being pretty clear.

You suggest driving like a tt to avoid being cut up.

You suggest that you keep your front fogs on all the time, thus driving like a tt.

[masermartin]

Sleepers said:

To be honest I can't be bothered replying...

But, you did anyway...

IMO, putting your front fog lights on doesn't really help visibility in anything other than the worst fog - they're short-range lights. If anything, they light up the verge 15 feet out to the side of you more, and distracts you from the bit of road you should be concentrating on, particularly in the countryside.

[Sleepers]

masermartin said:

Sleepers said:

To be honest I can't be bothered replying...

But, you did anyway...

IMO, putting your front fog lights on doesn't really help visibility in anything other than the worst fog - they're short-range lights. If anything, they light up the verge 15 feet out to the side of you more, and distracts you from the bit of road you should be concentrating on, particularly in the countryside.

Yes as previously implied fogs are great for dark winter nights in the deepest darkest countryside. The short range and spread of the fogs makes them ideal for this purpose. I don't use them all the time, never said i did???
If you knew anything about the country you would understand the obvious...

1) It's really really dark
2) Very few other cars if at all
3) Poor [B] roads
4) Wildlife [lots]

I could go on...

If my occasional use of fogs bothers you then what more can I say...

Perhaps I shouls also cease use of my main beams when no other cars are around...

What really confuses me is how dark should it get before I use sidelights/headlights or should one ever use sidelights???

Thank god I don't live in a city where no driver is happy with anyone else...

Perhaps I should stop burning old tyres on my grounds for a laugh too...

Jeez

[Flibble]

Sleepers said:

What really confuses me is how dark should it get before I use sidelights/headlights or should one ever use sidelights???

Sidelights are for parking.

[Davidonly]

I tend to use the fogs on rare occasions when its not actually foggy, as a previous poster mentioned, dark countryside is one. Every extra bit of light on the scan for objects in the road helps, if I speed up a bit I don't bother turning them off as that could be tedious, so sometimes I might pass another car with them on apparently deliberately just to annoy them .

I also see others with foglights on when I would perhaps not be using them (fast A roads etc) however they don't seem to dazzle me in the slightest and I never feel the rage that many express when I do see them being 'mis-used'. I am rather more peeved by stupidly low speed limits, inappropriate double whites, speed cameras and st road maintenance and management, rip off VED and fuel duty and massive insurance premiums..........If that was all sorted out the occasional mis-used foglight might get a look-in as a topic for complaint.

[4rephill]

Flibble said:

Sidelights are for parking.

Not only for parking, according to rule 113 part 2) of the highway code!.

Part 2) States that driving on sidelights in an area that has street lighting and a speed limit of 30MPH is perfectly acceptable:



Lighting requirements (113-116)
113:

You MUST

1) Ensure all sidelights and rear registration plate lights are lit between sunset and sunrise.

2) Use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally restricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified.

3) Use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226)

Night (the hours of darkness) is defined as the period between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise).

(From: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Hig... )

[Viperz888]

I've always found front foglights give a very good spread of light, more angled downward and to the sides -great for small country roads and motorways alike. I've never been dazzled by them at all, and see no problem having them on.

devils advocate
Does the Highway code say for what reasons you can have them on if visibility is under 100m? I can't see 100m when its dark.
/devils advocate

[Flibble]

4rephill said:

Not only for parking, according to rule 113 part 2) of the highway code!.

Part 2) States that driving on sidelights in an area that has street lighting and a speed limit of 30MPH is perfectly acceptable:

Acceptable in law maybe, but a sensible driver would be well advised to use headlights at night for safety's sake.

[oj121]

The rule should be that if they are on when there isnt even the slightest hint of fog because your a super uber dude just blinging it then I can kick the hell out of them so you can afford to replace them? Sounds pretty fair to me lol.

[AndyS60D5]

Don said:

You MAY switch on foglights, if your car is fitted with them, if visibility falls below 100 meters. When visibility improves beyond 100 meters you MUST switch them off. Failure to do so is an offence - fine of about £30 IIRC.

Correct!!

[Poprin]

Can I ask a question? Why do people care so much!?

If it's foggy I turn my fog lamps on, I don't get out my car with a metre stick first just in case. I think it's better to turn them on to be on the safe side, modern cars front fogs are all angled down anyway I don't see the problem with having them on. They don't dazzle oncoming traffic, I never feel dazzled by oncoming cars light unless on main beam. Also it's better than the idiots that drive in fog and rain without ANY lights on!

I want to understand people's fascination with getting upset about people driving with fog lamps on? On a dark back road it is beneficial to have them on I believe as it lights the hedges and the centre line up much better. Then you get 'road avengers' main beaming you on the way past which really drives me nuts!

[sinizter]

DRLs, the fog light debate laid to rest.

[Davidonly]

Poprin said:

Can I ask a question? Why do people care so much!?

If it's foggy I turn my fog lamps on, I don't get out my car with a metre stick first just in case. I think it's better to turn them on to be on the safe side, modern cars front fogs are all angled down anyway I don't see the problem with having them on. They don't dazzle oncoming traffic, I never feel dazzled by oncoming cars light unless on main beam. Also it's better than the idiots that drive in fog and rain without ANY lights on!

I want to understand people's fascination with getting upset about people driving with fog lamps on? On a dark back road it is beneficial to have them on I believe as it lights the hedges and the centre line up much better. Then you get 'road avengers' main beaming you on the way past which really drives me nuts!

Yep

[Deva Link]

AndyS60D5 said:

Don said:

You MAY switch on foglights, if your car is fitted with them, if visibility falls below 100 meters. When visibility improves beyond 100 meters you MUST switch them off. Failure to do so is an offence - fine of about £30 IIRC.

Correct!!

That's NOT correct.

[Gene Vincent]

I live in a little village and we have a canal and a river and a few largish streams and mist/fog is a serious regular occurrence and fogs are a god-send. I also use them on main roads and use the old 5second rule, if the rear lights of other cars 5seconds ahead of me are not very dull or 'out' then mine go on, front and rear. fog sits about 12 inches above the tarmac [usually] and headlights can dull right down and can make the car behind appear much further back than it really is. Fogs, being lower to the ground, show you are there more effectively. I think the combined light switch is the way it is for that reason and it is a good reason to my mind. Mine are separate and I think that too has some advantages in different circumstances. my fogs [E36 M3 conv] are very wide angle too and I also use them for 'deerhunting' as there are copious amounts of these blighters around here. Three 'grazing' the road last night... and big too! Fogs pick out the reflections of various night animals too so I will use them for that aspect too. The rules are really nothing more than simple parameters of minimum use and maximum use they are not exhaustive and never could be.

I'm grateful to the bad driver leaving his fogs on as I see it as an introduction card, the card reads:- "Hi! My name is 'X' and as you can see I'm slightly 'special' and you need to be a teensie bit wary of my driving." I wish that all 'special' drivers were so considerate to let me know so graphically.

[goldblum]

Poprin said:

Can I ask a question? Why do people care so much!?

Because if it's raining and a car comes towards me with its fogs on I often get dazzled,which is not good when driving.It occurs to me there a number of younger people

in certain kinds of cars who are more likely to drive with their fogs on because they think they look good - vanity.It's a dangerous game to play because you think

you look cool.I think you're a selfish tt and would gladly give you a fking good hiding - how fking dare you dazzle me because you're fking vain?



ETA not directed at Poprin personally..

Edited by goldblum on Monday 29th August 01:22

[Gene Vincent]

Foglights are below the 24" minimum driving light height and should be directed slightly below their 0 degree horizon and as such foglights should not dazzle anyone. Perhaps your 'argument' is more with the 'construction' rather than the 'use'. Any lamp that is badly adjusted is cause for concern. I've only occasionally over a long driving career been dazzled by foglights. I am a 100x more often dazzled by drivers leaving main beams on too long or not dipping them at all.

Rear fogs are usually inattention and it's that 'calling card' thing once again, they are annoying but a little full beam for a few seconds usually wakes them up.

If only all lifes little annoyances were so easily dispensed with.

[goldblum]

Doesn't matter what angle the fogs are at,if it's raining they will reflect off the surface of the road.

Headlights left on are just as dangerous,but I doubt anyone leaves their full beam on just because they make the car look 'cool'.It's normally inattention which

a flash of my lights rectifies,which is what the foglight tts get as well.It is only a small annoyance,and accordingly my murderous rage dissipates almost

as soon as the dhead has passed by.

[Jamlar]

Just turn all your lights out and all drive with night vision and heat sensors switched on, job done, no dazzled, more exciting. Although come to think of it, i often see police cars with these dodgy led st in the front of their cars, they dazzle the fadoodle out of me and they have no purpose but to make the car look awful!!