Fog Lights - What ARE the correct rules?

[masermartin]

Gene Vincent said:

Hmmm maybe. But a character fault stays with you in or out the car, a forum is a good place to see what is within, don't you think?

I'm not quite sure what you're implying here. Are you suggesting that, because I post about something I see as an annoyance on an internet forum, I obviously get myself so het-up about it, I will inevitably go and wrap myself around the next lamp-post when I see it happen again?

I've not done that in the last 16 years and I'm not going to hold my breath waiting. It's not just serenity or total nerdrage here, there are infinite shades of grey in between, where people can control their frustrations with the world while behind the wheel to a greater or lesser degree, and are free to vent them on interweb forums instead of on their driving.

Frankly, I think that's the lesser of the two evils. How about you?

[Gene Vincent]

As I said annoyances are everywhere, some people boil with little provocation and some feel a minor sleight like a paper cut and seethe internally or externally. Some can dismiss the sleight in a moment or see it as a vaguely intriguing action. I read the 'rages' on here as for the most part posturing and the rest a sort of let-off valve and amusing to read. The odd one two of the 'rages' have an undercurrent though that is less than comfortable to read.

[Big Rod]

In this case, (and I'm almost ashamed to admit it!!), I actually agree with some of what Gene is saying here with regards to DILIGENT use of fog lights, (or indeed any other additional forward illumination), in otherwise clear conditions when they're not going to cause a distraction or discomfort for other road users.

However Gene it would appear that you take delight in consciously antagonising other road, (and PH forum), users by trying to justify your selfish and inconsiderate practices, therefore destroying what little credibility any of your posts might furnish you with. As a direct result I can't take anything you write seriously.

And for that reason, I'm oot!

Edited by Big Rod on Monday 19th September 11:05

[Pannywagon]

jefword said:

That was in the days when we had real pea soup fog. The highway code used to say (and I'm not sure if it still does) that in foggy conditions, a pair of foglamps may be used instead of headlights.

I would love to know where you lot all live. This time of year where I live mornings and evenings are misty at best and more often than not, foggy.

[milleniumaire]

It appears that most people are discussing fog lights in only one capacity - that of providing better visibility, but this is only half the story. Just as importantly, and possibly more important, they allow you to be seen - from the front and from the rear.

A lot of contributors are suggesting the use of fog lights and speed are directly related. I disagree. Using fog lights doesn't necessarily mean you have to reduce speed to 30mph or below! I regularly use a very fast (straight, wide and clear) country road, which has a national speed limit. This morning there was patchy fog, but because there aren't many cars on this road I turned on my fog lights to ensure any other traffic would see me coming. This was oncoming traffic, traffic approaching from behind (unlikely as I was travelling at the speed limit), but more importantly, traffic wanting to join the road from side roads. I'm well aware that a car with fog lights switched on is visible much earlier than a car without fog lights on.

When I eventually met traffic and had to slow and follow I then turned my front fog lights off. Unfortunately, the car in front didn't return the favour and I was forced to follow the car for the rest of my journey, with his blazing rear fog lights dazzling me. When a car caught up behind and joined the queue I turned my rear fog lights off out of courtesy.

Although in a queue of cars we were travelling at speeds between 40 and 50mph. I confess, I did wonder if I should turn my front fog lights back on as we passed a number of junctions where cars were waiting to join the main road and although I'm sure the car in front of me was likely to be using their front fog lights, I wasn't, so I was possibly not as visible as I might have been. In this situation it's a toss up between courtesy and safety.

On this journey, I didn't use my fog lights to help my vision, I used them to make me more visible to others.

[218g]

milleniumaire said:

It appears that most people are discussing fog lights in only one capacity - that of providing better visibility, but this is only half the story.

It's simple isn't it? Front fogs are intended to help you see better. Rear fogs are intended to help others see you. Completely different purposes.

I've never really considered front fog lights from the point of view of others being able to see me. Front fog lights are a lot lower down than headlights so I'd have thought they'd be very susceptbile to being obscured by terrain. I don't think I've ever been in a situation that's called for front fog lights where I haven't already got dipped headlights on. Are you talking about using dipped headlights and deciding to add front fog lights too?

milleniumaire said:

A lot of contributors are suggesting the use of fog lights and speed are directly related.

Doesn't that come down to the different purposes of fronts and rears again? I've only ever used front fog lights at low speed precisely because what they do is improve visibility a short distance in front - and of course if I'm concentrating a few yards ahead of my nose because that's as far as I can see, then I'm not going to be driving very fast . I've certainly used rear fog lights at faster than 30mph.

[masermartin]

218g said:

milleniumaire said:

A lot of contributors are suggesting the use of fog lights and speed are directly related.

Doesn't that come down to the different purposes of fronts and rears again? I've only ever used front fog lights at low speed precisely because what they do is improve visibility a short distance in front - and of course if I'm concentrating a few yards ahead of my nose because that's as far as I can see, then I'm not going to be driving very fast . I've certainly used rear fog lights at faster than 30mph.

So much truth in this.

[loomx]

Front fogs dont really bother me, they generally dont dazzel you (occasionaly some do though.) And its barley ever foggy enough for me to warrent there use, have used them occasionally in fog in country roads though, where they really do help.

I used my rear fogs, if I think it will help a person behind in spotting me in fog, so I will use them say if visibility is at 500 meters, but only if there are no cars behind me, once there is a car in sight, then I turn them off.

My biggest annoyance is that people dont treat them like main beam, you do put main beam on and then, just not bother turning it off. If your in traffic, the car behind knows your there, turn your bloody fog lights off.

I have to say though, xenon headlights seem to cut through fog really well. Havent had a chance of using adaptive headlights in fog yet, but have used them at night in a MINI and must say, really helps with visibility in normal conditions.

I did use my front fogs and sidelights only in my 123d the otherday when it was really foggy, and they really did help with visibility at speeds of around 10mph.

[shovelheadrob]

I've just picked up an older Mercedes Vito van as winter work hack, you can only have the rear fog lights on with the fronts, you can have just the fronts if you want but there is no warning lamp for the fronts & the warning lamp for the rears is on the rocker switch which is impossible to see from the driving position. Designed by morons!