Fog lights.

[B5NXJ]

How do you use yours? the rear ones in particular.

some people are under the impression that is there is a car following you regardless of how foggy it is you should turn it off others leave them on all the time even in traffic.
others drive around in thick fog with no lights on at all but that's another thread. .

[All that jazz]

Not this st again.

[mnkiboy]

B5NXJ said:

if there is a car following you regardless of how foggy it is you should turn it off

This. Once the car behind can see your tail lights, switch off the fog light. Your brake lights are then more easily distinguished.

[Buster73]

Never feel the need to use mine , if I can see the car in front I don't want to blind them and the same with a car behind me.

No cars either way , I drive within the limit of using normal headlights.

[Degner]

Never use them, they're muppet lights.

[mnkiboy]

Degner said:

Never use them, they're muppet lights.

You'd never use your rear fog lights?

[Degner]

mnkiboy said:

You'd never use your rear fog lights?

Almost certainly not. They're only for very thick fog, and who is going to catch me up at speed in that? Nobody.

The only useful thing that fog lights achieve imo is that they allow us to drive faster in bad weather, because they can fool us into thinking we can see farther.

[Bisonhead]

I was thinking this very thing this morning on the way to work. It was dark and foggy, I could see the next car about 200m ahead and the one behind was right up my chuff. Didn't feel I needed the foggies at all.

Got me thinking why we even have them in the first place. Rear fog lights may have a point for the very rare occasions when the fog is so dense that you really do need them. Maybe one day in the year?

Front fogs just arent necessary. Even in thick fog during the day normal headlights are easily seen in plenty of time. Also, when fog is that thick it would take a monumental cock hat to be driving that quickly that they arent aware of a car infront. Chances are, these types would crash in safe conditions anyway!

[micky g]

They should be banned.

[Spangles]

mnkiboy said:

Degner said:

Never use them, they're muppet lights.

You'd never use your rear fog lights?

I don't. Well, very rarely. If the fog's so bad I can't do much more than 5mph I'll put them on, no other time though.
That goes for front and back.

[VeeDub Geezer]

I normally judge it on my own ability to see the car in front or behind me.

The amount of people that drive with no lights at all is disturbing.

[mnkiboy]

Degner said:

mnkiboy said:

You'd never use your rear fog lights?

Almost certainly not. They're only for very thick fog, and who is going to catch me up at speed in that? Nobody.

The only useful thing that fog lights achieve imo is that they allow us to drive faster in bad weather, because they can fool us into thinking we can see farther.

You'd have to be pretty confident in thick fog, that nobody knows the road better than you. Or what if you stop at a crossroads that the car behind doesn't know is there? In very thick fog, i'd much rather have my rear fog lights on.

Fronts, I agree, are rubbish. I've never been in a situation where the front fog lights make any difference.

[Captain Muppet]

Degner said:

Almost certainly not. They're only for very thick fog, and who is going to catch me up at speed in that? Nobody.

Idiots. That's who catches you up in thick fog.

So it's definitley worth giving them more warning that there is a car in front of them.

[Monty Python]

Highway code

"You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves."

Note use of the word "may".

[Vipers]

Captain Muppet said:

Degner said:

Almost certainly not. They're only for very thick fog, and who is going to catch me up at speed in that? Nobody.

Idiots. That's who catches you up in thick fog.

So it's definitley worth giving them more warning that there is a car in front of them.

+1

I despair at some posts on PH's in general.

Good rule for drivers, "See and be seen", keep your windows and lights clean for starters, especially when it snows, we all see these idiots who can't be arsed to clear the snow from the windows or lights.

[Captain Muppet]

Monty Python said:

Highway code

"You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves."

Note use of the word "may".

It's dead handy for motorcyclists as it means not having to stop to fit a fog light and wire it in. Although we are much easier to swerve around in fog when some tit decides not to slow down for a fog bank, as happened to me on Monday night.

[George7]

I believe front fogs are intended to help you see, rather than help others see you, however, I do agree that they very rarely need to be used; most people who have them see the slightest hint of fog and switch them on. My previous car didn't have front fog lights, and in the 3 years I owned it, I felt like I needed them once which was when I was driving down an unfamiliar, winding country lane with extremely thick fog; thick enough that full beams made the visibility even worse (a few metres visibility at the most). Since getting my current car, with front fogs, I've not needed to use them once so far.

[SteveSteveson]

People who don't see the need for them are probably driving too close to the car in front.

IMO a good rule is if you are having problems seeing the car in front of the car in front you need them on, and that car should be about 200 meters ahead of you.

It seems half the people never put them on and half leave them on for days. This morning they were not needed where I was, but yesterday they were, yet only about half of people had them on.

I switch them on and leave them on as long as the fog is thick enough. Wether there is a car behind or not makes no difference. That could change at any moment.

[kambites]

I've occasionally been in a situation where rears have seemed a good idea, usually in heavy rain/spray rather than fog - maybe five times in my driving career.

I've never been in a situation where I've wanted front fog lights. In my experience you'd have to be doing less than about 15mph for them to be useful anyway.

[Challo]

SteveSteveson said:

I switch them on and leave them on as long as the fog is thick enough. Wether there is a car behind or not makes no difference. That could change at any moment.

Exactly the same as this. Yesterday was quiet thick fog and certainly worse in certain places. I put my fog lights on as a precaution so that people can see me.

The amount of people who either had no lights on, or thinking that DRL's count was worrying.