Fog light when it's foggy?
Fog light when it's foggy?
Author
Discussion

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

205 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
One of the most annoying things in the world has got to be people who use their fog lights all the time. "Cus day look like well buff innit?"

This morning the first fog of the Autumn less than 100m view ahead with patches reduced to 50m and I was the only person to have their fog lights on. rolleyes



I counted six cars with no lights on at all.

Good luck with the Darwin Awards this year.


The picture was a still taken from my dashcam' video.

funkyrobot

18,789 posts

250 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
Was going to start a thread about the lack of people with their lights on this morning.

I noticed loads of people with no lights on at all and some with side lights. More annoyingly, I followed a Rover that had 'smoked' rear lights. Until I got behind it I couldn't even see that they were on. Crazy!

Also saw some foreign cars with tiny blue lights instead of proper lights, and people with sidelights and foglights on. No normal headlights.

It has started early this year!!

Dr Doofenshmirtz

16,535 posts

222 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
There is absolutely no need for fog lights in that!!
Just normal lights maybe, but fog lights, no.

As all good drivers know. (REAR) Fog lights are only required if there is nobody behind you and it is very foggy. As soon as there is someone behind you, you turn them off since they have done their purpose of alerting stupid people to your presence.
Front fog lights are there for aesthetic purposes only and should never be used.

Edited by Dr Doofenshmirtz on Wednesday 24th August 08:58

LuS1fer

43,127 posts

267 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
Is that really less than 100m?
One of the most irritating things about fogs is many have a two step pull-out switch that requires you to illuminate the front unnecessary foglights before the rear.

Edited by LuS1fer on Wednesday 24th August 08:56

Hugo a Gogo

23,421 posts

255 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
those cars look more than 100m away, have no fogs on, and I can see them

you still don't need front fogs anyway

heebeegeetee

29,826 posts

270 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
Dr Doofenshmirtz said:
There is absolutely no need for fog lights in that!!
Just normal lights maybe, but fog lights, no.

As all good drivers know. (REAR) Fog lights are only required if there is nobody behind you and it is very foggy. As soon as there is someone behind you, you turn them off since they have done their purpose of alerting stupid people to your presence.
Front fog lights are there for aesthetic purposes only and should never be used.

Edited by Dr Doofenshmirtz on Wednesday 24th August 08:58
Totally and utterly agree.

Imagine you are making your way in a real thick pea-souper and visibility is down to next to nothing. Is anyone really going to come up behind so quickly that they'll crash into you because you haven't got a fog light on?

I think the only thing a fog light illuminates is a non-thinker behind the wheel.

Rawwr

22,722 posts

256 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
But it's summer, you morons! You don't need lights in summer.

Conian

8,030 posts

223 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
Its a misconception that fog lights are for fog, check any car handbook, any EU laws, the fog light switch is merely for activating 'look out everyone i'm a cretin' warning lights on the front bumper of your car.

anonymous-user

76 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
heebeegeetee said:
Imagine you are making your way in a real thick pea-souper and visibility is down to next to nothing. Is anyone really going to come up behind so quickly that they'll crash into you because you haven't got a fog light on?
Is that a serious question??!!

Rawwr

22,722 posts

256 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
heebeegeetee said:
Imagine you are making your way in a real thick pea-souper and visibility is down to next to nothing. Is anyone really going to come up behind so quickly that they'll crash into you because you haven't got a fog light on?
In an age where people drive into rivers because 'the sat nav told me to', then I'd have to answer a big, fat 'yes' to this.

HellDiver

5,708 posts

204 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
You didn't need fog lights in that. Dip beams maybe, but certainly not foggies.

This thread is going well for you, isn't it LK? rolleyes

stewjohnst

2,479 posts

183 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
heebeegeetee said:
Totally and utterly agree.

Imagine you are making your way in a real thick pea-souper and visibility is down to next to nothing. Is anyone really going to come up behind so quickly that they'll crash into you because you haven't got a fog light on?

I think the only thing a fog light illuminates is a non-thinker behind the wheel.
You'd be surprised...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeAuQ2Xem4Q

ChiChoAndy

73,668 posts

277 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
Look how unsafe those people are in the fog, whilst you take a photograph of them from your driving position... (well, it certainly looks like the drivers seat looking at the bonnet position)

Porkie

2,378 posts

263 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
OMG! I thought you were going to moan that people HAD their foglights on in that!

NOT the other way around....

I really hate people that use their Fog lights in that. No need at all.

Just dazzling and annoying.

anonymous-user

76 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
ChiChoAndy said:
Look how unsafe those people are in the fog, whilst you take a photograph of them from your driving position... (well, it certainly looks like the drivers seat looking at the bonnet position)
& now read his post again, maybe the small print.

Bugeyeandy

12,047 posts

219 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
Liquid Knight said:
The picture was a still taken from my dashcam' video.
Pop up the video so we can see where the fog reduced vis to 50M, looks like 200-300 metres in your still.

Highway Code said:
236

You MUST NOT use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226) as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves.
Highway Code said:
226

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 (see Rule 236).
It's a bit of a pet hate of mine, people sticking on the fog lights when you can see perfectly well the other cars on the road. If you're having trouble seeing other road users in time slow the fk down.

Lots of idiots do this on the M25 in heavy rain, put their fog lights on but continue to drive at 90mph+ banghead

trashbat

6,215 posts

175 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
Other than simplicity, I don't really see why it's 100m. That's about the stopping distance at 70mph (i.e. probably not enough), but in a 30 limit, not entirely necessary. I probably use mine too liberally, the OP's picture being about the limit, but I think the HC ought to give you a bit more discretion.

DrTre

12,957 posts

254 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
trashbat said:
Other than simplicity, I don't really see why it's 100m. That's about the stopping distance at 70mph (i.e. probably not enough), but in a 30 limit, not entirely necessary. I probably use mine too liberally, the OP's picture being about the limit, but I think the HC ought to give you a bit more discretion.
The HC gives you full discretion except to not use them where vis isn't reduced; the advice is "you may use", not "you must".

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

205 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
This thread hasn't been a total back lash.

In areas the visibility was a lot less than the picture but there wasn't any traffic in shot. This picture was to give a general idea of the conditions. All three of the cars in the picture were driving with either side lights or dipped headlights. From the number of road marking you can tell that it is between 80-100m not over 200m ( http://www.specsavers.co.uk/ ) and the Hyundi in the front of the pack is only just visisble.

I agree with the theory that front fog lights are to warn other drivers that there is an idiot behind the wheel.

Rear fog lights are only needed in reduced visibility if there is no traffic visible in your rear view mirrors, as soon as someone is close enough to see you then I turn them off so's not to dazzle other drivers. I also turned my fog lights off when I passed a slower moving vehicle, waited until I was a distance in front where I could no longer see the vehicle and put them back on.

PistonHeads where common sense matters?

Conian

8,030 posts

223 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
quotequote all
Look petal, just go fit ya cbr carbs and we'll forget this ever happened smile