Fog light morons
Discussion
Possibly not the rant you're expecting.
Reasonably thick fog this morning on the way to the office. Quite astonishing the sheer number of people with no lights on at all. Chap in front of me nearly got wiped out by someone pulling out in front of him - it was a good couple of miles before he twigged that he was virtually invisible.
I blame auto headlights and overly-bright DRLs.
Reasonably thick fog this morning on the way to the office. Quite astonishing the sheer number of people with no lights on at all. Chap in front of me nearly got wiped out by someone pulling out in front of him - it was a good couple of miles before he twigged that he was virtually invisible.
I blame auto headlights and overly-bright DRLs.
I see a lot of cars with no lights. It's particularly noticable when on the motorbike as the visor makes everything slightly less obvious and lights are required.
Also amazed at the numebr of people who don't use fog lights when they should. I always gauge the use of mine by what I can see of other people's tail lights in fig and heavy rain or spray, it's not difficult.
Also amazed at the numebr of people who don't use fog lights when they should. I always gauge the use of mine by what I can see of other people's tail lights in fig and heavy rain or spray, it's not difficult.
grayze said:
They're fog lights not rain lights. If you can see the car behind you, you do not need rear fog lights on.
Incorrect.Rule 133 of the current Highway Code states: - 'Use fog lights when visibility is seriously reduced’
This generally means when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 ft). You MUST NOT use fog lights at other times'.
Being able to see white lights behind you is entirely different to being able to see red lights in front of you as the eye is poor at picking up red. If there is rain spray that impedes your view of tail-lights, you should use your foglight, esopecially in daylight - at night the situation is different as the light can actually scatter causing greater danger.
What is amazing, is that very often these people seem quite happy to drive in low visibility conditions, without any lights, but if you carry out an overtake, or pull out to pass a parked car, which has you coming towards them in the offside lane, they seem to be very quick to get onto their headlights and start flashing at you, then! Strangely they don't seem concerned about being almost invisible, for the rest of the time they are on the road??? weird..
It not just fog lights its all lights either on or off.
Its usually only one car in ten that doesnt put their lights fully on at dawn/dusk, similarily it only one in ten that do not put on fogs when they should and then leave them on.
I've past cops coming the other way from me just driving past the car behind me with no lights on at all in vis of 10 yrds, yet they pull over a tractor and trailer with a couple of yoofs in the back hitching a ride.
My big ? is why do drivers switch on their tiny little parking lights at dawn/dusk and drive...
Its usually only one car in ten that doesnt put their lights fully on at dawn/dusk, similarily it only one in ten that do not put on fogs when they should and then leave them on.
I've past cops coming the other way from me just driving past the car behind me with no lights on at all in vis of 10 yrds, yet they pull over a tractor and trailer with a couple of yoofs in the back hitching a ride.
My big ? is why do drivers switch on their tiny little parking lights at dawn/dusk and drive...
LuS1fer said:
grayze said:
They're fog lights not rain lights. If you can see the car behind you, you do not need rear fog lights on.
Incorrect.Rule 133 of the current Highway Code states: - 'Use fog lights when visibility is seriously reduced’
This generally means when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 ft). You MUST NOT use fog lights at other times'.
Being able to see white lights behind you is entirely different to being able to see red lights in front of you as the eye is poor at picking up red. If there is rain spray that impedes your view of tail-lights, you should use your foglight, esopecially in daylight - at night the situation is different as the light can actually scatter causing greater danger.
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.
It's see and be seen for me.
Morning commute - 0800 to 0900
Evening commute - 1800 to 1900
I certainly have my headlights on for both commutes between October and April and then most of the time during the rest of the year too. There are far too many Richard Heads on the roads that are too interested in their sat nav / iPhone / radio / lipstick / bacon roll / newspaper.
I rarely use my front fog lights and rears only get used if I can't clearly see a car in fronts rear lights at what I deem to be a safe distance.
Morning commute - 0800 to 0900
Evening commute - 1800 to 1900
I certainly have my headlights on for both commutes between October and April and then most of the time during the rest of the year too. There are far too many Richard Heads on the roads that are too interested in their sat nav / iPhone / radio / lipstick / bacon roll / newspaper.
I rarely use my front fog lights and rears only get used if I can't clearly see a car in fronts rear lights at what I deem to be a safe distance.
grayze said:
If you can see the car behind you, you do not need rear fog lights on.
This is a little daft! Just because you can see the car behind you does not mean he can see you. The reason you put the fog lights on is to greatly improve his chances of seeing you. Similar with front fog lights, so that drivers waiting to pull onto your major route can see you.Fog lighting is an accident prevention tool
Looking at the Govt. H-Code page for driving in adverse weather conditions;
"You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet)"
Now, I have a hardcopy of the H-Code from maybe 10 years ago that has exactly this statement for the use of Fog Lights. The current regs around the use of Fog-Lights are less clear than before and somewhat subjective;
"When driving in fog you should use your lights as required (see Rule 226)"
Rule 226 is as quoted up top with;
"You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves"
Now given that we know that the populous has an every increasing % of retards it would probably have been more useful to make the law somewhat more Objective rather than open to interpretation by the "grey-cell deficient"
"You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet)"
Now, I have a hardcopy of the H-Code from maybe 10 years ago that has exactly this statement for the use of Fog Lights. The current regs around the use of Fog-Lights are less clear than before and somewhat subjective;
"When driving in fog you should use your lights as required (see Rule 226)"
Rule 226 is as quoted up top with;
"You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves"
Now given that we know that the populous has an every increasing % of retards it would probably have been more useful to make the law somewhat more Objective rather than open to interpretation by the "grey-cell deficient"
Had a seriously "cool" lad in a red honda civic come flying up behind me today in the fog. He obviously thought that looking good (in his own mind)with just red sidelights on the front of his car was a better idea than having other road users be able to see him coming.
Would feel sorry for the poor sod that pulls out in front of him because they can't see him coming.
Would feel sorry for the poor sod that pulls out in front of him because they can't see him coming.
If I can see the headlights of a car behind me in fog, it is likely the driver of the vehicle behind can see my fog / tail lights, so I turn them off, Using Fog lights can all but completely destroy the view of the road ahead for a following driver.
Whilst drivers are not supposed to travel any faster (in any conditions) than a speed which would allow them to stop in the distance which can be seen, having `some' view of the road ahead (of the vehicles ahead) can be a help in anticipating the road situation.
The ones that amuse me in fog, are those that come up to within a few feet of the rear of my car (often with all lights including front fogs on) and who then overtake (because turning off my fog lights, usually allows them `some' view of the road ahead)
but who once they are in front of me, slow down and start travelling at a speed, slower than I was doing! strange??
Whilst drivers are not supposed to travel any faster (in any conditions) than a speed which would allow them to stop in the distance which can be seen, having `some' view of the road ahead (of the vehicles ahead) can be a help in anticipating the road situation.
The ones that amuse me in fog, are those that come up to within a few feet of the rear of my car (often with all lights including front fogs on) and who then overtake (because turning off my fog lights, usually allows them `some' view of the road ahead)
but who once they are in front of me, slow down and start travelling at a speed, slower than I was doing! strange??
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