Front fogs: not so clever
Discussion
Argh! idiot behind me, tiny dots of side lights, but on very very low mount fogs. Driving extremely close behind me, and just disappears from sight.
I wonder how many other people vanish because they use stupid lights, and follow too close?
Talking of fogs: if I was following you in the Shogun, would you prefer my (correcly adjusted) dip beams at 55watts, or my 50watt (correctly adjusted) fogs (that don't dazzle as much as my dips) ??
I wonder how many other people vanish because they use stupid lights, and follow too close?
Talking of fogs: if I was following you in the Shogun, would you prefer my (correcly adjusted) dip beams at 55watts, or my 50watt (correctly adjusted) fogs (that don't dazzle as much as my dips) ??
hertsbiker said:
Talking of fogs: if I was following you in the Shogun, would you prefer my (correcly adjusted) dip beams at 55watts, or my 50watt (correctly adjusted) fogs (that don't dazzle as much as my dips) ??
Dipped headlights please.
Which would you prefer - the ability to see up the road, or a well lit patch just in front of the old girl?
As for running on dim sidelights and bright fogs, totally messes up the distance perception (if thats the right term)for cars coming towards you.
Steve
I reckon front fogs are a waste of money and have far more to do with 'looking sporty' than actually doing any good.
In anything less than a pea-souper where the ability to light the kerbs is an advantage, they are a waste of time.
All IMO, of course.
And tw@ts who drive on them and sidelights in normal conditions, well, nob-jockeys, the lot of them.
In anything less than a pea-souper where the ability to light the kerbs is an advantage, they are a waste of time.
All IMO, of course.
And tw@ts who drive on them and sidelights in normal conditions, well, nob-jockeys, the lot of them.
rsvmilly said:
I reckon front fogs are a waste of money and have far more to do with 'looking sporty' than actually doing any good.
In anything less than a pea-souper where the ability to light the kerbs is an advantage, they are a waste of time.
All IMO, of course.
And tw@ts who drive on them and sidelights in normal conditions, well, nob-jockeys, the lot of them.
Absolutely correct.
I have yet to encounter fog or snow so dense that switching on front fog lights makes one bit of difference to what you are able to see. They are, for 99.99% of the time, a waste of space.
Sidelights plus foglights is illegal, apart from looking knobby. Any lamp lower than bumper height can only be used in fog and falling snow. If visibility is so bad that you need them, then you MUST also have dipped headlights on - you can't use them on their own.
Still, at least they act as a good pratt-detector.
>> Edited by tvrgit on Friday 3rd December 09:43
tvrgit said:
I have yet to encounter fog or snow so dense that switching on front fog lights makes one bit of difference to what you are able to see. They are, for 99.99% of the time, a waste of space.
I totally agree. I think it would be much more useful if manufacturers fitted additional driving lights that came on with main beam instead of pointless front fogs.
harry miller said:
I totally agree. I think it would be much more useful if manufacturers fitted additional driving lights that came on with main beam instead of pointless front fogs.
Absolutely. Had that on a Mk 2 Escort years ago - only problem was that they were so good that when you were motoring along and then changed to "dip" when somebody came the other way, you thought somebody had covered your eyes, the difference was so drastic...
[quote=tvrgit]
I have yet to encounter fog or snow so dense that switching on front fog lights makes one bit of difference to what you are able to see. They are, for 99.99% of the time, a waste of space.
[/ quote]
I agree with 99.8% of what you say, but I did have one night on the Julierpass up to St Moritz when foglights made the difference. Full beam just lit up the thickly falling snow. Dipped lights and fogs just allowed me to see where I was going so I didn't drive off the edge (M3 with snow chains on winter tyres).
MY new car has no front foglights!
I have yet to encounter fog or snow so dense that switching on front fog lights makes one bit of difference to what you are able to see. They are, for 99.99% of the time, a waste of space.
[/ quote]
I agree with 99.8% of what you say, but I did have one night on the Julierpass up to St Moritz when foglights made the difference. Full beam just lit up the thickly falling snow. Dipped lights and fogs just allowed me to see where I was going so I didn't drive off the edge (M3 with snow chains on winter tyres).
MY new car has no front foglights!
Sir,
The front fog light phenomenon is something that has creeped into society in the last ten years.
I can only describe the attidude as selfish. The notion that I can see better, so bugger everone else if they are blinded as a result.
Where possible, I always speak to the drivers and dependant on the level of honesty and thought that goes into their answers depends on whether I retrieve my Bic pen from my top pocket. As a rule of thumb, the pen usually arrives after the first of second sentence.......
The front fog light phenomenon is something that has creeped into society in the last ten years.
I can only describe the attidude as selfish. The notion that I can see better, so bugger everone else if they are blinded as a result.
Where possible, I always speak to the drivers and dependant on the level of honesty and thought that goes into their answers depends on whether I retrieve my Bic pen from my top pocket. As a rule of thumb, the pen usually arrives after the first of second sentence.......
[quote=Zod]I agree with 99.8% of what you say, but I did have one night on the Julierpass up to St Moritz when foglights made the difference. Full beam just lit up the thickly falling snow. Dipped lights and fogs just allowed me to see where I was going so I didn't drive off the edge (M3 with snow chains on winter tyres).[quote]
That's the 0.01% of occasions I was talking about! Yes they have their uses on a snow covered Alp. Whether it's worth carting them about in slightly-misty Surrey is another question...
That's the 0.01% of occasions I was talking about! Yes they have their uses on a snow covered Alp. Whether it's worth carting them about in slightly-misty Surrey is another question...
No Discretion said:
Sir,
As a rule of thumb, the pen usually arrives after the first or second sentence.......
and here is the thumb
Nice one! 
Years ago when the fashion on stage rally cars (and road rally cars for that matter) was to have auxiliaries with two spot/driving lamps and two fogs we did some tests.
The idea was that the fogs set wide could light up a sideways entry into corners. I never got on with this and we ended up with a set up two pencils and two driving. By driving I mean pencil beam but not so tightly focussed. The principle is that so much light is being chucked out the front that scatter gives enough light for the verges, the verges being where you aren't supposed to be looking anyway.... I digress.
As part of this playing around with lights we did an experiment to see if front fog lights were any use at all even in fog. Consider these were 55w oscars, fully adjustable.
To summarise the result, if they were adjusted so that they did not cause any dazzle to other drivers, then the maximum safe speed you could do was about 10 mph.
Adjusting them to improve visibility albeit marginally for the driver just resulted in opposing traffic suffering.
There is the argument that fog lights are intended to be mounted low down so that the beam is below the fog layer in the clear air just above ground level. We tried to test this one as well, and basically it boils down to much the same result though the dazzling effect is reduced somewhat. Again if the conditions are such that front fogs are better than dipped beam it is so foggy that you should be down to < 10mph.
Therefore our conclusion was that front fogs are an utter waste of space.
Current car has them fitted as standard worse luck, only time they are illuminated is on daily lights check; basis being "all equipment fitted to the vehicle must be in working condition, clean, bla bla"
FiF
No Discretion said:
Sir,
The front fog light phenomenon is something that has creeped into society in the last ten years.
I can only describe the attidude as selfish. The notion that I can see better, so bugger everone else if they are blinded as a result.
Where possible, I always speak to the drivers and dependant on the level of honesty and thought that goes into their answers depends on whether I retrieve my Bic pen from my top pocket. As a rule of thumb, the pen usually arrives after the first of second sentence.......
Front fogs have never bothered me during the day - yes they look (IMHO) but it doesn't cause me any problem. I also have no problem at night - I don't find that they dazzle or anything like that.
Now rear fogs OTOH - shoot every driver that uses em...day or night.
NugentS said:
Now rear fogs OTOH - shoot every driver that uses em...day or night.
I disagree. Rear fog lights should be used in heavy fog during daylight hours, especially on faster roads where closing speeds are likely to be higher and pose a greater risk, but they should NEVER be used at night - then I'm with you on the shooting option. 
RichardR. How can closing speeds be high at all when the only legal time to use rear fogs is when visibility is "seriously reduced - below 100m" - a pretty rare phenomenon? No-one should be driving above a very low speed under those conditions, surely. I agree with the shoot 'em view. Sorry
tvrgit said:
I reckon front fogs are a waste of money and have far more to do with 'looking sporty' than actually doing any good.
In anything less than a pea-souper where the ability to light the kerbs is an advantage, they are a waste of time.
All IMO, of course.
And tw@ts who drive on them and sidelights in normal conditions, well, nob-jockeys, the lot of them.
Absolutely correct.
I have yet to encounter fog or snow so dense that switching on front fog lights makes one bit of difference to what you are able to see. They are, for 99.99% of the time, a waste of space.
Sidelights plus foglights is illegal, apart from looking knobby. Any lamp lower than bumper height can only be used in fog and falling snow. If visibility is so bad that you need them, then you MUST also have dipped headlights on - you can't use them on their own.
Still, at least they act as a good pratt-detector.
>> Edited by tvrgit on Friday 3rd December 09:43
I think you will find in really thick fog it you turn dipped off and use fog lights and sides you get a better view. In really thick fog the dipped lights still reflect too much off the water droplets and impair your view.
Try it!
Cheers,
Steve.
Fat Audi 80 said:Steve,
rsvmilly said:
I reckon front fogs are a waste of money and have far more to do with 'looking sporty' than actually doing any good.
In anything less than a pea-souper where the ability to light the kerbs is an advantage, they are a waste of time.
All IMO, of course.
And tw@ts who drive on them and sidelights in normal conditions, well, nob-jockeys, the lot of them.
Absolutely correct.
I have yet to encounter fog or snow so dense that switching on front fog lights makes one bit of difference to what you are able to see. They are, for 99.99% of the time, a waste of space.
Sidelights plus foglights is illegal, apart from looking knobby. Any lamp lower than bumper height can only be used in fog and falling snow. If visibility is so bad that you need them, then you MUST also have dipped headlights on - you can't use them on their own.
Still, at least they act as a good pratt-detector.
>> Edited by tvrgit on Friday 3rd December 09:43
I think you will find in really thick fog it you turn dipped off and use fog lights and sides you get a better view. In really thick fog the dipped lights still reflect too much off the water droplets and impair your view.
Try it!
Cheers,
Steve.
You are referring to the 0.01% of the time when they do help. BTW I don't think I can have fogs on with sidelamps on my car (must check on the way home).
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