Fog Lights Craze - is it an offence?
Discussion
We're having a bit of a Highway Code day today so..
We all loathe this idiotic front fogs craze that's sweeping the country.
But is it an offence?
www.roads.dft.gov.uk/roadsafety/hc/08.shtml#94
This would suggest that you MUST (Highway Code code for this is LAW) switch off your front and rear foglights when "Visibility Improves". And in fog you MUST switch on your HEADLIGHTS but using Fog lights is discretionary.
www.roads.dft.gov.uk/roadsafety/hc/21.shtml
This would also suggest that this is true...and that the test for visibility is
"generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). "
So I presume from this
www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/endorsem.htm
that the offence is a MS60 (Any other offence?) which would carry points "As Appropriate"!
So...I put it to you (and our resident BiBs) that we should
"BAN THE F*****RS"
Discuss
We all loathe this idiotic front fogs craze that's sweeping the country.
But is it an offence?
www.roads.dft.gov.uk/roadsafety/hc/08.shtml#94
This would suggest that you MUST (Highway Code code for this is LAW) switch off your front and rear foglights when "Visibility Improves". And in fog you MUST switch on your HEADLIGHTS but using Fog lights is discretionary.
www.roads.dft.gov.uk/roadsafety/hc/21.shtml
This would also suggest that this is true...and that the test for visibility is
"generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). "
So I presume from this
www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/endorsem.htm
that the offence is a MS60 (Any other offence?) which would carry points "As Appropriate"!
So...I put it to you (and our resident BiBs) that we should
"BAN THE F*****RS"
Discuss
I got pulled on the 62 for having them on, I had just left work and saw my RHS headlight go out in a reflectin in the window of our office, it was dark and wet so i put on the front "fogs" to make sure i didn't appear as a bike (one light), when I got pulled I told the first ocifer why i'd done it and he seemed ok with that, the other one proceeded to rant at me for having them on not having listened to me. his mate then pointed out that we had already covered the reason i had them on. he said it was an offence but let me go saying i had to get the headlight fixed.
A friend of mine got pulled for having his front fog lights on late at night in pitch black. To his astonishment he was given a £30 fine. The office citing "misuse of optional lighting".
If you ask me it's absolute nonsense, front fog lights don't dazzle anyone, they are low down and how can they be anything wrong with having them on when it's pitch black?
If you ask me it's absolute nonsense, front fog lights don't dazzle anyone, they are low down and how can they be anything wrong with having them on when it's pitch black?
Furry muff... personally I find it's the intensity of the lights that's the problem. Granted there are also a considerable number of poor adjusted dipped beams... but I rarely see people using main beams.
Found it more of an issue when in the TVR since you are lower down, but it's always bugged me. I see no reason to use fog lights in anything other than thick fog. No excuse not to use the main beam as and when required (i.e. turn it off when you see oncoming traffic).
Found it more of an issue when in the TVR since you are lower down, but it's always bugged me. I see no reason to use fog lights in anything other than thick fog. No excuse not to use the main beam as and when required (i.e. turn it off when you see oncoming traffic).
I find fogs less irritating than badly aligned dipped beam, or muppets who don't use the beam adjust when carrying heavy loads.
Shouldn't it come down to a bit of discretion - on the M5 in good conditions then fair play, fine the buggers that leave them on. But on a dark country lane with minimal traffic, isn't there a justification for using them in terms of gaining better general visibility?
I occasionally use them in that circumstance, but always turn them off for oncoming traffic or if I'm following someone.
"If a foglight is on in the woods, but no-one is there to see it, is the driver still a numpty?"
Shouldn't it come down to a bit of discretion - on the M5 in good conditions then fair play, fine the buggers that leave them on. But on a dark country lane with minimal traffic, isn't there a justification for using them in terms of gaining better general visibility?
I occasionally use them in that circumstance, but always turn them off for oncoming traffic or if I'm following someone.
"If a foglight is on in the woods, but no-one is there to see it, is the driver still a numpty?"
Froth said: A friend of mine got pulled for having his front fog lights on late at night in pitch black. To his astonishment he was given a £30 fine. The office citing "misuse of optional lighting".
If you ask me it's absolute nonsense, front fog lights don't dazzle anyone, they are low down and how can they be anything wrong with having them on when it's pitch black?
Whilst I'm sorry to hear your mate got fined thank you for letting me know that officers can and do haul people up for using their fog lights unnecessarily.
Brilliant.
is sad to report that the craze is just as prevelant over here. Grrrrrrr. 
Using fog lights (front and rear) when the conditions do not require them to be illuminated is an offence. It is usually dealt with vi non endorsable FPT which is fixed at £30. Offenders can be reported and summonsed to court but I would only do this if I caught someone continually abusing them after several tickets as they were obviously not taking the hint.
Cruising the town centres in your BMW on side lights and front fogs blaring with the latest Banghra hits vibrating the roadside furniture will only lead to one thing
Cruising the town centres in your BMW on side lights and front fogs blaring with the latest Banghra hits vibrating the roadside furniture will only lead to one thing
... I will continue to utter obscenities under my breath at other motorists who go for the sidelights / foglights option... 
madcop said: Using fog lights (front and rear) when the conditions do not require them to be illuminated is an offence. It is usually dealt with vi non endorsable FPT which is fixed at £30. Offenders can be reported and summonsed to court but I would only do this if I caught someone continually abusing them after several tickets as they were obviously not taking the hint.
Cruising the town centres in your BMW on side lights and front fogs blaring with the latest Banghra hits vibrating the roadside furniture will only lead to one thing
So why isn't speeding dealt with in the same way?
mondeoman said:
So why isn't speeding dealt with in the same way?
It is. Just that the fine is fixed at £60 and there happen to be 3 points attached. Persistent speeders usually end up in court.
The differnce is one of safety.
Having fog lights on is annoying but does not happen to damage property or injure people if it is inappropriately used.
Speeding however has the potential to cause an awful lot of carnage and so the penalties are more severe for misuse of the limits.
Well. Its a craze isn't it? There would be far too many...although I'd much prefer that these people get "taxed" instead of us . The only thing that's likely to put a stop to it is Public Information Film and there's stuff a whole lot more serious to tell people about than
"Switching Your Front Fogs On When Its Not Foggy Makes You Look Like A Tosser".
I wonder if we could get Jeremy Clarkson to say the above sentence on national TV..
. The only thing that's likely to put a stop to it is Public Information Film and there's stuff a whole lot more serious to tell people about than "Switching Your Front Fogs On When Its Not Foggy Makes You Look Like A Tosser".
I wonder if we could get Jeremy Clarkson to say the above sentence on national TV..
Going back to an earlier point. Fog lights DO dazzle. A look at the bulb ratings will explain why. Rear ones disrupt the visibility of the person behind seeing your brake lights. Front ones just dazzle oncoming drives, destroying night vision. They are therefore dangerous when visibility is normal.
This is ESPECIALLY so in wet weather when the placing of the front lamps and beam pattern causes the light to be reflected up off he road. Also, the water causes light dispersal which creates a "blanket" of light through the water droplets. The brighter the bulb the worse this effect.
If you don't believe me then go and test it. Try the test under street lighting and then try it on an unlit road.
Now I do agree that badly adjusted headlights are as bad, sometimes worse, as they usually point straight in your eyes. However, these should be checked and adjusted at every service and MOT as a minimum.
Mind you I have known cars come back from MOT/service with the fog lights switched on, unknown to the owner (and some warning lights are difficult to see) due to the mechanic who tested them being sloppy and not switching them off.
This is ESPECIALLY so in wet weather when the placing of the front lamps and beam pattern causes the light to be reflected up off he road. Also, the water causes light dispersal which creates a "blanket" of light through the water droplets. The brighter the bulb the worse this effect.
If you don't believe me then go and test it. Try the test under street lighting and then try it on an unlit road.
Now I do agree that badly adjusted headlights are as bad, sometimes worse, as they usually point straight in your eyes. However, these should be checked and adjusted at every service and MOT as a minimum.
Mind you I have known cars come back from MOT/service with the fog lights switched on, unknown to the owner (and some warning lights are difficult to see) due to the mechanic who tested them being sloppy and not switching them off.
I think front fogs should come on after the rears after all they are there for saftey reasons as you dont want to be driving in thick fog (like erlier) come up behind a car without rear fogs on but then over take the numpty mobile (when fog had cleared) only to find the front of the car is lit up like a fcuking xmas tree 
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