Driving with the fog lamps on
Discussion
OK, I get that it's a stupid, pointless thing to do that makes you look like a total knob, but why does everyone get so worked up about it? What real harm does it do? Reading some of the threads on here, it seems to drive people into a self-righteous rage when someone is seen doing that. Surely there are real things to worry about, such as driving moves by morons that actually endanger you? Why get so hot under the collar over a light left on when it shouldn't be?
It's a fair comment, the hatred is out of proportion, and I know I'm guilty (of hating, not of having fog lamps on).
I think it is a result of making the (rightly or wrongly) prejudgment that the person with the fog lights on has consciously considered that it is worth more to them to have their car look all flashy and snazzy, weighed up against dazzling and annoying others. Hence they are the same selfish b
ds that do all these other things we hate.
I think it is a result of making the (rightly or wrongly) prejudgment that the person with the fog lights on has consciously considered that it is worth more to them to have their car look all flashy and snazzy, weighed up against dazzling and annoying others. Hence they are the same selfish b
ds that do all these other things we hate.Bing o said:
It's because we're jealous that they could afford to pay the extra at the dealer for front foglights...
In all seriousness, OP, those of us sitting in lower cars can often be quite blinded by cars sporting fog lights when they're not actually required! I don't like it, but it doesn't bother me to the point of rage like some.
To me, its simply an indicator that the driver is a halfwit, and is to be avoided in case they do something else blindingy stupid.
I was in town once out on the piss walking down the road with a few mates, and a Vectra with the front fogs came down the road. Now I used to have a vectra of that age and type, and I know for a fact that if you turn off the ignition, then switch it on again, the foglights will not come on unless you press the button again.
A policeman pulled this guy over near us and told him to turn his foglights off, he started protesting saying he didn't know where the button was, then proceeded to go through an entire pantomime act pretending to "look" for the button...
Eventualy he switched it off, his (I assume) wife in the passenger seat was just looking downright embarrased...
So no I don't go into a rage when I see people with them on, but at least I know that they are more "special" than some, and need to be treated as such.
I was in town once out on the piss walking down the road with a few mates, and a Vectra with the front fogs came down the road. Now I used to have a vectra of that age and type, and I know for a fact that if you turn off the ignition, then switch it on again, the foglights will not come on unless you press the button again.
A policeman pulled this guy over near us and told him to turn his foglights off, he started protesting saying he didn't know where the button was, then proceeded to go through an entire pantomime act pretending to "look" for the button...
Eventualy he switched it off, his (I assume) wife in the passenger seat was just looking downright embarrased...
So no I don't go into a rage when I see people with them on, but at least I know that they are more "special" than some, and need to be treated as such.
Triumph Man said:
I have noticed that on some new cars, when main beam is switched to dip, the foglights come on! I saw this twice the other day. I'm sorry, it looks like you got work experience to do the wiring up.
This is typically because some cars have an interlock that switches off foglights when high beams are enabled -- in some places (certain US states, and probably elsewhere) it's illegal to have your high beams and foglights on at the same time.I've never understood the hatred either -- I drove a low car day in, day out for 5.5 years, and in that time I doubt I was dazzled by foglights more than 2-3 times over those 5.5 years, and in all cases they had been clearly fitted aftermarket. That's compared to 10+ times a *week* (in Winter) that I would be dazzled by incorrectly-aligned dipped headlights.
I think they serve a valuable purpose in showing that the driver is 'special', and as such has to be afforded more margin for error.
I think it is better than having an illuminated 'KNOB' sign on the front of their car.
Personally, I do find some, like Peugeot 406's, set too high and dazzling.
I also like the irony that some, I am sure, think it is a status symbol, when top end cars now have adaptive lighting without fog lamps at all, thus reinforcing their lower social status.......
I think it is better than having an illuminated 'KNOB' sign on the front of their car.
Personally, I do find some, like Peugeot 406's, set too high and dazzling.
I also like the irony that some, I am sure, think it is a status symbol, when top end cars now have adaptive lighting without fog lamps at all, thus reinforcing their lower social status.......
Doesn't bother me in the slightest, badly adjusted HID headlights are more of a problem. I have even driven one of my cars (Focus ST) on side lights and fogs because the person in front was in a low car and if I could see the guys dash lit up nicely so to avoid dazzling him it I switched to fogs and side lights - I thought I was being considerate, turns out I'm a clueless tt then.
Oh and no you can't dip HID lights, being self levelling they don't have the dipping thumb wheel.
t then.Oh and no you can't dip HID lights, being self levelling they don't have the dipping thumb wheel.
As has been said, rear fog lights are a visual beacon to alert other drivers that a person who can't see a yellow/red light on their dashboard, is unlikely to be able to see YOU either - so avoid.
Rather than getting angry - you should in fact be thanking them for the heads up. A simple thumbs up or wave is sufficient.
People who drive with their front fogs on are just annoying fkers who think they look cool 
Rather than getting angry - you should in fact be thanking them for the heads up. A simple thumbs up or wave is sufficient.
People who drive with their front fogs on are just annoying f
kers who think they look cool I don't hate it anywhere near as much as the annoying cab driver in his nissan primera, with 1 non working headlamp. who as a result, has the working one on high beams. I can accept this in the country side, but never in london. THe other night a london taxi driver had his high beams on and it p'd me off to no end.
The same way Pavlov trained his dogs to salivate on the sound of a bell, a decade or two's worth of idiot drivers have trained us to associate front foglights with a good half of the stupid, aggressive or just plain pointless manoeuvre we've seen committed on the road.
So it's not rage against the two small, bright lights themselves, it's transplanted rage for st driving in general.
... unless you're driving a low car, in which case some of them really are blinding. Bear in mind unlike a headlamp a typical foglamp is aimed outward to light the verge - or, in modern usage, the retina of the sports car driver in the oncoming lane.
So it's not rage against the two small, bright lights themselves, it's transplanted rage for s
t driving in general.... unless you're driving a low car, in which case some of them really are blinding. Bear in mind unlike a headlamp a typical foglamp is aimed outward to light the verge - or, in modern usage, the retina of the sports car driver in the oncoming lane.
I reserve hatred for the "Saxo Club" who drive with them on in well lit areas, just to look "kewl mate, innit", OR rear fogs, they actually dazzle people and indicates the driver is totally oblivious to what their car is doing/has on.
I do however put them on down very dark, narrow windy country lanes as on my particular vehicle it improves the hedgerow/pothole illumination.
(In my defence, i try to turn them off as an oncoming car approaches)
(oh and when its foggy of course!!)
I do however put them on down very dark, narrow windy country lanes as on my particular vehicle it improves the hedgerow/pothole illumination.
(In my defence, i try to turn them off as an oncoming car approaches)(oh and when its foggy of course!!)
Dr.Doofenshmirtz said:
a person who can't see a yellow/red light on their dashboard, is unlikely to be able to see YOU either - so avoid.
I've always said that the light on the foglight switch should be as bright as the foglights themselves.No-one would have them on unnecessarily then.
Carrot said:
A policeman pulled this guy over near us and told him to turn his foglights off, he started protesting saying he didn't know where the button was, then proceeded to go through an entire pantomime act pretending to "look" for the button...
Similar to this when I had a mk5 Escort I got pulled over for having the front fogs on. Unlike the Vectra when you turn the ignition off then on again the fogs don't turn off and what's even better than that is they positioned the button with the light that indicates that the fogs are on behind the wheel so you can't see the bloody thing unless you lean around for a peek. Was giving a mate a lift home the night before in the arse end of nowhere and encountered fog so popped the lights on, used the car the next night forgetting about the fog light issue and got pulled.Police officer informed me that there hadn't been fog in the town I was in for years so had no need to have them on. I don't think anybody informed him that cars travelled and I certainly wasn't going to argue so I just took it on the chin and got a lovely fine.
In the Passat you have to pull the headlight switch out to turn the fogs on and can't turn the headlights off without pushing it back in. So if you see a Passat with fogs on it's deliberate, if you see an Escort with them on they're just unfortunate
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