Fog light rant

[stevesey]

Just done junctions 16-18 on the M4 - visibility to normal tail lights was about 1 mile - bends, hills etc meaning the lie of the land limited visibility more than what fog there was did. As "useful" visibility wasn't reduced traffic was moving at its normal 70-80 with some clear gaps. Yet 30% of cars had both rear and front fogs on. Why???

As a result it was often virtually impossible to tell if those red christmas trees 400m in front were braking or not, don't know about you but that's something I like to know instantly and not have to think about.

Are these people not capeable of thinking "what's the visibility like?", before reaching for the fog light switch, or it is just a case of the light going on at the slightest hint of fog, even if normal lights are perfectly visible at great distance.

 

[rf065]

Whats worse is, some of them wont switch them off until easter time.

Russ

 

[Spin_bowler]

The thing that has always got me about fog lights is the front ones on Citroen Saxos which come on automatically whenever a baseball cap or hoodie is being worn by the driver.

Why is it that at 16 years, 364 days old it is uncool to use lights on your bike at night but at 17 years old you must have as many lights as possible lit at all times on your car?

I sound like an old fart now...

 

[robert.saunders]

OMG, couldn't agree more.

Very awkward driving with thick freezing fog around here last night, and again this morning. I'm all for fog lights in the right conditions but why do drivers leave them on when you're in a queue of traffic? I don't need to be dazzled by the blessed things when the car in front is a car length away.

Fog was so bad last night drivers were crawling to a standstill - forcing cars following to overtake on a single-carriageway into the path of goodness knows what. I understand the need to drive carefully but to stop dead in the fog isn't a clever move

 

[crockers]

My rule of thumb is ......... if I am having difficulty seeing the car in front then the one behind me has the same problems.... "rear fog lights on"....If I have no problems "fog lights off".... as for front fog lights ....do they really make any real difference ????? perhaps in a narrow country lane - but on a motorway... NOPE...

 

[GRAV888]

My rule of thumb is ......... if I am having difficulty seeing the car in front then the one behind me has the same problems.... "rear fog lights on"....If I have no problems "fog lights off".... as for front fog lights ....do they really make any real difference ????? perhaps in a narrow country lane - but on a motorway... NOPE...

Not sure about yours, but on both my MB's, the fronts come on before the rears.

 

[crockers]

Yes mine do too ... but can we honestly say the fronts make any real difference??

 

[GRAV888]

Yes mine do too ... but can we honestly say the fronts make any real difference??

On the car, no.
On the lorries, yes.

 

[robert.saunders]

On the lorries, yes.

Yes, they blind me

 

[Dryce]

As a result it was often virtually impossible to tell if those red christmas trees 400m in front were braking or not, don't know about you but that's something I like to know instantly and not have to think about.

Quite a few cars *without* any lights this morning. (Visibiity was low enough I had my fogs on.) I think that's a bit more heinous than using the lights innappropriately.

 

[Diesel Benz]

Quite a few cars *without* any lights this morning. (Visibiity was low enough I had my fogs on.) I think that's a bit more heinous than using the lights innappropriately.

This doesn't seem to be a local UK problem. I'm so ****** off with improper fog light use, and those cars that do not have fog lights, seem to have burnt bulbs all over. Why doesn't our police watch those cars, I'm not considering speeding any better but that is what our police mostly is watching after.

It isn't only those who just got their license, I may consider them young still but most of you would not.

 

[stevesey]

but can we honestly say the fronts make any real difference??

Once in 25 years - yes, otherwise no. The fog was so thick it really was 5mph only stuff, with the dips off the fogs did a much better job of illuminating the verge I had to follow.

Can't see they'd ever be any use on the motorway (or any road with cats eyes, where normal dips will get a decent reflection).

 

[moneyman]

Have to agree with Crockers as to when fog lights should be used. However it staggers me at the number of people that had no lights on in yesterdays fog. Passed "white van man" no lights, he pulled out behind me so I gave him a quick flash of the rear fogs hoping that he would realise that he had no lights, but no he just continued on his merry way obviously oblivious to the conditions he was driving in.
Whilst having this small rant. Is there any point to side lights unless they are park lights? Surely if it is dark enough or the weather so inclement that the use of lights is required then dipped beam must be the order of the day.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Very awkward driving with thick freezing fog around here last night, and again this morning. I'm all for fog lights in the right conditions but why do drivers leave them on when you're in a queue of traffic? I don't need to be dazzled by the blessed things when the car in front is a car length away.

Oi, don't blame me!!

If only there was a rule in the Highway code that stated if you're at the back of a line of cars keep them on, everybody else turn them off!!

 

[stevesey]

Have to agree with Crockers as to when fog lights should be used. However it staggers me at the number of people that had no lights on in yesterdays fog. Passed "white van man" no lights, he pulled out behind me so I gave him a quick flash of the rear fogs hoping that he would realise that he had no lights, but no he just continued on his merry way obviously oblivious to the conditions he was driving in.
Whilst having this small rant. Is there any point to side lights unless they are park lights? Surely if it is dark enough or the weather so inclement that the use of lights is required then dipped beam must be the order of the day.

Likewise Corckers approach is my rule of thumb - in terms of people without lights on I find turning mine off and back on a couple of times to be more effective than flashing. More likely to trigger the right thought patterns and less likely to evoke a hostile respone?

 

[robert.saunders]

Oi, don't blame me!!

If only there was a rule in the Highway code that stated if you're at the back of a line of cars keep them on, everybody else turn them off!!

Agree - it should have been in the revised Code. Mind you, did I mention it during the consultation period? No

 

[moneyman]

Likewise Corckers approach is my rule of thumb - in terms of people without lights on I find turning mine off and back on a couple of times to be more effective than flashing. More likely to trigger the right thought patterns and less likely to evoke a hostile respone?

Tried that as well but the message still didn't sink in. "I think that the lights were on but nobody was at home". Except this idiot couldn't find the light switch

 

[DrNick]

Many years ago when I was at university, I developed an automatic rear foglight turner-offer, using an ultrasonic radar. With the advent of parktronic it must be possible to devise a system whereby the parktronic can at least detect the presence of a stationary car behind you in traffic and turn the lights off to avoid dazzling. That would be a start at least. I don't think an ultrasonic system would be much good at longer ranges when moving at an appreciable speed, but a rearward facing distronic would probably do the job. Probably needs costs to fall a bit first though!

 

[DieselE]

Just done junctions 16-18 on the M4 - visibility to normal tail lights was about 1 mile - bends, hills etc meaning the lie of the land limited visibility more than what fog there was did. As "useful" visibility wasn't reduced traffic was moving at its normal 70-80 with some clear gaps. Yet 30% of cars had both rear and front fogs on. Why???

As a result it was often virtually impossible to tell if those red christmas trees 400m in front were braking or not, don't know about you but that's something I like to know instantly and not have to think about.

Are these people not capeable of thinking "what's the visibility like?", before reaching for the fog light switch, or it is just a case of the light going on at the slightest hint of fog, even if normal lights are perfectly visible at great distance.

Your last paragraph should read "Are these people not capable of thinking?" Then my answer would be "No, they're not."

 

[kikkthecat]

For those of you that don't understand the rules here's a quick recap.

Front foglights.
To be used with sidelights only in all hours of darkness until your 26th birthday then normal headlights can be used.

Rear foglights
If your IQ is equal to or less than your shoe size, these are to be switched on when the clocks go back an hour and switched off the following year when they go forward, or when your MOT is due, whichever comes first.