Fog lights on or off during the day/twilight/evening?

[Oli]

Tbh the front ones have never dazzled me at all and don't bother me. The rear one is s different story though!

I remember my brother had an late 90s shape Ford Escort when I was about 18 and the rear fog switch was in a really bad place:

Below the airvent to the right of the steering wheel and somehow I would nearly always manage to press the switch with my knee while getting in or out of the car or moving my leg while driving, I never realised until someone behind me pointed it out and whenever I borrowed his car I had to check every few minutes, I really hated that car anyway.

 

[Dand]

Thats not the only oddly placed thing in that shape Escort. a friend had two a few years back and if you put your foot on the footrest and had boots or skate shoes on you could change the fan speeds and temperature with your foot,hehe. Its was quite funny seeing peoples faces when it looked like the switches were moving of there own accord.

 

[Oli]

I never knew about that one, what about the oddly high biting point the clutch seemed to have?, or maybe that was just his one!.

 

[st4]

I never find the use of peoples front fogs bothersome, people staying on full beam yes, using fogs no.

Hardly ever needs to use front fogs although to use your rears you need to turn the front ones.

With everyone going onto DLRs they'll be a thing of the past

 

[Apial]

Don't be a t!t, look in your hand book, they are called fog lights and they advise their use in guess what? yep.... fog

Still wrong answer.......

 

[Dand]

I never knew about that one, what about the oddly high biting point the clutch seemed to have?, or maybe that was just his one!.

your not kiddin there, i had to move one of them for him a few times and i felt a bit embarrassed by it. i couldnt get used to it, it just sounded like i was reving the bo**ocks off it like an old bid on the way to the post office,lol.

 

[Phantom 211]

It's the people that drive around with their rear fog light on that REALLY gets my goat !!!!

 

[JOB-BLACK-RAT]

To be honest, id just give you all a 30 quid ticket

 

[edgejedi]

It's the people that drive around with their rear fog light on that REALLY gets my goat !!!!

Totally agree - thats just not on...well....its 'on', but you know what I mean...

 

[gunning]

To be honest, id just give you all a 30 quid ticket

Totally agree, its soooo annoying, why do you need them on? they are fog! Not yeahhh matteee going in maccyssss mate lights

and im of the young age where all my mates do it. Even i find it proper sad

But then again i have taste and drive a mercedes not a 106 or saxo

 

[219]

I get kinda paranoid that if I put my fog lights on I will be blinding someone with them if they are genuinely not needed (ie. no fog!)!!!

I know some people like to have them on for 'the look' when driving...what do other people do?

Is it safe/acceptable road user friendly to have your fogs on during the day?

It is unlawful to use 'fog lights' unless visibility has been reduced to less than 100m by fog or falling snow .

You can be charged if caught using them at other times .

 

[Cabe]

When I am on the dark country roads I tend to use them as "ditchfinders" usually in conjunction with my high beams. Both get turned off when get an oncoming vehicle though.

 

[camerafodder]

Wrong answer......

???

 

[camerafodder]

When I am on the dark country roads I tend to use them as "ditchfinders" usually in conjunction with my high beams. Both get turned off when get an oncoming vehicle though.

The throw and spread of front foglights is very short and wide. Any illumination from them is pretty ineffective for this at anything over 15mph (and that's pushing it). Even at 30mph you're well past anything that would be better observed by just using your headlights.

 

[MOCAŠ]

???

See post #33. They're for when visibility is seriously reduced, so may also be used in heavy rain (when rear lights alone could be obscured).

 

[camerafodder]

I see what you mean Mocas and I understand your absolute logic but I think that using them in rainy conditions is a contentious point. I regularly see them used in rain by people driving at 70mph. It makes me wonder how people judge bad visibility and if there might be a better way to assess it.

 

[Cabe]

The throw and spread of front foglights is very short and wide. Any illumination from them is pretty ineffective for this at anything over 15mph (and that's pushing it). Even at 30mph you're well past anything that would be better observed by just using your headlights.

That's the point, they show me where the edge of the road is immediately around the car, specifically they fill in the gap between where my headlights end and the car begins. This information is mostly gleaned from my peripheral vision and I feel it gives me a better sense of the distance to hedges/dry stone walls and embankments.

Granted, I am not sure how much of it is a perceived comfort in the grand scheme of things but it works for me. I hope I don't piss off any other road users as its always done in conjunction with high beams, so the fogs should be the least of their worries.

 

[Apial]

It is unlawful to use 'fog lights' unless visibility has been reduced to less than 100m by fog or falling snow .

You can be charged if caught using them at other times .

Right answer!

 

[verytalldave]

Honest. I am NOT trying to be contraversial here for one second, but really dont see why people are getting annoyed at those who use their auxiliary front lights.
As has been said, we rarely get proper fog nowadays, so I prefer to think of them as more of fill-in lights to supplement headlights when appropriate.
I sometimes use mine when I feel that their use would be beneficial to either me as the driver, or other road users to make my presence more obvious.
To use the old chestnut that "foglights" dazzle oncoming traffic is nonsense. Mine dont, and nor do other drivers who use theirs when coming towards me.
The lights that DO dazzle badly are poorly adjusted Xexons. They are they ones we should be aiming our moans at.
I do realise that this flies in the face of the majority of opinions already expressed here, but thats me. Sorry.
I will continue to use them as and when I deem it "useful", and if that contravenes either an outdated or irrelevant "law" then so be it.

 

[BTB 500]

I was being followed last night by someone with front fogs on, and they were definitely causing more glare than the dipped headlights.

I suspect low-set ones are more of an issue as the beam is more 'parallel' to the road surface than ones built into the headlamp cluster (as on my Vito).