I have a renault, the fog lights switch (rear and front) is located on the left indicator and lights stalk. Although, no matter how fat your fingers are when turning on your main beam, you would miss turning them on by mistake!. One thing I have found annoying with this type of switch, is that to turn on the rear fogs, you have to have the front ones on as well? I would like the choice. Though saying that, there is no excuse with driving around in the day, or night when it is not foggy with front or rear fogs on. I have also noticed that some manufacturers are now calling them "Driving Lamps"? Does this make people think that they can put them on any time of the day now? Or does it boil down to the poser thing? The only way we will know is stop one of these idiots!
Oh and while were on the subject of lights, why oh why dont people check their lights before setting out on a journey? I have seen so many cars (new and old) with lights out (front and rear!). After a long spell of not using your lights (summer time) you would think that people would check to see if their lights are fully operational before they venture out in the dark?
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GET THEM SWITCHED ON!
See and be seen!
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GET THEM SWITCHED ON! See and be seen!
Wondered how long this thread would go before that happened
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I find it amazing that a few years after the DoT ran the see and be seen campaign, we now have dullards who want us to turn lights OFF!
Incredible.
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As the thread is about fog lights in clear visability, I think you should have said "See and be seen and get nicked!"
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I find it amazing that a few years after the DoT ran the see and be seen campaign, we now have dullards who want us to turn lights OFF!
Only fog lights. Turn off the fog lights.
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Exactly Dynamic Dave! Could not have put it better myself! I had at least 5 or 6 morons this morning on the way to work, biggest offender seems to be Citoren Saxo VTR/VTS's! (A453 towards Notts, you know who you are!) As Dave said:
TURN OFF THE FOG LIGHTS!!!!
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I used to use my front fogs on roads with bad line markings when visibility was bad (ie rain)as my headlights were very weak. Now I don't and just drive slower so that I can see where I am going.
Rear foglights are very rarly used. Only when driving in thick fog and there is no-one behind me. When someone does come up behind me I usually turn them off.
Not like the idiot I followed in London the other day (where there was no fog). His rears were on and his break lights were not that strong. He was driving like an asmatic snail and I nearly pranged him when he breaked relatively strongly to crawl over a speed bump, at <5mph, as I couldn't really see his break lights coming on.
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Watcher
I presume you have been around the house/shed/local hardware store and strapped all the lamps and spotlights and torches that you could find to the front of your car so you can be seen more easily.
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GJD.
No I haven't. The car manufacturer has kindly included lights at the front of my vehicle so that I can see and OTHERS can see me.
Get those fog lamps switched ON!
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Get those fog lamps switched ON!
And earn yourself a fixed penalty notice for causing undue dazzle!!
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GET THEM SWITCHED ON! See and be seen!
Watcher,
To add to my previous comment, isn't this post a contradiction of your other post regarding brake lights? Here you're telling us to get our Fog lights switched on, but then you're telling us to turn off our brake lights!! Personally I find brake lights a lot less dazzling than rear fog lights.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=8248&v...#
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>>I have also noticed that some manufacturers arenow calling them "Driving Lamps"? Does this make people think that they can put them on any time of the day now?
Fair point in my opinion, some manufacterers are marketing these as "driving lamps", especially on the more sporting versions - So wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that when one is "driving", then one should have one's "driving lamps" on. :-)
....and what about fog lights that are integrated into the headlamp unit? I think a few VAG models such as the Audi A6/A4 have this arrangement - wouldn't it be hard to tell in daylight whether it's the fog lamp or the head lamp that's on??
Chad.R
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A friend bought a Mercedes C-class, which has this arrangement of front foglights in the headlamp units, he expressed dismay that "There's no point putting my foglights on in this car, no-one can tell."!!!
I watched a BMW 3-series parked in the local "boy racers" car park last night start up, switch headlights on, then switch front foglights on and off, then rear foglights on, and drive away... Presumably the driver couldn't tell whether the switch for the front ones has the picture pointing to the left or to the right!
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Haven't "driving lamps" always existed - I always understood the were supplements to main beam (and therefore would only come on when they were switched on independently AND main beam selected)?
Fog lamps are different - they are generally mounted at lower level and beams aimed to hit the ground nearer the front of the car.
My car (in common with others, apparently) requires front fogs to be on before you can switch on the rears - doesn't make sense to me.
Simple message - they are called fog lights, and not "look at me" lights, for a reason!
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Answer to previous post, nah the fog lights on Peugeot's can't be turned on by accident. I've got a 306 & I've never had that problem.
What I think is most of the cars that are driven round with their fog lights on in normal night time vision, are more often than not 'Barry Boyz' trying to make their motor look better than what it really is. As with the fog lights on it can make the car appear a little more sportier. Cheep alternative I suppose.
I just laugh when I see it.
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I believe that most factory fitted front "fog lights" point at the ground just in front of the car.
At certain times, just after dawn, at dusk, and when it's overcast or raining during the day, then it is surely more courteous to use "fog lights" to be seen, than dipped headlights which may not be necessary.
I can't say I've ever been dazzled by fogs, but it appears that quite a lot of headlights are mis-aligned.
If lights are properly adjusted then who gives a toss which ones are used if they are appropriate to the circumstances.
Incidentally, "fog lights" don't make much difference in real fog - all lights tend to reflect back - the best solution is to slow down.
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Driving lights have to be a certain height from the ground, like headlights, I think 500 mm is the minimum height for the lamp centre. Low mounted fog lights cannot, therefore, be classed as driving lights. The biggest advance would be if these lights reset themselves each time the ignition is switched off.
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Design of the light is irrelevant.
It's legal to use an aux light at any time if it's wired through the dipswitch and can only be used when main beam is on, and in circumstances where you don't dazzle anyone.
If the aux light can be used with dip beam or sidelights, it can only be used in conditions of bad visibility, or you're nicked.
We covered all this a short time ago................
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This is mainly for the 'Switch Fog lights on' posts...
Just something I cut off the Highway Code site earlier. At the end of the day this is how it stands on when fog lights should & shouldn't be used. Also a bit on headlight rules to incase that subject arises.
You MUST:
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Use headlights at night, except on restricted roads (those with street lights not more than 185 metres (600 feet) apart and which are generally subject to a speed limit of 30 mph)
Use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 201).
Ensure all sidelights and rear registration plate lights are lit at night.
You MUST NOT:
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Use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users.
Use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users.
You should also:
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Use dipped headlights, or dim-dip if fitted, at night in built-up areas and in dull daytime weather, to ensure that you can be seen.
I rest my/our case! But reading that last one, I drove past someone the other day at lunch time in a dry, slightly dull day to see someone with their foggers on, when all they really needed on was dipped headlights at the most.
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The biggest advance would be if these lights reset themselves each time the ignition is switched off.
Vauxhalls have done this for quite a while now. Either turning off the ignition, or the lights, resets the fog lights to the off position. I imagine the same for Saabs as well - both using GM electrics.
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Did the dreaded Heathrow M25 run from Jcn 4 this morning at 4.00 am and was surprised at how many cars were being driven with either main beams on and/or front/rear fog lamps !!
It was dry, clear sky and good visibility all the way (c. 120 miles) so why were they doing it ?
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Because they are prats!!!!
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"enables every prat in a back to front baseball cap to drive 'look at me' fogs on on clear conditions."
Well said, that man.
There is another problem, though.
Lack of adequate "on" warning light. I keep telling my neighbour she's going to get nicked, but she's no idea when her fogs are (regularly) on. She keeps switching them accidentally, and the warning light's not good enough to warn her. My daughter has the same problem with the heated rear screen in her Fiesta.
HJ, you might be able to do something here. How's about talking to the manufacturers and asking them to standardise a warning device.
Probe, built into seat cushion, delivering a mild electric shock to the nether region will suffice.
Auto detection of baseball cap, and consequent delivery of moderate injury, so much the better.
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Like the invisible indicator hidden inboard of the headlights this seems to be another case where construction and use regulations have lost grip on reality.
Yesterday in heavy rain, VW Polo, recent model with duoble lamps. Outer pair on side or dim-dip, inner pair set to stun. same with some beamers, one pair just a ring round the reflector, the others like searchlights!!!.
Appreciate HJ's point about independent switching and glare back from the fog, but in preventing that the regs are allowing a much greater problem to fester.
Bring back the public information film!!!
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Some people wouldn't pay any attention to an ON warning lamp.
I had a Nova with a yellow warning lamp under the switch, if you don't look at it (or don't understand what the nice yellow light signifies!) then it's a waste of time.
As already mentioned in this thread some newer cars reset the fog lamps to OFF when you switch the ignition off. This is probably the best way to eliminate them being left on inadvertently. Doesn't have to be expensive either - the Daewoo Matiz has this feature.
I used to work with a guy who drove his Astra round town on clear summer evenings with the rear fogs lit because "it looks good". I won't risk having my forum registration cancelled by repeating what I said in reply to that....
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Re. the high number of Renaults with fog lights on, I once had a Megane where the "main beam" warning light tended to be hidden by the stearing wheel. Could the same thing apply to the "fog lights" warning.
Peter
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Driving lamps? My 1946 Rover 16 had one, mounted between the 2 headlamps about 0.75 metres above the grouns. Separately wired. I changed the bulb to halogen and wired it through main beam .. lit up countryside for miles around.
I thought most modern cars fog lamps auto reset when ignition switched off. If they can in a Ford Fiesta, why not everything else.
PS slightly OT but I switched H4 headlamp bulbs to Philips Vision Plus bulbs: significantly better light especially on dipped.. makes driving in dark much easier as my eyesight starts to fail...with advancing years:-(
madf
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Good to see Top Gear leading by example. The piece about the DB7 and driving around London. Only had fogs on and no headlights let alone dipped ones.
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I think the unnecessary use of front fog lights is also perpetuated by the imagery used in car mags especially the "max power" type, aimed at spotty essex boy (though your more likely to see a hairy @rse than a half-decent car IMO, but I'll leave the rant for later!).
I suppose the question then is, why does having your front fog lights on, in some circles at least, have a "sporting" association?
Chad.R
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'Driving lights' mean different things to different manufacturers. To Volvo it means those lights that other people like to find irritating which look like sidelights on all the time. They are actually somewhat brighter than sidelights, less bright than a dim-dip headlight, but come on automatically with the ignition.
Calling fog lamps 'driving lights' certainly gives the impression that they are meant to be on all the time.
HJ is right about the need to have fog lights on without headlights IN REAL FOG. Likewise in falling snow or driving sleet. The choice depends on circumstances, like background light or angle of the snow, but it does make it impossible to have any kind of automatic safeguard wired through the headlights.
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