Foglight idiots - please explain why you have them on when it's crystal clear?

Strider590

See on my car (Vectra) it's imposisble to leave the fogs on by accident due to the "soft touch" controls, everything resets when you turn off the ignition.

I've never seen a Vectra C with it's foglights on at the wrong time, because the owner would have to deliberately turn them on each time they started the car.

IMO all cars should be like this ^^

Joe_Horner

I really don't see what the problem is with having front fogs (or dipped beam) on. the problem is with them being badly adjusted. Well adjusted fogs or dipped lights will not dazzle you even in the dark, let alone in daytime.

Rears are a slightly different matter because they can mask brake lights, especially in modern style integrated clusters, but they still won't dazzle in daytime because they're considerably dimmer than that big ball of burning gas in the sky.

If you do find properly adjusted lights dazzling then I'd suggest you avoid garlic and crucifixes in future!

Weird_Nev

There are fog lights and there are driving lights.

Drviing lights are absolutely fine to have on, because they do not dazzle other road users.

Fog lights are not fine because they are wide-field lights and DO dazzle other drivers.

I drive with my driving lights on, because it makes my Pajero look wikked. If it dazzles you, then you should have worked harder and bought a bigger car.

teffers

alastairq wrote: »

..I agree with Strider [for once]....it can happen by accident.

It may not even be for anything more than a brief moment....but in that moment, somebody spots them and throws a hissy fit.

Mention is made of the Fiesta?

I've got one...and it is very easy to accidentally knock the silly little switch 'on'...the warning light isn't very bright, and the switch can be knocked 'on' accidentally, with the engine 'off'.

If the little light isn't spotted straight away, then it is entirely possible to drive off ignorant of the fact.

But, in true mancunian van driver attitude, I would ask, 'so what?'

Does a foglight inadvertently left on actually spoil one's view?

Whilst I truly believe in upholding the Law with regards to the public highway.....it is obvious to me that the powers-that-be aren't in the slightest bit concerned any more about any sort of enforcement.

And I cannot be bothered either...because it apparently doesn't matter any more.

But. I've done it...it happens...when I realised, I turned it off...no big deal.

They do it on purpose Lynn ... :mad:

Idiophreak

I honestly believe there are three camps:

1) Boy racers and middle aged men who think having them on makes them look "well wikked!"

2) Women, whose husbands put the fog lights on once over the winter (when it was foggy ) and haven't noticed they've been on ever since - and wouldn't know how to turn them off even if they did notice.

3) People who, for whatever reason, just have brain worms on a day, knock them on by accident, leave them on from the day before.

I always flash my fog lights at oncoming traffic with them on...I'd say around 1 in 20 actually turn them off as a result - I guess those from category three. I imagine everyone else just thinks

"That's it playa...your ride looks well rood now, innit"

or

"Ooh, shiney!"

Strider590

Weird_Nev wrote: »

There are fog lights and there are driving lights.

Drviing lights are absolutely fine to have on, because they do not dazzle other road users.

Fog lights are not fine because they are wide-field lights and DO dazzle other drivers.

I drive with my driving lights on, because it makes my Pajero look wikked. If it dazzles you, then you should have worked harder and bought a bigger car.

I don't think the problem is the dazzling (except with Peugeots), the problem really is irritation, people looking for something to moan about.
If it wasn't fog lights it'd be something else.

I don't have fog lights on my car, but my old car did and I used to switch them on very late at night once or twice a week just to keep them from misting up and rusting into nothing.

The crazy thing is that I could put silver retro-reflective tape on the front of my car, it'd dazzle more than fog lights but would be perfectly legal.

DKLS

The clue is in their name, use them in the sodding fog only.

Incorrect use of fog lights is in the same league as being unable to flick your finger an inch to indicate where your going.

danthemoneysavingman

They're on by default on newer cars, I think there was some legislation.(as said, these are driving lights, or should be)

I wondered this myself but got the answer when buying a near-new car.
They can be turned off, but the wife likes 'em on ;-)

Strider590

danthemoneysavingman wrote: »

They're on by default on newer cars, I think there was some legislation.(as said, these are driving lights, or should be)

I wondered this myself but got the answer when buying a near-new car.
They can be turned off, but the wife likes 'em on ;-)

Those are DRLs or Daytime Running Lights, they were fitted to Volvo's for decades. They're not foglights......

They became a legal requirement on new cars because we have so many idiots that drive around on side/parking lights killing pedestrians and cyclists.

Idiophreak

alastairq wrote: »

If a vehicle is spotted, with those offensive lights lit, so what? At least you've all seen the vehicle.

It's not what you *can* see that's the issue. It's what you *can't* see as a consequence...