Please don't put your rear fog lights on when it's raining

reeac

facade wrote: »

This is because "modern" "better" cars have a dash that is lit up all the time, for no practical reason.


In a Proper Olden Days car, you put the lights on when you noticed that you couldn't see the instruments,.

Is that true? I have three cars of 1958, 2005 and 2015 vintages and all have variable brightness dashboard lighting.

Norman_Castle

Or, Please read the manual to find out which switch is for the rear window demister and which is for the fog lights.

leviathan

Blueblood wrote: »

Most ppl don't even bother putting their lights on when it's raining !!:T:T

The car does it for them. Thanks to DRL's and "its ok I can see fine" leads to more people not bothering to think of those behind them.


Too many of these modern "safety features" are being used as enablers for bad behaviour.
eg: lane following and adaptive cruise / emergency braking being used to send messages on the dreaded phone.

NBLondon

reeac wrote: »

Is that true? I have three cars of 1958, 2005 and 2015 vintages and all have variable brightness dashboard lighting.

I'm intrigued - what's the '58 that has variable dash lights? Classic Yank Tank of some sort?

greatgimpo

In fog, I put my fog lights on. When I'm in a bit of a single lane convoy, I'll turn them off when somebody catches up behind. When I've nobody behind me, I'll turn them back on.

AdrianC

reeac wrote: »

Is that true? I have three cars of 1958, 2005 and 2015 vintages and all have variable brightness dashboard lighting.

There's a difference between a rheostat and dash illumination that comes on with the ignition, even when the lights are off (DRLs excluded).

I've had cars launched in the mid 70s that had permanently-on dash illumination. And guess what? They had a warning light to tell you when your lights were on...

leviathan

greatgimpo wrote: »

In fog, I put my fog lights on. When I'm in a bit of a single lane convoy, I'll turn them off when somebody catches up behind. When I've nobody behind me, I'll turn them back on.

All the technology we have in modern cars and yet the manufacturers cant just make something that does that automatically to stop people that dont do it from being so obnoxious.

facade

AdrianC wrote: »

I've had cars launched in the mid 70s that had permanently-on dash illumination. And guess what? They had a warning light to tell you when your lights were on...

Yes but lots of the "drivers" nowadays will merrily drive along with the little yellow engine light on all the time, and continue to ignore the red oil can light until the car stops. They are never going to notice or look out for a "lights are on" light


I remember dashboard rheostats, I used to dim the lights in The Olden Days as the instrument lights could be quite bright and harm the old night vision.

Now I need at least 2000W of led lighting to be able to see anything when there are cars coming towards me with their high intensity point-source lights. I don't think I've had any night vision since 1995 .

AdrianC

facade wrote: »

Yes but lots of the "drivers" nowadays will merrily drive along with the little yellow engine light on all the time, and continue to ignore the red oil can light until the car stops. They are never going to notice or look out for a "lights are on" light

<points up a bit>

AdrianC wrote: »

It's simply user stupidity, exacerbated by poor design. But that bad design is trivially easy for a competent user to deal with.

Scrapit

If there isn't visibility for the 100 yards or meters put them on. That's if the weather reduces visibility, for, snow, rain or spray or even smoke. That distance is quite alot though and if cars come within that distance turn em off. It's not difficult. I would argue they ain't dazzling though, seeing as brake lights are the same brightness.