Safe Speed Forums

on my trip up north for christmas (bar humbug) I noticed that there were only a few foglights on. Noticable expections were:

Late E Class, joins M25 straight across 3 lanes on traffic into lane three, resplendent with front a rear fog lights ablaze. I give a little remeinding flash, he slows down lets me pass then flashes me. What you want me to put mine on?

Late C2, young woman at wheel in late 2 on M25, lane one is obviously empty all fog lights on.

No real fog there tonight... But driving round town I saw a police car coming at me with front fogs... Maybe I was just being a pain in the arse, but I called the station up and mentioned this to them... Sadly I didn't get any details of the car as (funnily enough) I was blinded by his fog lights... Duty sergeant was friendly enough about it, and I apologized for contacting him over such a small matter. There was NO fog whatsoever, he was driving in a streetlit area, so to me there was absolutely no reason to have them on...

I'm starting to feel like I'm an awful complainer, but it's the sort of thing that any other person would get pulled for, and he/she is just ignoring this fact...

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Mike

Drove up to Leamington Spa from home last thursday, the fog was patchy, heavy in some spots almost none in others. As part of my observing I do an 'instrument check' just to see what's on. Found that I didn't have fogs on all the time.

So didn't the other drivers in no fog turn ther lights off??

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I feel like contributing some to the debate and hopefully say something useful. SO I apologise in advance if what I am going to say is completely irrelevant.

Most cars ave inappropriately fitted fog lamps (both front and rear).

The ideal positioning of fog lamps unfortunately doesn't satisfy styling criterias. The ideal positioning is at the lowest mount point both front and rear. And only one fog light at the rear is necessary, ideally in the middle.

Properly positioned front and rear fog lights should not dazzle anyone, and all they do is make sure that they make the vehicle more visible, by cutting through the fog at the least dense point (just above ground).

It is a common driving mistake for our vision to be attracted by oncoming traffic headlights, or by the taillights of the vehicle in front.
Proper driver training teaches to only use periferal vision for such elements, and concentrate instead on the farthest point ahead of us.

Proper foglights have a sharp endpoint, very much like xenon headlamps.
Anyone with xenons on here will appreciate how sometimes useless fogs are in combination with xenons.
Infact, on such vehicles, fogs are even more purposeful: they are there to cut throughthe fog at the lowest point, and to illuminate the side of the road more.
They should not dazzle other drivers.

During the day, in well lit areas, main beam headlights, especially with fog, are completely useless. They don't actually help seeing any farther ahead.
In that case, use (properly installed) fog lights if visibility is reduced, to make yourself more visible. Hence why the switch allows for front foglights without dipped beam headlights.

At night with heavy fog, if the dipped beam headlight is far too high (and also not Xenon) then uring the night it may actually make matters worse (as I have experienced a few times) by creating a halo of light that hinders visibility.
In such cases, by only having your foglights on, you are reducing the glare. Obviously, in such scenario our speed has to take into account the reduced forward visibility of fog lights. I doubt it would be wise to travel any faster though even if we had our dipped beams switched on.

I think most of the frustration and anger caused by fog lights are a result of two elements: bad design, and our tunnel vision.

No, it's because we can see better than you. Less glare when high up. :p

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I'd have done the same. This seems very prevalent around these parts - the slightest whisper of fog or rain, and there's a clueless minority (5-10% ish I reckon) who then drive with front fogs for the next 2 weeks. If I'm in front of one, sometimes a couple of quick flashes of my rear fogs is enough for them to take the hint - but there seems to be a harcore of pratts who don't. I'm not quite sure if they're just plain clueless or downright inconsiderate and selfish.

No, they think it makes them look 'cool'. Makes them look stupid more likely.

More like -lights are on , but no one at home.