Safe Speed Forums

Early this morning on M6/M1 i came up from about J13. What amazed me was the lack of rear foglights on HGV. Almost got to thinking that these weren't fitted on HGV when to my amazement found a few with lights on.
Next thought -try and see if its particular firms and which ones brightest -
last one no contest - definately an Argos with 4 -2 top and two bottom, only saw one Argos so don't know if it was luck.
Next best Sainsburys, but again only one truck.
Then an ASDA one - no lights , and a mile or so further on another - like Blackpool tower from the rear.

Question is - are rear fog lights mandatory on HGV, and their use ??
Considering the conditions - visibility poor when normal truck lights were pinpricks and fogs stood out , i'd say lights should have been on.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

I am of the impression that HGVs are no different to other vehicles, they have to comply with the same lighting regs, plus they have to have additional lighting regs all of their own.
Yes, they are supposed to have rear fog lights, but a lot of trailers are so old, that rear fogs were not a requirement at the time they were built.
What makes me annoyed, as a HGV Driver, they stick excellent light units on the back of the tractor unit, then on the trailer, the lights are no better than the Toc H lamp.
Most modern trailers have very good light units, but there are still some using the removable lens type which are generally the continental trailers, and it is these that are so crap.
I firmly believe that trailer lights should be a damn sight better than they generally are now.

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Semper in excreta, nur quantitat variat.

Dratsabasti - all i passed/saw were uk vehicles - perhaps it's time that the HA or someone else picked this up , time and again in fog i see HGV s in what seems the distance to find that they have no/not switched on rear fogs and that they are nearer than you think , and at night , with heater on to kill frost on screen due to windchill- how many accidents are caused by this.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Very good point Botach, would be interesting to speculate on this one, wonder if this sort of thing is recorded anywhere.

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Semper in excreta, nur quantitat variat.

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 - SCHEDULE 11

Seems to say that one fog light is required, you can have up to two unless it's an old vehicle then you can have as many as you want.
There's more to it than that but I'm not in a legal mood at the moment so can't read it!

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Andrew.

Daft isn't it - its not hard to retrofit lights into a trailer, so why can't they just enforce the newer regs when the trailer is MOT'd?

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

As to their use. I rarely use them, for two reasons. The first being that they distract from a following drivers view of the brake lights, and if I need to brake in those sort of conditions, I want anyone following to know about it. Secondly, the passage through fog of a large vehicle displaces so much air that it creates a visibly clearer area to the rear of the vehicle. It was particularly noticeable on that particular Thursday night/Friday morning, the number of car drivers that would overtake into undisturbed air, pull back in and Brake. The higher driving position also tends to aid visibility as fog density can vary according to height above road surface.

High intensity rear lamps are a product of the 1960's, when we really had pea-soupers and city smogs. The Clean Air Acts of that era brought about a move away from the domestic burning of fossil fuels and quite frankly, I can only remember one occasion in the last 20 years where I encountered fog in visibility of less then 100 metres. That being the point at which rear fogs should be utilised.

What was the speed of the vehicles you were encountering? I would assume it was in the range of the mid 50's - on the limiter. On a damp road surface. Which infers a visibility of 100 metres or more. Any less than that, and I wouldn't have been comfortable at such a speed.



You haven't mentioned at what speed you were travelling to approach these such poorly illuminated vehicles. I assume >56mph, which then begs the question, "Was your speed appropriate for the conditions?"

Grumps - Did i actually say that i appraoched these vehicles from rear - no , i don't think i actually said so , i said "i came up from about J13",
slight bit different.

Didn't actually say anything about speed (won't mention numbers in case BW GETS EXCITED)
I know about the effect HGV have on moving fog, thayts why i like to sit a respectfuldistance behind them at their speed - but not on this occasion.
Vehicle height - mine was only about a foot lower than a HGV -

My point on this post was about the appalling quality and luminance of HGV lights.
Perhaps , a discussion on the effects of the voltage in relation to the luminance and focus effect of the lenght of element in the lamp ( bulbs are planted) would suite you better.

_________________
lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on