Foglights
Posted: Thu 20 December, 2007 Filed under: 1BEM, Cynicism, Driving, Thoughts, Travel 11 Comments »Ah, you knew it wouldn’t be long ’til this one happened (again).
This morning I was driving in to work, and the weather was fairly grungy – lots of freezing fog, and not much fun at all. However, it has to be pointed out that this was at 7am this morning, while it was still completely dark. You can see where this is going, can’t you?
Fog-lights are only supposed to be used in thick fog when visibility is abysmal. They’re not meant as “It’s foggy, use your lights” – there’s supposed to be some application of common sense. In this case, because it’s night, I can see cars half a fucking mile away. There’s no need for foglights if you can see that fucking far, you bollock-minded individuals!
Yes, of course, the foglights came on, and stayed on. Even in the clear bits. Hell, most of the twunts will still have them on this evening when I drive home, I’m sure.
The highway code is a bit wishy-washy on this one – again, I assume, because of the necessity hope of using common sense in these situations – but still it makes it pretty clear that foglights should only be used in poor visibility. Of course, common sense is a commodity in short supply at the moment, so maybe it needs to be re-written in light of that.
Personally, I think that car manufacturers are (slightly) to blame on this one as well – you get a warning light on the dashboard when you put the lights on, but there’s no extra warning/reminder to tell you you’ve put the foglights on. (Well, in Ford cars anyway. I can’t be certain if the same applies to all/most other car manufacturers) But then, if a driver hasn’t got the memory-span to remember they’ve turned the foglights on, should they really be allowed to be driving in the first place?
Rear or front?
Yes.
Mainly rear foglights, but still plenty of shit-for-brains motherfuckers with both sets on.
i was on my bike the other day, and some twunt had his front and back fog lights on and it was sunny whats that about hey
Well front fogs should illuminate the road only, so shouldn’t affect you. The rear ones are a royal pain though.
We travelled through several dense patches of fog last night (same again tonight by the looks of things) and when it’s like that it ain’t half a pain to keep turning them off and on and off and on… ohh wait, that was the indicators.. LOL
If I’m ever using rear fog lights (which, it has to be said, is a rare occasion – and I endorse your comments above), I find it common courtesy to turn them off as soon as another driver comes into view behind me – to avoid dazzling the poor sod, and so that he can see my brake lights when I use them.
Alternatively, heed Peter Purves’ advice.
My car, at least, has an extra “You’ve got the fog light on” warning on the dashboard, the same as it does for the main-beam headlight.
I’ve never driven a car without fog light indicators. And we’re going right back to… oooh, a Mini in 1979.
Mr BW had a Ford Ka that had fog light warning lights (it’s usually an orange light with a light symbol, with wavy lines through it).
I think it’s very dangerous for people to drive with fog lights on in non-thick-fog conditions. It’s time the traffic police started doing some real work and stopping idiots who use them inappropriately.
On both my Mondeo and Herself’s Focus, because the lights are controlled on a rotary dial near the door, you can’t easily see the light settings – particularly when it’s pulled out to turn on the fog lights. There’s a little light down there to say “they’re still on”, but nothing on the dash fascia , which is annoying.
I can see the excuse (kind of) for not remembering about fog lights if there’s no warning on the dash, but if it’s more normal to have a warning light, there’s even less excuse. And like I said on the post itself, if your memory span is so short you can’t fucking remember you turned the fog lights on, you don’t deserve to be allowed to drive.
on my old mondeo i had a warning light on my dash for the front and rear, but like skytower says i did turn off my fog lights almsot right away
My understanding is that fog lights, front and rear, should only be used when visibility is less than 100 yards. The police can stop and prosecute you for driving with them on when visibility is better than this; a fate which befell one Alan Dedicoat, BBC announcer and ‘Voice of the Balls’ on the M40 when caught driving with front fog lights on on a clear night. Many drivers use their front fog lights in darkness often with just parking lights in support and not the dipped main beam; it appears to be the favoured mode of lighting for the sporty drivers, chavs and twunts in BMWs.
These day’s more and more cars are being designed for numpty’s who really shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a car..I give you wipers that come on when rain hit’s the windshield and headlights that come on when it get’s dark…DID YOU NOT NOTICE THE SUN GOING DOWN AND THE RAIN PISSING FROM THE SKY YOU THICK C*NT…phew there it is I have said my piece..don’t get me started on rear fog lamps.