Had some thickish fog last night down here in the land where the sun normally shines.
(It’s that big yellow thing in the sky covered by haze for your Northern folk )
And every man and his wippet was whacking their fog lights on, even though visibility for the tail lights ahead was still probably over 500m.
Maybe I’m alone but it bugs the hell out of me, as I then have to stare at the arse of these bellends that vary their speed constantly in these conditions while they do their best to burn out the backs of my retinas.
FFS, if you can see the vehicle that HASN’T got it’s fog lights on 400m’s up the road, why the F do you think all us behind can’t see you?
All I can come up with is: Well I’ve got them, so I’m using them as it’s a special occasion!
Personally I think in most instances they make the situation worse, as it then becomes harder to see their brake lights, and to my mind counter productive.
bald bloke:
I use my rear fogs only when it gets really pea soup time, it’s a pet hate of mine when folks use them when it’s just not needed .
Same here only on very rare occasions when it is virtually blind.
If another truck comes up behind me, I knock them off, as they do my head in also sat behind them, the thick grey haze becomes a thick red haze.
Yes rear fog lights can be annoying, but there was a scene in the film ‘A Bridge too Far’ in which Denholm Elliott the RAF Meteorological officer says: “Fog is tricky stuff, it moves around”. It can be 400yds visibility for five miles and then suddenly, maybe where the road crosses a river for example, it is down to 20 feet visibility. It is a bit late to switch the rear fog lights on then.
Given that so many HGV drivers seem hell bent on driving close enough to the lorry in front to be able to read the manufacturers logo on the rear marker boards, I would rather be able to see the lights on back of their lorry before they crash into the one in front when that one brakes because he can’t see properly.
I carry a truck mounted forklift most of the time. The lights on that seem ok to me but I’ve been amazed at all the numpties who still fail to see the big round amber flashing thing which gives an idea of which direction I’m turning.
So I tend to put my rear fogs on a lot earlier than I normally would otherwise. The moffett makes a great bumper, but I’d rather not have to attend a coroners inquest because some muppet can’t use their eyes!
villa:
Yeah i put mine on in the renault , because the headlight beam is so small
And I thought it was just my Merc with a crap field of light…on the motorway, it just about gets midway to the 2nd cats eye…bloody useless. I did adjust 'em but it went for MOT a few months back and they turned them back down instead of just seeing if they worked! I don’t use the front ones as I think it reflects to much light back but will use rears until I can/can’t see the truck behind and switch them off/on as applicable…if it’s a car, they stay on though! Trouble is, how do you get the rear fogs on with a Merc…oh yeah
bald bloke:
I use my rear fogs only when it gets really pea soup time, it’s a pet hate of mine when folks use them when it’s just not needed .
Same here only on very rare occasions when it is virtually blind.
If another truck comes up behind me, I knock them off, as they do my head in also sat behind them, the thick grey haze becomes a thick red haze.
Turn them off when another vehicle is following you, surely not?
Exactly, but 90% of people don’t and they just continue on their merry way without any consideration to those behind.
I can’t speak about the frozen barren North, but down here the instances of when the fog really becomes soup, and you definitely can’t see 50m’s or less are so infrequent, I can’t even think of one. Of course then yes fog lights should be used, but it’s those that smack them on at the merest hint of a bit of mist do my suede in…
Then we get to those that seem to have them on for no reason. Does the light on their dash not work? Or is it not prominent enough for them to notice? Maybe it should have an annoying buzzer attached that irritates them as much as the lights do the vehicle behind…
Its very simple, when visibility is below 100 meters (328 feet) you can use front (if fitted) and rear fog lights.
About as simple as it gets, they’re not driving lights they’re not day time running lights, the word FOG gives the game away unless you are a member of club plant pot then any disscussion on the subject will be completely lost on you.
Even though I’ve encountered fog hundreds of times I’ve only ever used fog lights twice in my life. Once at hearthill on the M8 and once on the A69 both times you couldn’t see a ■■■■■■■ thing.
As above I’ve always stuck by the 100 metre rule. Folk stick them on soon as a bit of mist appears
Rear ones really dazzle you but I’ve never had a problem with front ones so I don’t really give a ■■■■ if someone is driving about with them on.
On one of my cars I don’t know where the rear fog light switch is, and never seen any front fogs, 6 year old and owned for the past 2 but do I care ? not a bit !!
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