i was just wondering why some drivers (some lorry drivers included) only put on sidelights or no lights in fog,poor visibility etc.i put my lights on so that I CAN BE SEEN by other road users.thoughts please!! 
carlclay:
i was just wondering why some drivers (some lorry drivers included) only put on sidelights or no lights in fog,poor visibility etc.i put my lights on so that I CAN BE SEEN by other road users.thoughts please!!
They dont want to run up a big leccy bill?
Cariclay, this is one of my (many!) pet hates.
If you need lights, you need dipped headlights.
So called “sidelights” are marker lights only, and should only be used when stationary,imo.
See and be seen, you might just live a bit longer.
Agreed,a better name for side lights would be “parking lights”.
It’s actually illegal to drive without dipped headlights when in reduced visibilty be it fog snow hail etc
And boy does it get my goat when you flash them without coming the other way and they give you a gormless look 
emmerson2:
Cariclay, this is one of my (many!) pet hates.If you need lights, you need dipped headlights.
So called “sidelights” are marker lights only, and should only be used when stationary,imo.
See and be seen, you might just live a bit longer.
+1…
The golden rule for lights - side/head/fog whatever, is to have the lights on that you would like the other vehicles around you to have on.
The thing is people over use lights like when you have low cloud but can see clearly or the miss use of fog lights they are for fog not rain or its dark but hey what can we do when the driver nolage is so poor
Here’s one for you all to try whilst on your travels… take note of the cars travelling with no lights, by no means all, but the vast majority will be black cars! Honestly, once you notice it you’ll be amazed.
In fog u need lights in heavy rain you need lights, any poor visibility u need lights… The more visible u r the better I say!
Regardless of weather, I always drive with minimum sidelights on.
No idea why. best theory I came up with when asked was my first job after passing my test was a 7 til 7 job. I passed in November and got a job the following week. So for the next 4 months I was driving in the dark 7 days a week. I don’t think I drove in daylight till I left that job.
I sort of feel naked when I don’t have lights on.
With sidelights, I usually drive with them in fog just so the fog lights work. Having dipped beam tends to reflect the headlamp beam in the fog, where the fog lights illuminate under the fog.
When we did defensive driving training at work they told us to put dipped headlights on at all times.
They should ban side lights except when stationary. It’s the muppets who have forgotten to change to headlights on a dark motorway that cracks me up. It ain’t that hard to do though I suppose.
Also the moment there’s a sniff of fog all the cars whack the rear fog lights on then forget to turn them off, most annoying, particularly newer cars that have really bright rear fogs. Rear fogs are only needed in moderate to heavy fog or just heavy fog I’d say.
just as annoying …the driver in front who has forgotten to switch his fog lights off when the fog has lifted 
followed a van for what seemed like forever along the a66 last night ,i would have given him main beam in his mirrors but that would only have dazzled oncoming traffic.
I’m pretty sure your supposed to turn your rear fogs off when a car is behind you, after all they can see you and need to see your brake light come on without being dazzled by your fogs.
Worst of all is the workers who are so used to travelling to or from work at the same time every day they don’t seem to notice the approach of dark mornings and dark afternoons,so always travel with NO lights on!
WTF,how do they see the vehicle’s dashboard/speedometer is what I would like to know.
Then there is the brigade who drive around with all combinations of dead lights,One headlight and two fog lights,two headlights and one fog light,or worst of all,one headlight and one fog light,on ONE SIDE of the vehicle!
Doing night trunk I tend to notice the lighting habits of motorists more than most I suppose.
The number of vehicles with one or more lights out or badly adjusted head lights must surely outnumber those with legal lighting.
I hate the prats that drive around in ‘fog’ or just… ‘a little bit of mist’ with dog lights on with just sidelights. Vehicles were always made so that fog lights ONLY worked with dip beam as that was the rule of the land. When you switched to side lights or main beam they went off automatically. Nowadays they are used far too much, if you are within visible distance of the car infront, turn them off. If the vehicle behind is in visible distance, turn the rears off. It really does per me off immensely at the lack of understanding of when and how to use lights.
Interesting about the black cars without lights, look on a foggy day - majority are silver and grey!
Foxstein:
I’m pretty sure your supposed to turn your rear fogs off when a car is behind you, after all they can see you and need to see your brake light come on without being dazzled by your fogs.
I don’t know if you’re “supposed” to, but this is what I always do. Switch them off when someone is behind me - we can see each other so no need to blind anyone!
Black, silver and dark blue cars obviously don’t have light switches as standard - these always seem to be the worst culprits.
Don’t they understand that they are virtually invisible in rainy mirrors?
The problem is many new cars light the dash with the ignition. As they can see the dash they forget to put the lights on.