Now that its still dark when im leaving for work in the mornings I have noticed that a particulaly irritatting trend has crept back among “proffesional” drivers, that is, driving at night with the “UNDER BUMPER FOG LIGHTS ON”!!!
Why?? Why do they do it?? Is it the “look at me, look at me” syndrome?
Look at me in my big (in some cases not so big) truck!!
They usually have blue lights inside the windscreen too but thats a different matter!!
Turn em off people, you look daft, you dazzle motorists and correct me if im wrong but it is also a motoring offence! Fog lights should only be used when visibility is down to less than 100 meters.
Blue lights advertise a wierd ■■■■■■ orientation? Since when? Does this mean I need to expand my horizons a little? Or is it safer just to ditch the blue rope light?
Fog Lights should be tied into an Automatic system which turns then on when its foggy, And electricutes anyone trying to turn them on when its not foggy.
To make other drivers aware of me I always drive with Dipped headlights at all times and ive found it does actauly make people look twice before thinking they can get in front of me and cut me up. Fog Lights are never turned on unless im driving while its foggy or in realy dark roads with no other traffic just so I can see!
Lol Daniel, nice plan.
I also am a lights at all times addict. As I told one guy, the shades are for my benefit, the lights are on for yours. Besides, if they go and ram a lit truck, whose eyesight is suspect?
yes they annoy me too…and all those who have more money than sense to spend on spotlights…is there a race too to see who can fit the most on the roof and across the front…should make them illegal.and fail it on its annual test…the lights fitted to todays modern vehicles are quite adequate…it peeves me when i see people with one on dip and the other on full beam…to lazy to check them and too tight to buy a bulb…another annoyance is foreign drivers who dazzle, is there not a law in this country telling them to fit headlamp deflectors as we have to when we go overseas…and why cant manufacturers fit a device as standard which would change the direction of the headlights at the touch of a button just a thought…gotta go…think i`ve left my 12 spots on…
have a nice day
The other morning 01.00ish when it was chucking down with rain I noticed some blue flashing lights reflecting in a puddle round this bend so I slowed down just in case I had to slow to let it pass or something BUT it turned out to be a stretched Limo with the dam lights underneath it. Any blue lights should be for the emergency services NOT for Limo’s or trucks. Another rant turn your rear fog lights off when it clear weather. And another thing have a nice day.
Those cars with Blue lights should be banned. There is soo meny new cars now supplied with a blue tint to the headlights (neon lights I think?? wasnt an optional extra at ford when I bought a new car anyway!)
You look in your mirror, dark, wet, all you see is a car breathing down your neck with blue lights, First thing you think is police, It is just an automatic reaction to blue lights, no matter how bright or dull they are!
I think they are to do with the gas thats in the bulb - the filament burns hotter with xeon gas obviously giving more light.
Its not as bad as rear fog lights on all the time or full beam & at least they have lights on in the first place as most lorry drivers find it hard enough to flick the switch 2 times.
Blue lights are only illegal IF they flash… So two little LED’s is legal, but a running (knight rider) display IN BLUE is ILLEGAL… (as each LED is actually flashing)
As for blue headlights… The original offenders were Poxhall Senators (which is why I too always think COPPER)… It was to do with the way the reflective metal surface is bonded to the glass… iirc, it’s when the electrostatic current is applied for too long and overheats the metal substrate… (like the blue you get when you heat copper/titaniun with a gas torch)
The other really bright lights are called H.I.D lights… High Intensity Discharge… (Gas discharge, like a flourecent tube)
They work on a vey high voltage (not sure, but probably 415 ish… ) and if you watch someone turning them on, they ‘PINK’ on like a flourecent tube…
£70 PER bulb, and £400-700 for a full kit makes them a very costly, but they have a longer life than a normal filament bulb, as there is NO actual filament to break…
truckyboy:
the lights fitted to todays modern vehicles are quite adequate
During the winter months, I find that when driving along rural roads on dark nights, that in fact the lights fitted aren’t really adequate because they are too low down on the wagon. As you need to see a further distance to allow for a longer stopping distance, I think the headlights don’t cast a long enough beam and putting spotlights on the top of the cab means you can see further ahead.
However, 2 is enough. 12 is compensating for something lacking elsewhere.
Cant think of the regulations at the minute, but from my farming days the local plod informed us that the spotlights at the top of the cab of the tractors were illegal on the road if they were on. I think lights have to be in a certian area on the front of the viehicle.
ralliesport:
Cant think of the regulations at the minute, but from my farming days the local plod informed us that the spotlights at the top of the cab of the tractors were illegal on the road if they were on. I think lights have to be in a certian area on the front of the viehicle.
My interpretation of the rules is that as long as they go off when you dip your headlights then they’re legal at any height. Have a google for the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 and scan through it - it’s all in there.
As far as I remember the Construction and use regulations:
Lights below a certain height must be fog lamps, and above must be spot lamps that are tied into the main beam switch of the vehicle.
Which means, in theory, that you could attach a 20’ mast to the top of your cab and cover it with spots. So long as it was wired up correctly, it’d be legal. Stupid, but legal.
Since when? Does this mean I need to expand my horizons a little? Or is it safer just to ditch the blue rope light? 
