Fog Lights

[sonofsanta]

I have no idea how to even turn my fog lights on tbh :S

 

Usually you pull the headlights dial out of the dashboard towards you.

 

Find out. Now. Not knowing is dangerous, to other people as well as you.

[sparkeh]

I have no idea how to even turn my fog lights on tbh :S

/sparkeh prays that he never follows this guy in thick fog.

[scotyboy56]

/sparkeh prays that he never follows this guy in thick fog.

 

 

Don't worry in the 3 years I have been driving I have never had to turn my fog lights on as there has never been the need to as the fog hasn't been thick. But I do know when that time comes first thing is "MUM, where's the fog light switch??" But thanks for letting me know where it is sonofsanta, at lunch time first thing I'm going to be checking

[HarryMonkey]

I drove in from Bedford yesterday and Heart FM were doing a name and shame type announcements (eg ... the red golf in Bletchley outside ASDA, turn your lights on).

[sparkeh]

Fog again this morning, passing a line of parked cars, bus with no lights emerges from the fog, swinging out to pass a line of cars on his side, causing me to swerve into a gap, mount the curb and bust up my wing mirror on a lamp post. Didn't get the company as I was too busy trying not to smash up the rest of my car and a few others.

Good start to the day >:-0

[AMLinington]

Ranting here instead of BTRD because I want it publicly visible...

 

I just ranted about this on Twitter, it is thick fog and for once it is a legitimate reason in the South East to use fog lights thanks to utterly dire visibility. Dipped headlights only fair enough, not everyone is sure if they should use them but they can still be seen, although fogs would be preferred. But then we get the idiots who have made the conscious decision to put their lights on, only the switch never got past sidelights which will do nothing in this weather.

 

And then we get the suicidal utter who think lights are optional and drive round in thick fog with absolutely no lights whatsoever even though everyone else around them has fogs on.

 

There really is no excuse, lights aren't there for you to see they are there for others to see you. I'd love to see every single one of the morons who think it is OK to whizz round morning rush hour in this pea soup get pulled over and have their licence dragged out of their hands and into a shredder because they are nothing short of a danger to other road users. I hope the Police are nice and busy this morning...

 

I am inclined to agree with you. The number of people I saw on the road last night and this morning without their fog lights on was quite frankly frightening. Then again, the number of people driving at night with no headlights on at all is also frightening. I should think in an accident if the other person did not have their fog lights on in drastically reduced visibility it makes them the liability and therefore should automatically assign blame to them.

[AMLinington]

Public Service announcement for everyone who doesn't know how to turn their foggies on:

 

1) RTFM.

 

2) Front fog lights are controlled by a dial, switch, button or pull out dial/lever with this symbol:

 

It may be green. In my 05 Ford Focus Zetec I turn the front foggies on by pulling the headlight dial out once. When you turn the dial to turn your headlights off the dial pops back in so you can't accidently leave them on.

 

In my old 2001 Vectra it was a separate button with the symbol below the headlight dial.

 

3) Rear Fog lights are controlled by a dial, switch, button or pull out dial/lever with this symbol:

It may be orange or red.

 

In my 05 Ford Focus these are turned on by pulling the headlight dial out twice to the second position. This means it IS possible in a focus to have the front fogs on without the rear (mostly because it IS blinding to people behind you if rear visibility isn't terrible)

 

In my old 2001 Vectra this was a separate button next to the front fogs.

 

Note how the front fog light symbol shows 'dipped' beam and the rear shows straight.

 

4) Let me google that for you

Edited March 14, 2014 by AMLinington

[BassTech]

If you don't know how & when to use fog lights, then you shouldn't be driving!

They're actually not "FOG lights" they are poor visibility lights. If someone got asked on their test "When should you use the fog lights?" The answer is "in poor visibility" - not "fog"

 

I saw someone driving with their full-beams on yesterday, and the fog wasn't even bad! Nearly blinded me..

[creese]

They're actually not "FOG lights" they are poor visibility lights. If someone got asked on their test "When should you use the fog lights?" The answer is "in poor visibility" - not "fog"

 

 

https://www.gov.uk/driving-adverse-weather-conditions-226-to-237/overview-226

 

226

 

You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 236). Law RVLR regs 25 & 27

[BassTech]

https://www.gov.uk/driving-adverse-weather-conditions-226-to-237/overview-226

 

226

 

You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 236). Law RVLR regs 25 & 27

 

I know they are actually called fog lights - I meant that they can and should be used when visibility is poor - not just when foggy

[AMLinington]

If you don't know how & when to use fog lights, then you shouldn't be driving!

They're actually not "FOG lights" they are poor visibility lights. If someone got asked on their test "When should you use the fog lights?" The answer is "in poor visibility" - not "fog"

 

I saw someone driving with their full-beams on yesterday, and the fog wasn't even bad! Nearly blinded me..

 

Indeed. I find my front 'poor visibility lights' particularly helpful in really foul, driving rain and if I can barely see the tail lights of the car in front of me then it is pretty certain I should have my rear visibility light on. Heavy rain is just as legitimate a reason as fog or thick mist. I get really annoyed when someone behind me has their high beam on - it's blinding in the rear view. Sometimes I wish I could reflect it back at them to give them a taste of their own medicine.

 

Or get one of those LED panels with 'TURN YOUR F-ING LIGHTS DOWN MORON' scrolling across my back windscreen lol

[Tesla]

dont even get me started with full beam drivers...

[JJonas]

If its foggy enough I put my fog lights on but I make a point of turning them off if I have a vehicle immediately behind me or in front of me.

[Trapper]

.......... Edited March 14, 2014 by Trapper

[Trapper]

dont even get me started with full beam drivers...

 

Now this drives my wife mad, but I did learn to drive in the country with exceptionally bad, if non-existent street lighting.

 

You were taught to stick your full beams on and quickly turn them off when you see a car coming. If you've been doing that for most of your driving career, it's difficult to get out of the habit. Especially on poorly lit side roads.

[CAM]

Err that's how you are supposed to drive with full beams. If road is clear and unlit, full beam on. If road is lit or car is in front of you travelling in any direction, full beams off. Normally you can use their full beam to tell when they are coming round a corner.

 

As for motorways and dual carriageways, never use full beam as it is harder to see traffic coming the other way due to barriers.

[AMLinington]

Err that's how you are supposed to drive with full beams. If road is clear and unlit, full beam on. If road is lit or car is in front of you travelling in any direction, full beams off. Normally you can use their full beam to tell when they are coming round a corner.

 

As for motorways and dual carriageways, never use full beam as it is harder to see traffic coming the other way due to barriers.

 

Precisely this ^

[Tesla]

the cars witgh their full beams on when sat behind you generally tend to be right up your arse too (so to speak)

[ZeroHour]

As for motorways and dual carriageways, never use full beam as it is harder to see traffic coming the other way due to barriers.

 

I use them on all unlit roads when the road is clear, I have never had an issue turning full beam off in time but most of the time the roads are not clear long enough to turn them on.

[sonofsanta]

the cars witgh their full beams on when sat behind you generally tend to be right up your arse too (so to speak)

 

Up your backside is never a great place to be, but with full beams on it's sometimes the lesser of two evils, as their beams aren't high enough in your rearview to blind you.

 

Of course, the correct answer is actually "far enough away with correct lighting" but I've given up hope on my fellow drivers.

 

Lincolnshire roads are almost all unlit - they've actually been taking cats eyes out these last couple of years, and I have no idea why they would pay to make the roads actively worse - so being blinded by main beam is a guarantee if you're driving at night.