I hate front Fog Lights

Why do so many idiots drive around all the time with front foglights on?

Whilst in the van I just look down on them and think 'stupid fool', when I had a small sports car they were often dazzling due to poor alignment when coming at me.

They are supposed to light up the few feet in front of the vehicle in extremely poor visibility, when driving at low speed. So why do fools have them on in daylight, or on a clear night when you can see miles just on dipped beam. - Should have gone to Specsavers....

The only benefit I can see is that they warn other road users that the driver either doesn't know they're on, or how to turn them off (skilled road user - not), or is one of the morons who thinks they are 'cool'.

Can we rename them 'Richard Cranium' lights?

Wait till I get home, I love a good rant about bad drivers.

matchlessman wrote:Why do so many idiots drive around all the time with front foglights on?

I think there is an element of "I've paid for them so I'm going to use them", and also the contingent that turn them on by accident and don't know how to switch them off.

The worst use of these is when it's raining, and afterwards when the roads are still wet. Because they are angled downwards, they generate a huge amount of dazzle in those conditions. If it's safe to do so, these drivers will usually get a friendly main-beam flash from me, but only if there's no chance of dazzling other innocent road users in the process.

One other oddity with fog lights is the trend to use one of them as a "turn light" when the indicators are on. I first saw this feature when I worked in Malaysia a few years ago, and my understanding is that when Proton started to import cars from there to the UK they had to disable the feature, as it was deemed to be in contravention of Construction and Use rules at the time. I'm not sure whether the rules have been changed now, or whether some manufacturers are just choosing to ignore them.

Are you sure you are not confusing these with daytime running lights, the ultra bright LED ones as fitted to new Audis, Mercs etc. Others don't have the LED ones but nevertheless have them fitted such as Skodas. They don't have any choice as regards having them on all the time, they are meant to be on.
Remember when Volvos used to have them years ago and everyone (other than Volvo owners) used to say 'look at that idiot driving round with their lights on', well now they're all at it.

Factory fitted DRL's are OK (I have those horrible LED ones on the Merc) but aftermarket ones are dreadful - they look awful and even worse the cheap ones fail in parts and look even worse. having said that, I will now proceed to fit some really naff ones to the van just to annoy people and also put some really nice blue LED's underneath so it will look really cool. Might put a spoiler on the back as well and really trash the secondhand value........

Back to fog lights....... unless the law has changed, I think it is illegal to use them when it isn't foggy (but totally legal to use really bright DRL's ) and whilst we are on the subject, what about those morons that put the rear fog light on at the slightest hint of rain and proceed to blind all following drivers for the next two hours of damp driving. Probably don't bother when conditions are really bad.


Bring back the birch, I say...... string 'em up and whip 'em (no, must not confuse the law with pleasure..... )

matchlessman wrote:Why do so many idiots drive around all the time with front foglights on?

.........

Hi there,

The most common reasons are:

1) They don't know it is illegal. and

2) The Police only enforce the laws that don't take too much trouble.

(My own personal hate are "blue lights" anywhere on a private vehicle. Again illegal.)

Enjoy!

Best regards,

Look out, look out, there's a Dutto about!

Ian, that was a gentle moan - you must be mellowing like a fine cognac (or it is dinner time )

Blue lights on HGV's - really annoying....

It might have changed but the law in Germany stated "Fog lights will only be used in fog or falling snow". And they enforced it as many a dopey british squady found out.