Fog Lamps in Clear Vis.

is it actaully illegal to have front ones on? Bearing in mind they aren't a legal requirement, it would seem a bit steep. I quite like it anyway ;)

Yes it's illegal to have front foglights on except when it's very foggy or snow is actually falling. As the OP said, the idea is to use them only when normal headlights cause too much light to be reflected back from the fog/snow. In theory, you then use the fog lights to pick out the kerb or white line. I think they're completely useless and cause a nuisance.

Cheers

Another Dave

when you don't need them, yes. See the Highway Code

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You MUST NOT use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users. Law RVLR reg 27

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Do you quite like seeing foglights, or quite like looking like a plonker driving with them on in clear visibility?

I dont have front fog lights on my car. But seeing them on doesnt bother me and they certainly dont dazzle. Rear ones being on are much more infuriating imo

Just reading highway code. Didnt realise you dont have to have your headlights on when in a lit 30. Mate of mine got pulled for only having his sidelights on a few weeks back...

HC also says: You should use dipped headlights at night in built up areas to ensure that you can be seen. (rule 95)

MrCheerful

Barry wrote

Preparing for your driving test? ;-)

I must admit to embarrassment after I told a lady motorist to read the Highway Code when she came to a halt in a yellow 'box' junction as we were crossing the road, and she retorted that I should check mine. I did, and it turned out she was right. It is allowed provided the only vehicle blocking your way is turning right. (or something like that, errors and omissions excluded, etc).

Quite correct. On some (older) cars, such as the P6 Rovers, the lighting switch was designed to turn off the headlights if the front fog lights were switched on - it was impossible to have bother types of light on at the same time.

Well that seems to contradict the law as set out in section 93 !...

I think you'll find that it's a statement with boy racers implying that they think they have a powerful car and are ready to race anyone who wants to try it on.

Usually they drive little Saxo's and Corsa's, with loads of added plastic/fibre glass add on's, bigbore exhausts and blue LED washers/neon lights that couldn't pull the skin off a custard tart.

But hey!! they pay through the nose for there insurance, makes you wonder where they get the money for the gadgets.

Dave

Assuming they both with a mere technicality like insurance, after all they are the best..... :~(

Oh, don't forget the baseball cap - and the seismic stereo & open sunroof.

You are assuming they have insurance.........

OK, so front foglights are NOT illegal in good vis. per se, but any light which can cause dazzle or discomfort is. I have a feeling that a lot of these lights fitted by boy racer types are not foglights anyway - you see them marketed as daylight running lights, driving lights or whatever. I can't see it being enforced - the biggest cause of dazzle in daylight are flash gits in cars with HID headlamps. Not only are they far brighter than anything else (including almost all foglights) but they can't be switched off. Should never have been allowed, IMHO.

IME most Saxo / Corsa / Nova driving bods with big bodykits, neon lights and

4 inch exhaust pipes fund their stick on tat habit by selling heroin outside the local primary school and hitting grannys over the head with hammers. They don't have insurance and they always drink at least 6 pints before they get into the car.

I expect they have jobs and pay for their car exactly the same way that you pay for yours. It's just they spend a lot of money on sticking stuff to their cars. They wouldn't get very far without insurance etc. as IME the police turn up and have a look around where they congregate, and they most likely get pulled more often than people in standard cars.

I don't go to cruises or have any stick on s**te on my my car, if you're wondering.

They can't be switched off? Are you sure about that? They have to have pretty complicated self levelling systems as far as I know to avoid dazzle.

Doki ( snipped-for-privacy@SPAMMENOTspidar.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

DRLs (in the US) are similar to what we used to have as dim-dip - they're reduced brightness dip beams. (think brighter sidelights). We don't have 'em here.

Driving lights are auxiliary lights which are only to be used with main beam.

Of course they can be switched off. Trouble is, they're like front foglights

- the people who have 'em, want everybody else to know they've got 'em, so they turn 'em on at every opportunity.

Yep, HID/Xenons need auto-self-levelling *and* headlight washers to be fitted.

The HID bulbs don't like being turned on and off, and take a minute or so to warm up, so the normal arrangement is that they are wired to come on with the engine and are on the whole time the car is running. They either have a halogen mainbeam (so low beam stays on when main is selected), or a slide within the projector to switch between low and high beam patterns. There has to be a separate bulb for 'flashing' in any case. The self levellers in the lights don't seem to work too well to me, they always seem to flicker which makes the distraction even worse. They are not needed on cars with self-levelling suspension, and these seem a bit better (but at the price they are, they should be!)

They have those orange DRL things as well don't they? I'm thinking of the orange indicator type lamps I see on Lincoln Towncar limos that always seem to be on. Americans have some funny ideas.

That was an incredulous "They can't be switched off?" :P. I imagine even Volvos don't run HIDs all the time (I'm not sure I've ever seen HIDs on a Volvo come to think of it).

I wonder how many Focus C-maxen there will be in a few years with jammed up pop out headlamp washers and melted lenses :)?

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Along with fog lights, any headlamps must not be used to cause undue dazzle or discomfort to other road users. So if he daylight running lights dazzle and can't be switched off, then they're not allowed. See 25-27