I have used my front spots/fogs on the occasional basis (mainly to avoid dodgy potholes in the awful roads around Epsom) but also cos I think the brightness of the headlights aren't great (and no, I haven't upgraded my bulbs - any suggestions??).

This morning I had them on as it was foggy when I left home and about five or six miles from home, I was pulled over by a police car who had done a u-turn after passing me on the other side. The reason he pulled me is to tell me to turn my front fogs off.

I didn't argue, and just apologised as I had genuinly forgotten to turn them off, and he let me go without further questions.

As an import (MY99 WRX), it needs to go through the SVA test and have a rear foglight put in. If they don't have rear fogs in Japan, it would make sense that they don't have front ones, so would that actually make them Driving Lights in this country? I have asked a couple of guys at work who "think" they know about cars, and they reckon that they are driving lights and then start crapping on about the difference between fogs and drivng lights is something to do with the pattern of the beam :confused:

Can anyone tell me exactly what they are classed as in this country?

Cheers,
SS.

I would say that any car built for the UK market will have Fog Lights and they tend to be a lot brighter than cars for overseas markets that have Driving Lights.
Im no expert but what ever the answer is, They are still a pain when Idiots insist on having them on 24-7 nom matter what the weather.

The CORRECT & LEGAL answer is...

If the lights are able to be switched on/off and are ON when the DIPPED BEAM is also on, then they are foglights

If the lights ONLY light up come on with the MAIN BEAM then they are driving lights (though you may have the option to switch on/off)

However, it may be that someone has done a dodgy wiring job so that the driving lights come on with the dipped, unusual & illegal as driving lights should be wired to ONLY come on with main beam.

Sounds like fogs to me...

Scoobysport & Scoobymania & TSL etc all do uprated bulbs for about £20 depending on what type you have. There is an H4 HID option @ £400 available somewhere on the net or Morettes are another common u/grade (twin lights per side).

IMHO junk the fogs & get some driving lights - more worthwhile in this country than useless fogs.

:)

The design of the lights is a clue, too.

Take a look at the reflector... if its sectioned off to scatter the beam over a short, wide area (along with shielding the bulb from being seen from the outside) then its most probably a foglight.

If it looks like a big torch :) - ie) smooth reflector and visible bulb, then its most probably a driving lamp.

There is legislation in relation to markings on the lamps, however I won't go into that on here.

One thing I forgot to mention is that without any lights (i.e. no main lights) on at all, you can switch the spots on (and the side-lights come on automatically).

Does this make any difference??

BTW, I'm not condoning the use of fogs 24-7, just interested!

Arse,

I edited too many times trying to get the f***** link to work, anyhow I thought the same as Puff .. if they come on with full beam they are driving lights, if you can get them on without full beam they are fogs ..

Try here (http://www.powerbulbs.com) for some Philips Blue Vision or Vision Plus bulbs .. don't expect miracles but they are better than the OE bulbs.

Doofus.

Hang on,lets not get confused here.

Lights which are below the bumper line are DRIVING lights,and should be switched on whenever you are DRIVING,simple as that.

Yoza,foglight terrorist #1 (BLINK BLINK)

puff you are right driving lites should only come on when main beam is selected

fog lights are for nova boys to switch on when cruising

Mine come on when main beam is selected and when I use the switch manually :confused:

I think she safe thing is never to use them (fog or otherwise)!

Driving lights should only come on when full beam is selected, whilst fog lights can be turned on dipped/normal and full beam to imitate a max muppet and annoy other drivers or in the event of some real fog.

Don't you just hate pr1cks that think it's cool to drive around with fog lights on, worst is when they do it during the day http://smilies.jeeptalk.org/cwm/cwm/sd1.gif

Most of the answers are, unfortunately, at least part misleading or incomplete;)

The Construction and Use Regulations partly dictate what lamps can be used in which areas of the car - for example, headlamps have to be a certain height from the ground (21 or 24" IIRC, which is why they are always stuck on top of the wing on low cars like the Elise).

You can have either fog or drive lamps under the bumper on an Impreza, and both are legal, in the following circumstances.

Fogs can be fitted, but can only be used in fog, falling snow etc, and either with main or dip beam. Unfortunately most modern foglamps are cosmetic and totally useless. The Impreza ones do work, but you never see them used how they should be in fog, which to work properly should be with headlamps *off* - and this is also only of use when it is dark.

The reason for this is because a true fog lamp reflector and lens is designed with a wide flat topped beam that illuminates the road under the fog, thus enabling you to see better. This is also why they don't work in conjunction with dip or main beam headlamps, because the headlamp beam hits the fog and is deflected straight back in your face:D

The wide flat beam has no opposite carriageway beam cutoff like dip beam, which is why they are so fcuking annoying to people coming the other way because they shine straight in their eyes, which is why they are an offence to use in clear conditions, and why BuRR and his mates pull you:D

If drive lamps are fitted instead, they have to be wired so they go off on dip.

Oh, and whatever bulbs you use, they are only legal in the UK if E marked;)