There have been a number of topics over time about fog lights, both front and rear, so Im not aiming to start the front fog (its probably a BMW driver......) debate again.

Just wondered which ones annoy people most?
I personally hate the fronts.

The other day I was being followed whilst driving down some unlit road driving my missus car. I wasnt going slow, its a 60 limit and thats about what I was doing, when speeding up behind me came a car (make unknown) whit its front fogs on. They were I think misaligned, cos they seemed very bright. I thought, simple just wack on and off the rear fog a few times and he will get the message. Wrong!
He ignored it, in the end I left the rear fog on cos he was giving me a headache, so I thought I will get the ******* back.

So which is worse, front or rear fogs when not required?

robski

 

Robski....BOTH - and glad to see your therapy is the same as mine (just wish the Scoob had two rear fogs....)

 

An answer, yet no an answer:
Built up areas: Rear fog light is worse, as you are stuck with these in your face at traffic lights, etc, and the streetlights reduce the perceived brightness from the from fog lights.
Open road: Front fog lights are dazzling, and if behind you very difficult to get rid of, you don't spend a lot of time sitting behind people, so rear fog lights become less on an issue.

 

I've always hankered after one of those Red Dot Matrix screens you see scrolling round in shop windows pre-programeed with "Its not ****ing foggy you Idiot" so I could hang it in the back window. Sadly I still think they wouldn't understand

I swear half the people are blisffuly unaware there is a button for foglights at all.

Dean

 

Dean !

Couldn't agree with you more mate! A programmable screen with scrolling text would be pukka! There was one advertised in the press a few years ago...

Cheers,

Jon.

PS I also agree with your comment about most people not knowing where the button is!

IMHO driving ability is not directly linked to intelligence but it must help, and when the average qualification in the UK is still 2 CSE's, GOD HELP US!

I got my two in Drama and Pottery!

 

dsmith/Mossman - the dot matrix screen - scary - also had a hankering for one!! IIRC the one advertised was limited to preprogrammed polite messages not "eff off tailgater" etc - which is why I went off the idea

 

One was available a few years ago, though it wasn't dot matrix, it was just two simple messages. "Thanks" and "Sorry". It seems to have been aimed at half of the driving population as the blurb was <I>incredibly</I> patronising

"We all occasionally drive less than perfectly, so why not apologise with this handy gadget" etc.

The dot matrix idea is great and I actually looked into the price a couple of years back. Suffice to say it's prohibitive.

A few preset messages such as:

"Is it foggy in tw@land?"
"Ta muchly"
"Get off my bum"
"Police-Stop"
"Go past, I'm not in the mood"
"You're my hero"
"Check brake lights" etc...

It'd be simple to do, but the cost of the display is quite a bit. Like 250 quid last time I looked.

 

I'd buy one!

Although for the full effect I really should have bought a DB5 to fit it to (you know the one - F & R machineguns, etc etc.)

 

I have noticed a worrying trend recently. More and more Scooby drivers are using their fog lights when not required - it is not only the beemer boys!

Peter

 

Can't see why anyone should object to the front ones (other than on pseudo grounds of "style" - I mean they are so dim anyway - having them on is only a harmless fashion statement - If they are bright they are probably driving lights - different kettle of fish)

But the bright red effers really irritate - and have you ever tried overtaking in the rain - can't see an effing thing - just this bright red glow

I know the police stop people for innappropriate front fogs - why don't they do the same for the rear ones?

Stuart?

JD

 

Chiark
StuartH has the "Police-stop" one - trouble is, he's serious....

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by chiark:
<B>A few preset messages such as:

"Is it foggy in tw@land?"
"Ta muchly"
"Get off my bum"
"Police-Stop"
"Go past, I'm not in the mood"
"You're my hero"
"Check brake lights" etc...[/quote]

We've added "<I><B>You are the weakest link.........goodbye</I></B>" to one of ours. Just haven't had the guts to use it yet!!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR><B>I know the police stop people for innappropriate front fogs - why don't they do the same for the rear ones?[/quote]

erm...... we do

 

The rear fog lamp(s) left on have got to be the worst. They can be so bright at times that it can make it tricky to see if it's safe to overtake the idiot.

Fronts coming towards you - don't particularly bother me. Just tend to think "sad bast*rd!". Fronts on behind you - well, that's what your dipping rear view mirror's for".

 

I actually got someone to switch their rear fogs off on Monday evening.

I tried switching my front fogs on and off but that did nothing. So then I high beam flashed him and then did the fog lights. After 2 attempts at this he understood and switched them off.

 

My personal hate is the REAR FOGLIGHT. They are so bright its difficult at times to see when and if the vehicle in front is braking. I dont think I have ever used mine.

Front foglights I dont mind. i occassionaly will have mine on when out on open streches of road etc BUT NEVER IN BUILT UP AREAS. I use them to add additional light especially kerb to kerb.

I certainly have no p[roblems being foolewed by a car using its foglites in conjunction with headlamps.

There is I believe a little law somewhere in the Road Traffic Act and or Construction & Use Regulations that there are differences twixt foglamps and auxilary driving lamps. As far as I remember foglamps have different lenses and shine upon the road in a very wide but shallow beam. Aux driving lamps are the other way around...long range but narrow. Yet its legal to use aux driving lamps in conjuction with headlamps but strange not with foglamps...wierd.

Anyway..pet hate..most definitely rear fog lamps.

 

There are times when the rear fog lamps are a real boon. Like when in thick fog ( - although this seems to be more of a rarity these days than it used to be) or if it's chucking it down on the motorway.

It surprises me that manufacturers don't make them such that they are automatically turned off when you turn the ignition off, a bit like the rear window demister. I know that you'll still get the idiot who turns them on because he's seen a couple of spots of rain on the windscreen, but would probably reduce the number left on accidentally.

 

Although my MY00 automatically switches off the rear foglight when you turn off the ignition, I did once (oops) spend about an hour-and-a-half with it on in clear conditions -- I'd knocked the button with my knee when I got in and only noticed when I stopped. It's a pity that the 'fog lights on' indicator isn't more obvious -- in my Saab a great orange picture of a foglight lit up in the instrument cluster. If you had the rear foglights on in that, it had to be deliberate.

I think a bit of tinkering with the pre-programmed dot-matrix signs would generate some better messages. They're probably driven by an ASCII-to-dot-matrix chip that you just have to put the right binary values in (if you've ever done digital electronics, you can drive a seven-segment LED directly by lighting up the right bits, or by using a BCD-to-7segment decoder -- probably similar for the dot-matrix).

 

Rear fogs really p1ss me off...

As for fronts, this is only ever a problem for me if said fogs are the uprated ones be it scoob or beamer or a.n.other car.. especially when you get them angled wrong so they point more forward than downward! I've been partially blinded a couple of times by front fogs whilst in clear conditions at night when travelling towards offending vehicle. otherwise, as I said, they dont bother me...

 

Front fogs on dark country roads when they are coming towards you. They dazzle much more than dipped headlights do. I assume this is because the beam pattern is very diffuse ?

I always flash these people but I've never witnessed anyone turn them off. Surely they must get peeved with people flashing them after a while ?

We have so many rating systems / MOT checks etc to make sure dipped headlights don't cause glare, then people bugger the entire thing up by putting their front foglights on whats the point of having a system if people ignore it ?

Gary

 

A few years ago, on the "Christmas Eve long drive home", i was on the M6 in semi-foggy conditions. Due to the volume of traffic, the motorway was stationary (or rather the cars were - motorways don't move).

Anyway, every single car had it's rear fog lights on (except mine) - almost bumper to bumper in all three lanes, yet bright red lights were blazing away. I almost put my sunglasses on (and it was night!) - the tarmac was nearly melting. What i couldn't understand is the fact that every car had a car in front dazzling it - yet they neveer twigged?

Proof the most drivers just ain't fit to be on the roads!

mb

 

Rears are the worst, and auto-off buttons when you turn off the ignition are a start.

I reckon the standard Scooby front fogs are less annoying than badly adjusted headlights, and often use just these with the sidelights at dusk until headlights are needed. Small high power fogs are more annoying than the big feeble Scooby ones.

On back roads in the wet, I sometimes use the front fogs to give more warning of puddles.

Bruce C

 

Rear fog lights are definitely the worst IMHO. At least with fronts, if the car is behind you, you can tilt the rear view mirror until they're gone. If they're coming towards you, they aren't in your face for that long. Following behind someone in drizzle on the motorway with their rear fogs on for miles and miles is not pleasant. Flashing never seems to work so I don't bother any more.

If think that there should be a beeping noise when your fog lights are on. Like every 5 seconds. If you are actually in fog, you should be concentrating hard enough not to notice it that much.

Also, it amazes me how many cars have the fog light buttons in such a place you can't see the light showing they are on.

Possibly it should be a points offence. When these donkies start accumulating a few points for having fogs on, they might actually start turning them off...

Jerome.

 

Im shocked how many people on here condone using fogs when its not foggy!

If you need extra visibilty use driving lights surely! If there is traffic about, you shouldnt use extra light.

"I reckon the standard Scooby front fogs are less annoying than badly adjusted headlights, and often use just these with the sidelights at dusk until headlights are needed"
Thats well out of order as far as I am concerned, why, are dipped beam lights not as good then?

I honestly wish people would get warned about things like this. If they are persistent offenders then give them a ticket.

If you need more light to see properly, you are driving too fast for the conditions.

Saying that tho, its the people who use them in town that really **** me off

robski

 

And I always thought they were called 'pathetic-amount-of-drizzle-lights' the amount of rain it takes to make someone switch them on.

BTW I'm very sad. After the recent wet weather I was so bored of getting peeved off with these guys I did my own survey for a few days on the 20 mile trek to work. This is front fogs.

Winner: Vauxhalls (Vectras in the main)
Close Second: Renaults (Lagunas mostly)
Third: Beemers of all descriptions

Biggest number of consecutive cars with foglights off two weeks after the last fog - About 40 (I have to look at the road occasionally you know! )

Note this was two weeks since I'd last seen a fogbank, and no rain for a week. Does anyone have a Vectra/Laguna - Is this a design fault or do you have bright lights shining on your dashboards?? One of my teenage cars failed an MOT once for not having an illuminated Rear Foglight switch (even though the lamps were working) but I don't think that the same regs apply to front fogs as our P-Plate Mazda only has a dash light for the rears. WHY??!?!

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh
Heart Attack looming
Joolz
<editted for spellng>

[This message has been edited by jbryant (edited 15 December 2000).]

 

Joolz Joolz Joolz.
Friday afternoon. Pub beckons. Stella Artois looms large. That golden glass is nearing. Work is nearly done.

Chill

 

I can put up with front fogs in built up areas but not in country roads. Seems to be mainly Fords, Pugs, and BMWs.

I hate rear fogs wherever.
If I have got my rear fog on, because it is fogy! and something comes up behind me, I turn it off. It does not take much brain power.

Mind you whether its front or rears a quick blasy of 400w of light usually does the trick.
If not I just leave the things on.

Jon

 

....was just going to say the same thing Jon, 460w combined light on full beam from 4 lamps usually gets the message across pretty quickly (did use it once unknowingly on a T5 motorway patrol car though... oops!!!

...time to head off in the opposite direction asap...)

Owain