carl

Picture the following:

Noticing an absence of light from the headlights, you suspect one of the bulbs is blown and try to confirm it by looking at the reflections in the bootlid of the car in front. You find a petrol station and stop, hoping that one of the lights is just covered in road salt. No such luck, it's blown. However, you have cunningly concealed in your glove box a pair of replacement headlight bulbs, so no problem. As you lift the bonnet, you notice (and recall) that you have to remove the front bit of the airbox to get to the right-hand headlight, and you haven't got a spanner with you. You are now faced with a 60 mile journey home with one headlight, and want to avoid looking like a motorbike.

Front foglights on or not? It's illegal, but not as dangerous as making people think you're a motorbike. Full-beam headlights with the level adjuster in the bottom position is not an option (the beam looks as if it's going to annoy other road users).

Guess who's just spent an hour arsing around in the pitch black trying to put a new bulb in? I remember when cars used to have a little light under the bonnet so you could see what you're doing.

[This message has been edited by carl (edited 19 December 2000).]

jjones

i take my hat off to you.

people seem to think that they can use their front fog lights in any weather simply because they believe they look "cool". Fine them £20 I say, if the visibility is good. These people take the "i'm alright jack" attitude - they don't give a stuff that instead of looking at 2*50w bulbs (i think!) I am now looking at 4. They are a pain in the ar** .

p.s. am i the only driver to extinguish his rear fog log (in foggy conditions) when somebody pulls up behind me (when the conditions allow them to see my normal lights at a reasonable distance?

Andy Tang

iTrader: (3)

Carl,

Pete @ ScoobySport showed me a trick, about the airbox thing.

If you wiggle it free from the wing, it will twist right round, and out of the way!

I changed my headlight bulbs today, and though how long it would take me, if I didn't know that!!

At least you know for next time!!

Well done mate, personally I would have impersonated a motor bike! No good seeing where you are going, but at least people can see you're a car, as your sidelight is still on.

Andy

Robertio

iTrader: (1)

Maybe I was just lucky then, I did not have to take out anything to change my headlight bulbs. Twenty minutes, and a bit of skin removal (just managed to squeeze my hand into the gap for the right headlight) when I changed mine.

ChrisB

My old Clio was a right pain to change headlight bulbs.

You needed a hand the size of a five year old and the dexterity of a rubber monkey to clip / pull / push / twist the damn bulb in or out. You always ended up loosing bits of skin too.

JJones, nope I turn mine off too.

Chris.

Stuart Knight

iTrader: (2)

JJones, me too, I guess if I can see their white headlights clearly then they don't need me to dazzle them with fogs.

SimonM

I was driving though patchy fog on the M1 the other day, and had my fog lights on (both front & rear). I was passing a police car, when I noticed the 'STOP' lights flicker on the rear of his car, and in big red letters on a digital display matrix in the back window, it flashed FOG LIGHTS OFF.

So I turned them off... for all of about two minutes, until I hit really bad fog, and had to turn them on again.

I thought the display matrix thing was pretty cool though, they must have a keyboard inside the car, and be able to type various messages. I'm getting one for my car, so next time I can reply.

SimonM

banshi

I turn them off too, but you can't plan for the muppets. Did it once, guy behind decided it wasn't foggy anymore and steamed by.. then stamped the brakes on!

But I'm more annoyed by the idiots who run with rear fogs in clear weather or drizzel.

Pbone

ChrisB

I can back you up on the skin removal when changing bulbs on Clio's. An ex-16valver. Didn't make it any easier with the bonnet in the way. Somewhere around is a white clio with skin grafts over it.

SimonM

Chris/Pbone,

I had a Clio 16v too... headlights were a pain, especialy the right hand side one (from the front). But did you ever try changing the alternator??? Took me six hours and eight layers of skin, also had to remove bonnet, headlight, front grill etc. etc.

Not very good cars to work on!

SimonM

Huxley

I say that there should be a purge on the Prats that drive round with the max power fog
lights on - fine them on the spot. That includes the prat in the silver scoob I see most mornings traveling from Farnham to B/stoke area !

It makes me so MAD :mad :mad :mad

Ps. and why is it when you flash someone to let them know that they have left the rear fog light on the think that your a road rage nutter !!! B*****ds

andymac

AFAIAC if I can't see the car in front of me because the visibility is too low (fog / rain / mist / snow, whatever) I put my rear fog lights on (no fronts, just PIAA's). If somebody then decides to drive close behind me and is p!ssed off with them being too bright then tough - if they're too bright they're too close.

If I dissapear off into a ditch, the last thing I want is some pr&t following me in there to compound the accident !

And should I ask the legal difference between fog and driving lights ?

And technically, aren't the PIAA's illegal because they're 120W each ? or can you have any number of "driving lights" so long as you don't blind anybody else. And presumable the rally cars have brighter than the 60W/55W "normal UK" headlights, so how legal are they between stages on normal UK roads rather than a closed rally stage ?

Are there special rules for this sort of thing ?

cheers
ANdy

I Stancer

Noticed the other day that the rear fogs on my my00 turn off automaticly when you switch the lights off , great idea to stop me looking a prat on a clear night , personaly I think rear fog lights at night are only right under extreme conditions , only for use when you can't see the bonnet scoop!!!!

Ian

Mick

iTrader: (1)

I remember a driving instructor telling me that the problem with inappropriate use of rear fogs was the fact that if someone is driving up close behind someone with foglights on when they pull out to overtake it may appear to other drivers behind that the car in front has jumped on his anchors! - Thus potentially causing emergency braking down the queue leading to accidents. This is why you can be fined up to £1000 for this offence.

Now to be controversial... I think that cars look good with the front fogs on! I have not noticed EVER being dazzled by front fogs on well lit roads. It used to annoy me when I could only afford to run cheap cars without fancy items such as front fog lights, bonnet scoops and alloy wheels (Who is calling who Max-Power - it is only a question of degree and how much you have to spend!!!)

So IMHO a blanket slagging off of people for using front fogs (unless you can't even see your bonnet scoop) is completely unjustified!
SSTIYPASI (So Stick That In Your Pipe And Smoke It )

Mick

schuey

Since changing to PIAA superwhites, I now also carry a spare set ( the old bulbs ) in the glove box.
Changing the pair should take no more than 10 mins, whithout any tools. As Andy said, just wiggle the air box thingy and twist it out of the way.

I also turn my fog light off if someone comes up behind me and I thought I was the only one.

Fitting of 130w driving lamps is legal as long as they are only activated by the main beam.

Interesting point about the rally cars on the road, someone must know the answer!!

Jon

carl

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by schuey:
<B>

I also turn my fog light off if someone comes up behind me and I thought I was the only one.

[/quote]

I used to do this, and then I found out that it's in contravention of the law, which is to use rear fog lights at *all* times when visibility is seriously reduced.

I read this in Tom Topper's 'Very Advanced Driving' which, although an old book, seems much better than the IAM manual (e.g. the IAM manual says that if you're overtaking near a layby watch out for cars leaving the layby, whereas Topper's book tells you what to do if they do leave the layby).

boomer

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by carl:
<B> I used to do this, and then I found out that it's in contravention of the law, which is to use rear fog lights at *all* times when visibility is seriously reduced.
[/quote]

Carl,

I find this hard to believe.

Highway code rule 94 (part 2) states You MUST NOT "use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. ..."

... it does _not_ say that you _must_ use them if visibility is seriously reduced though!

Rule 94 (part 1) says You MUST NOT "use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users".

Thus, on say a motorway in heavy fog, with traffic a sensible distance apart, it makes sense to put use your rear fog lights. However, should the traffic slow to a crawl or stop, then turning OFF your rear fog lights would help prevent dazzling drivers behind. Don't forget to turn them back on again (if necessary) when flow resumes.

Oh, and 94 part 1 also applies to REAR HIGH LEVEL BRAKE LIGHTS - so when stopped in traffic with someone immediately behind - use your hand-brake. Sadly, the drivers who should take note of this probably haven't read the higway code since they passed their driving test (if they ever passed in the first place!).

mb

Mick

iTrader: (1)

Here are some other quotes from the Highway code:

P. 65 'When driving you must:
- use your headlamps or front foglamps in poor daytime visibility (ULDR)'

P. 66 'You must not:
- switch on rear fog lamps unless visibility is seriously reduced;
- dazzle other road users with your headlamps or rear fog lights

Gary Foster

Mick

Front fog lights do dazzle me, stop using them please.

BTW does anyone know how much visibility has to be reduced to be 'seriously' reduced ? I normally put the rear fog on if I can't see at least 2 x the braking distance of my car.

This is probably totally wrong. Other people seem to put them on at the slightest hint of a wisp of mist.

Gary

ps I've never seen the need to put the front fogs on but maybe in carls case.

boomer

Mick,

which version of the highway code do you have? On mine (New Edition 1999) pages 65 and 66 talk about accidents and roadworks (rules 259 to 264) - don't tell me there is _another_ new version

Gary,

According to rule 201, "seriously reduced" is "generally when you can see for no more than 100 metres (328 feet)." Use the countdown markers approaching motorway junctions to get a feel for what this is.

mb

Mick

iTrader: (1)

Gary

Although I am not totaly against front fogs being on, I too sucumb to peer pressure and very rarely use them, but I might make a special treat for myself should I ever visit Hampshire - I will look out for you (hat, pipe & picnic blanket on parcel shelf? Scoob?)

Boomer

Caught out there! - I do have the latest version of the Highway Code, er... but I seem to have mislaid it at present

- This one seems to be copyright from 1978 (Only 35p in them days too!)

yours sheepishly

Mick

bigodino2

Hi all,

Ofcourse as a Dutchie I don't know -all- the traffic rules in the UK (allthough I visit regularly), but it seems to me that the problem of dazzling other drivers with your rear foglights is solved quite easily by removing one of them. It's allowed overhere and the benefit is that you can't mistake the one foglight for brake lights (which are two or three of them). Does your rulebook allow for such a solution?

cheers, Peter

Gary Foster

Boomer

Cheers I'll give that a go.

Mick

Cheers mate, I shall put my slippers on especially for the event . I shall be practising my holier than though attitude, and will employ random mutterings of does he think he owns the road ?

I am 25 however so I think you would be better looking out for a Scoob driven by a backwards baseball cap / puffa jacket equiped yoof.

Gary