Some cars kinda do just that. My last car (Stilo Abarth) would reduce the power of your main beam when the fog lights were switched on. It was quite effective as well. And I agree with the opinion that it is predominantly young chavs who are using the old sidelight/fog light combo. The little car sluts must love it or something. :confused:

I disagree with some of the above.

I work on a military base and when approaching the guard post you are to turn lights off and approach with side lights. This is a good security measure so the occupants can be seen, and the guard isn't dazzled for mins after the car has passed. This is one instance where driving on sidelights is OK but this won't apply to the vast majority.

To maybe solve this issue, have the car turn full lights on if the speed is above 15mph, this should remove the ability to drive everywhere with them on.

Sidelights for parked unattended vehicles is a good idea.

Fog lights should only be on with headlights IMO. Lets face it, if its foggy and you need light on the road, then headlights are there for providing light, and its to be seen as much as to see.

If headlights are causing too much glare then sidelights are no use, so foglights only should be an option, and if this is selected when its not foggy a fine should be issued for improper use.

On some cars (I've driven) when you put main beam on the fogs are turned off, they come back on again when main beam is turned off again.

IMHO if it's foggy enough to actually need front fog lights on, you can see better with just the side lights and fog lights on (no dipped beam on).

However i have only ever needed to use front fog lights on a handful of occasions even when i drive over 100K PA.

Have you ever tried illuminating your main beam (ie full beam) in fog?

Yes, and in daylight fog they're very effective, because you're not dazzled by the bounceback, but the extra power and higher aim lets oncoming traffic see you from further away.

Have you ever tried illuminating your main beam (ie full beam) in fog?

I'm saying dipped beams should be available but the full beam (what I refer to as main beam ) shouldn't be available if your fogs are illuminated.

The idea of the fogs is that they are not anywhere near eye level, so when the light reflects back off the fog it doesn't reflect in to your eyes. If it's foggy enough to be using fog lights and you illuminate your main beam, you're just going to get bright white light (or a sheet of white fog) immediately in front of your eyes, which does anything but increase the amount you can see

I agree with you about FULL beam, its more of a hazard than a help in heavy fog. I think most people find this out for themselves within seconds of turning them on

Be safe - be seen... not with fog lights no, unless it's properly foggy.

To clarify I'm saying you should be able to use fogs and dipped beam simultaneously, but never use fogs and main beam simultaneously as I think the conditions required for each of those two light patterns never occur at the same time.

For the record on one occasion I've been able to see more with just fog lights and sidelights than with fog lights and dipped beam. I did have to travel at around 10mph but it got me home

To clarify I'm saying you should be able to use fogs and dipped beam simultaneously, but never use fogs and main beam simultaneously as I think the conditions required for each of those two light patterns never occur at the same time.

For the record on one occasion I've been able to see more with just fog lights and sidelights than with fog lights and dipped beam. I did have to travel at around 10mph but it got me home

I'm disagreeing because I've encountered conditions where full beam was the best choice of front light, but rear fogs were necessary, and manufacturers have a nasty habit of supplying cars with a single switch that goes "off - front fogs - front and rear fogs".

Sorry Mr Ken, I replied before I read your post. You may notice I gifted you a "thanks" as I hadn't encountered those conditions before

My Fabia only allows the rear fogs on when the front fogs are on, annoying as i normally put the rear fogs on if im driving in very very heavy rain.

With regards to use of rear fog lights, am I the only person who turns mine off once I know that the person behind is aware of my presence?

On a single carriageway i do, but if on the motorway (normally am) i leave them on.

Quite possibly. In my case I tend to stop closing when I can see the rear fog, and wouldn't swear to it that I wouldn't close in further if it suddenly vanished (but I rarely seem to finish up following people in fog).

On a single carriageway i do, but if on the motorway (normally am) i leave them on.

Forgot that exception as the person behind you changes so frequently it would just be annoying to turn it on and off all the time

In other Eu countries the laws of the road are different.

This may need checking, but when I was in southern ireland in December last year, signs and adverts on the radio were actively promoting drivers to use their fogs light when the light was dim. Nothing to do with the fog either.

With regards to use of rear fog lights, am I the only person who turns mine off once I know that the person behind is aware of my presence?

No, I do that.

As soon as someone gets close enough to see my car, i turn them off. Same as i turn off fronts (on the few occasions i use them) if i come up behind another car. THat's why i'd like the switches to be separate - there are occasions i want only fronts and other only rears.

THat's why i'd like the switches to be separate - there are occasions i want only fronts and other only rears.

My old 51 plate basic Punto had one button (not switch:confused:) for the back, and the posher ones had a button for the fronts (I didn't have them). Dunno if they worked independantly or not but I would imagine they did.

It also turned every light out when the ignition was turned off or the key came out, even side lights, which I always thought was illegal do to with parking and stuff, but there we go.

Yes, and in daylight fog they're very effective, because you're not dazzled by the bounceback, but the extra power and higher aim lets oncoming traffic see you from further away.

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this (or tried it ) - current Furby doesn't have front fogs ,non of the firms vehicles has either ,but found in a lot of conditions where you get bounceback on main beam, but dipped is not effective

Use main beams with the level control set down (to effectively set the beam angle such that the angle of reflection is such that you get the best compromise between distance and glare ).

And to those that decide that if someone is courteous enough (in front ) to turn off rear fogs -then be courteous enough to follow them so that you're lights don't dazzle them via the wing mirrors .(should be driving that way anyway,but fog/poor visibility brings out the herd instinct in a lot of drivers;))

Where I live we get fog proabably once a week min.

Fog lights on the front do Sweet FA to help visability (from my extensive experiance).

Got told by someone 'There not fog lights, there driving lights to help me see the curbs better'.

Sigh.

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this (or tried it ) - current Furby doesn't have front fogs ,non of the firms vehicles has either ,but found in a lot of conditions where you get bounceback on main beam, but dipped is not effective

Use main beams with the level control set down (to effectively set the beam angle such that the angle of reflection is such that you get the best compromise between distance and glare ).

Not sure about Fabia's but on MKI Octavia's and Superb's this only controls the dip beam.

I think you had all be ready to see alot more people driving with their fog's on, a quote from the new Skoda Ireland Octavia site

"the implemetation of the daylight function now means the new fog lights have taken over the function of obligatory daytime illumination of the vehicle from the main headlights"

With regards to use of rear fog lights, am I the only person who turns mine off once I know that the person behind is aware of my presence?

No.

My Fabia only allows the rear fogs on when the front fogs are on, annoying as i normally put the rear fogs on if im driving in very very heavy rain.

Hopefully only if there's enough spray to reduce visibility to 100m or less?

There's too many people who put them on in any sort of rain and dazzle everyone.

Fog lights should only be on with headlights IMO. Lets face it, if its foggy and you need light on the road, then headlights are there for providing light, and its to be seen as much as to see.

If headlights are causing too much glare then sidelights are no use, so foglights only should be an option, and if this is selected when its not foggy a fine should be issued for improper use.

I a few months ago drove home and had to turn off my xenons and run just on fog lights at the xenon light shining into the fog was dazzling me and i just couldnt see the road, with just fogs on (this is about 1am btw) i was able to see the road in front of me and the maximuim speed i got to was 20mph due to how thick the fog was even through it felt i was travelling about 90. That time was probably the only time ive actually needed fog lights for the fog.

I a few months ago drove home and had to turn off my xenons and run just on fog lights at the xenon light shining into the fog was dazzling me and i just couldnt see the road, with just fogs on (this is about 1am btw) i was able to see the road in front of me and the maximuim speed i got to was 20mph due to how thick the fog was even through it felt i was travelling about 90. That time was probably the only time ive actually needed fog lights for the fog.

Which is the sort of condition that foglights are designed for. Anyone who says that they're useless (rather than misused) has never really experienced nighttime fog!