The psychology behind the useage of fog lights.

[silver1011]

The only cars I see with front fog lights on these days are very new and modern cars of all sizes.

Unlike older cars (as with the Volvo referenced earlier in this thread) nearly all modern cars self cancel the fog lights when dipped headlights are turned off i.e when you reach your destination.

So the vast majority of drivers out there that are incorrectly using their front fogs are making the concious decision to turn them on for each journey.

The makes the "I forgot to turn them off" excuse a little difficult if there hasn't been any sign of fog all day.

[silver1011]

I too haven't experienced fog thick enough to justify the use of my foglights (less than 100 metres of visibility) in many, many years.

However I'm prepared to stick my neck out by saying that I haven't been dazzled by front fog lights either (except one heavily laden Peugeot 406 but the dipped headlights were incorrectly aimed too).

My gripe is more with the fact that driver likely knows he or she is blatently breaking the law, not that I feel my visibility is reduced.

[slider]

Not really no. In an unlit country road where there is little to no light pollution from all those street lights it helps, IMO of course!

But believe it or not there are some other people out there - and they can and are dazzled by inappropriate and illegal use of fog lights = I sincerely hope one of these people Mr Plod and give you some penalty points as a belated Christmas present.

[slider]

There is a danger of course that many of us are seeing newer cars with low mounted DRL's and are assuming these are fog lights

[Ootohere]

LOL at One Man War against cornering fog lights!

They come into the subject of Fog Lights if they are Fog Lights. Cornering or not,

on when not required makes the same difference.

You only know they are cornering because the other car has them on, then off. then on.

If i was in Fog or Bad Visability a spotted Fog Lights or Cornering Fog lights i would not give them a second thought other than the threads on here.

Seeing them day in and day out when every other driver is managing perfectly well, with no lights because its dead clear or the use of DRL's, side lights or dipped beam, even driving with Full Beam and Dipping where required.

Then those with Fogs and Cornering Fogs stand out a mile.

Not in a good or safe way tho.

I do not even flash plonkers with Fogs on when there is normal visability,

because i drive a car with some of the most annoying DRL's/Sidelights fitted to any vehicle as standard.

The car that must be most mistaken as having Fogs or Driving lights on.

Funnily, it does not even have Fog Lights fitted.

george

[silver1011]

I do not even flash plonkers with Fogs on when there is normal visability.

For that I guess we should be grateful.

[keystonedriving]

The other question which comes to mind is why very few people actually seem to understand that front fog lights are designed to be used instead of headlights, not in addition to them. Using both together is just plain bad manners by adding to the general glare for everybody else without gaining any advantage for yourself.

With regard to having your fog lights on without knowing it, about 20 years ago we had an early Astra as a pool car. The rear fog light switch was a push button which togled it on and off with no indication inside the car. It didn't cancel when you turned the engine off, so you had no way of knowing about it unless you walked round the back then you switched your headlights on. Good thinking GM!

[slider]

I had cornering lights on a hire Cee'd recently and found the, very useful on country roads.

They utilised the DRL's not the fog lights. The very fact that they point to the inside of the corner should mitigate against dazzling other drivers.

[silver1011]

With regard to having your fog lights on without knowing it, about 20 years ago we had an early Astra as a pool car. The rear fog light switch was a push button which togled it on and off with no indication inside the car. It didn't cancel when you turned the engine off, so you had no way of knowing about it unless you walked round the back then you switched your headlights on. Good thinking GM!

There was a light in the switch but it was very dim, almost invisable.

At least on the Corsa they realised this and added an additional orange light next to the speedo.

Edited 28 December, 2012 by silver1011

[fordfan]

It's always been a requirement to have a tell tale to show when the rear fog lamps are on, it's a MOT failure if it doesn't work. It's only relatively recently where the car manufactures have engineered it so that the fog lights go out when the headlamps are switched off and do not come back on until the fog lamp switch is used again.

The Skoda Felicia will sound the lights on warning if the door is opened and the lights are turned off if the rear fog lamp switch is set to the on position, that catches a few people out.

A competent driver should know what controls they are using.

[silver1011]

I had cornering lights on a hire Cee'd recently and found the, very useful on country roads.

They utilised the DRL's not the fog lights. The very fact that they point to the inside of the corner should mitigate against dazzling other drivers.

Are you sure, the only Kia Cee'd to get DRL's is the very latest version.

On this model the DRL / foglight set up is the same as on the current Octavia, two seperate bulbs in the same housing.

The Cee'd 2 and above use a strip of LED's for the DRL's housed in the main headlight cluster.

DRL's would be of little use for cornering lights as they are aimed higher more towards the eyeline of approaching traffic.

Here is the Cee'd 1 with it's DRL's on, you can see the fog lights next to them (turned off).

This is the Cee'd 2 and above with its LED DRL's in the headlights...

Edited 28 December, 2012 by silver1011

[Ootohere]

This recent thing being said on forums about fog lights designed to be used instead of headlights,

well actually dipped lights interests me.

When we drive in real fog we know how the dipped beam are necessary

& you can not use Full beam, much like in snow.

The dipped beams are a problem, but for safety, every driver i have ever known would have dipped beam on with fog lights.

Fog lights are designed to assist the Driver to see close up and they are set low with a suitable beam spread..

the Dipped beam is really necessary for other road users, or to help them see you in this situation..

Is this belief now wrong?

Decades now that Fog Lights were fitted to cars, some cars also had Spot lights.

When did fog lights take over from Head Lights when in fog and not an addition to them?

Is this taught someplace,

is this an Advanced Driver thing or just becoming a belief among drivers?

It seems obvious that when in real fog and you are worrying about your safety,

you get off the road to a safe place or if not possible you make sure you are seen.

The last thing i would do is switch down to sidelights and fog lights and continue on my way.

Reducing the chance of other road users seeing me.

https://www.gov.uk/driving-adverse-weather-conditions-226-to-237/overview-226

george

[uma1998]

i got told by my driving instructor good friend off mine fogs and head lights together not just fogs and if you have ever driven in fog you will see you DO NEED both on

[Mr Ree]

That has bugged me for years,

now its moved on to a number of Skoda Octavia & other owners that not only want and need Fog lights on,

Be that day light and clear visability and weather or normal night time when all other drivers see perfectly well apart from being dazzled by people with greater lighting requirements.

they now need and want them set as Cornering Fogs,

& Cornering Fogs that automatically come on as they reverse.

T_W_A_T lights, 'This way and that' lights.

See themself as others see them with the 'Special lights' on.

Some just need an appointment at Specsavers.

george

Now THAT has to be in for the special 'GRUMPIEST OLD MANS POST AWARD OF THE DAY' that has!!

+1

Absolutely luv it!

[P6bJOHN]

If the fog is very thick, dipped headlights will glare back. The original idea of fog lights was to light the kerb, hence back in the day the offside extra light was a spot, the nearside a fog, main beam was often only on the offside headlight which dipped by an electromagnet. Vehicles were very slow and bullet sidelights and one fog in a Peasouper were OK. Then with the advent of catseyes, the offside spot became a fog light to light them up, as well as the n/s one the kerb, dual filament headlights became the norm. You will be seen with sides and fogs due to the brightness of the foglight, and you will not get the glareback off the dipped beam which is aimed higher. Fogs are only really needed in very thick fog as the have a very limited range, but a low wide spread. In these conditions you should be driving very slowly. They actually have a very limited use.

[Mr Ree]

No one has really answerd my original question yet. It's turned into the usual 'fog light annoyance' type theme.

WHY DO THEY DO IT?!

I agree that standing on the brakes at traffic lights is actually far more dazzling than front fog lights btw, especially with the array of high intesity extra high level brake lights being fitted to many new cars now.

Give me a ruddy headache they do, especially in stop /start traffic

I usually cover my eyes and ask a opassenger to tell me when the traffic's moving again.

Sorry, off topic, but almost worthy of another thread...again.

[Ootohere]

They do it because they get away with it.

THEY think its big and smart, or just do not think probably.

I can now only moan / complain about them as a Grumpy Old Man,

because when i was a Grumpy Young Man it was not a problem with fog lights.

then as a Grumpy Middle aged man it became prevalent

& i stupidly made sure i had Brighter lights than the D!cks to blind back the toshers, which made me a D!ck as well.

A good spot light on the rear bumper was very common for certain times which was not as a work light.

Very common for many years.

Now i just mouth off against the Pillocks.

george

[grr666]

[Mr Ree]

ROFL!

George. You are my new hero in here and in many ways, a man after me own heart!

Edited 28 December, 2012 by Mr Ree

[Ootohere]

I hope not. George is to be short for Georgina.

george

[silver1011]

No one has really answerd my original question yet. It's turned into the usual 'fog light annoyance' type theme.

WHY DO THEY DO IT?!

A fog light thread was only going to go in one direction, the same direction every other fog light thread takes, so no need to shout.

Why do they do it?

1) Because they can.

2) Because they know it annoys others.

3) Because they don't know what they are turning on.

4) Because they've forgotten to turn them off.

5) Because they provide additional light output.

6) Because they look cool.

7) Because they look like fashionable DRL's.

8) Because they don't really dazzle.

9) Because they know the chances of being pulled by the Police are very small.

The list is endless.

Edited 28 December, 2012 by silver1011

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

I think a big reason is that very few coppers bother to enforce the law regarding them. Twinned with the lack of police on the road and the extra reliance on cameras to catch everyone people get away with it they just carry on.

[Mr Ree]

I was only SHOUTING...wasn't really, merely highlighting... because of the very reason you stated, i.e, a fog light thread going in the same direction as the squillion we've had before it.

Just trying to fathom out the actual reasoning behind the illegal useage, and what actually is going on in their minds, hence the word 'phsycology' in the thread title?

I think one of the reasons you stated sums it up quite simply imo.....'cus they THINK it looks cool.

Sorry, it doesn't. Just shows them to be a knob imo.

Edited 28 December, 2012 by Mr Ree

[@Lee]

why not just do away with DRL's altogether, and just have the sidelights come on automatically when you start the car. Volvo have done it for yonks and it seems to work quite well. Why the fancy LED eyebrows :think:

[Mr Ree]

why not just do away with DRL's altogether, and just have the sidelights come on automatically when you start the car. Volvo have done it for yonks and it seems to work quite well. Why the fancy LED eyebrows :think:

Different subject, but excellent point well made. I absolutely HATE them...like George/Georgina.

Any of you lot remember back in the 80's when dimmed headlights came on when you put your sidelights on?

Didn't last long, but quite a good idea at the time