Front Fog Lights - Fashon Accessory?

johnnyrotten

Whats the deal with everyone driving around nowadays with the front Fog lights on. Its like a fashion thing. Front Fogs are for FOG!

Squirrel

johnnyrotten wrote:

Whats the deal with everyone driving around nowadays with the front Fog lights on. Its like a fashion thing. Front Fogs are for FOG!

There's a difference between front fogs and spots

johnnyrotten

I did'nt mention Spots. I'm talking about FRONT FOG LIGHTS!

Squirrel

johnnyrotten wrote:

I did'nt mention Spots. I'm talking about FRONT FOG LIGHTS!

It annoys me too, but when I've talked to friends who have them on they say "I turned on the spots"

colm_mcm

yeah, but some "foglights" are "driving lights"

johnnyrotten

colm_mcm wrote:

yeah, but some "foglights" are "driving lights"

How are fog lights "driving lights"?

colm_mcm

as in manufacturers call them driving lights to get around people using them in non fog situations

johnnyrotten

colm_mcm wrote:

as in manufacturers call them driving lights to get around people using them in non fog situations

So you agree , they are fog lights?

Dr. Dre

This is almost as annoying as people who drive around with one headlight working - REPLACE THE DAMN BULB ALREADY!

C_Breeze

totally agreee with you.
Switch them off if theres no fog!!!!!!!!
I really do think they have them on as a fashion thing or to make them look cool.

if not that, they are probably one of those nerdlingers that have read to many reports that having as many lights on as you can saves 1.36 lives every 2.72 hours :rolleyes:

colm_mcm

they're about the only way to differentiate your mid-spec model from the base model. as long as they're aimed properly (most are) they're not really a problem.

Anyway C Breeze, you agreed on another thread that daylight running lights were a good thing!

C_Breeze

colm_mcm wrote:

they're about the only way to differentiate your mid-spec model from the base model. as long as they're aimed properly (most are) they're not really a problem.

Anyway C Breeze, you agreed on another thread that daylight running lights were a good thing!

i didnt agree.
i simply acknowledged you had a point before you statrted yapping onto me about old people, headrestraints and jesus-crosses.

johnnyrotten

Getting off the point people!

leeroybrown

Given the frequency with which most Irish drivers encounter fog they definitely are a fashion accessory - and quite often the car loks better with them installed. This of course does not mean that the fashion accessory needs to be turned on.

They irritate me a bit but not too much unless they're Xenon's. I've got fairly light sensitive eyes and I've never found meeting Xenon fog lamps during the day a comfortable experience.

The worst case of bad light usage I've ever seen was someone I met on the way to work one dark morning. The idiot had installed a full rally style light box with four strong beams between the headlights and was driving with all of them on in an urban area. I ended slowing down to about 1mph until he passed lest I hit something in my blinded state. If there was any way I could have caught his registration number I would have been making a call.

Cmar-Ireland

As one poster said, once properly aimed, they will not dazzle anyone. I drive with mine on during the day, and I like to see other drivers do the same. Not as a fashion statment, but for safety. granted, foglights do not throw out much light, but, say if two cars were coming towards you, the one with the 'fogs' on will be much easier to see.

Now REAR FOGS is a completely different story :mad: :mad: :mad:

johnnyrotten

Cmar-Ireland wrote:

I drive with mine on during the day, and I like to see other drivers do the same. Not as a fashion statment, but for safety. granted, foglights do not throw out much light, but, say if two cars were coming towards you, the one with the 'fogs' on will be much easier to see.

Now REAR FOGS is a completely different story :mad: :mad: :mad:

Whats wrong with dipped headlights, they are perfectly acceptable , thers no need for extra lighting

mmenarry

colm_mcm wrote:

as in manufacturers call them driving lights to get around people using them in non fog situations

Driving lights only come on with the main beam of the headlights (on with high beam, off otherwise)

That's how the guards will view it, in accordance with the "type approval" regulations.

If they can/have to be manually switched on, then they are classed as fog lights. Slightly different spread patterns between the two as well, driving lights are biased "forward", fog lights are biased "width"

Michael

zod

if you have em on auto .. no harm done

unkel

I've never understood the fuss about front fogs. As long as they are factory standard and properly adjusted, they've never bothered me

Mind, I don't use mine much

Cmar-Ireland

johnnyrotten wrote:

Whats wrong with dipped headlights, they are perfectly acceptable , thers no need for extra lighting

Nothing wrong with dipped lights, but they are more likely to dazzle oncomming traffic becasue they are aimed higher by design.

johnnyrotten

Dipped headlights don't dazzle traffic. Main headlights do

franksm

"As one poster said, once properly aimed, they will not dazzle anyone"

I think this is wrong - the foglights on the previous model Micra (the noddy-car version) are MUCH brighter than the headlights and are always always always blinding. And that's for every Micra I've seen - they must surely have come like that from the factory.

Funny how the smallest cars have the brightest and most annoying fashion-lights.

I put 16w Hella driving lamps (really) on my car - they look like fogs but are much less bright - more like markers really. Yep, fashion accessory for me because I hate when people drive around with 2 x 55w fogs

C_Breeze

what about 360W xenons??

franksm

Kerrist...
I was reading in the Daily News about farmers having their beards singed by low-flying UFOs on country lanes at night time. That was you, wasn't it ?

C_Breeze wrote:

what about 360W xenons??

C_Breeze

franksm wrote:

Kerrist...
I was reading in the Daily News about farmers having their beards singed by low-flying UFOs on country lanes at night time. That was you, wasn't it ?

HAHA, maybe.

Ah it's not that bad though, low beam is only 330W.
I got them in germany over the summer , cost a good bit.
they are excellent, especially driving down backroads at night.

strangley though, not 1 person has ever flashed me with them on! .....maybe becuase they are of a bluish tint and arent as irritating.

Big Balls

Last model Micras and the muppets that drive them are the worst when it comes to front fogs.

Spotlights my ar*e, they are all still fog lights and of course they dazzle people - I find only in the dark though. During the day I don't mind someone having fogs on but after dark they just blind oncoming drivers and there's no need for them to be on and 7/10 times I'll lash them with full beam for having them on.

fletch

I drive with dipped beams and front fogs on all the time (except if its nighttime or raining, I turn off the fogs)
Anything which makes me more visible to other road users/pedestrians I don't think is a bad thing....
Front Fogs are designed to light up the road directly in front of you so shouldn't bother people during the day

maidhc

I do a lot of my driving on regional roads, and while I find fogs mildly annoying they dont compare with:
a) Those who refuse to dip their beams
b) 4x4 drivers with lights all over the place who refuse to adjust their beams to compensate for the horsebox etc
c) People who have replaced the standard dipped lights with something else (stronger bulbs, HID lamps) thus ensuring the pattern is truly messed up
d) Tractors with no marking lights

My impression of fogs is that they just dont DO much. They dont really blind you, but if you are the driver they dont add much either. Having said that I have never got to drive a car with fog lamps in (real) fog!

BrianD3

I agree with previous posters, front fog lights are usually no big deal. There are plenty of far more annoying light related annoyances to contend with on the roads.

As for fog lights making a difference in fog - it depends on the car. Yellow fog lights as fitted to a lot of older cars seem to penetrate the fog better IME. Good fog lights generally do make a difference when picking out the ditch on country roads in fog. Even if it isn't foggy they can be good for illuminating potholes and debris on crap roads.

LordSutch

Johnny - I couldnt agree more, and what amuses me is the pure ignorance that go's with "Front Fogs", and have you noticed how many people actually turn off their Dipped headlight while turning on the Fogs! """crazy""" or what, because they obviously dont realise that the Dipped Headlight is designed for night driving and actually hits the road much better than Fogs.
(FRONT FOGS ARE NOT ANGLED DOWN & ARE NOT INTENDED AS REPLACEMENTS FOR DIPPED BEAMS) unless its foggy of course!
Thats why they are called FOG LIGHTS.

A friend of mine in the AA says that so many people are ignorant of what different lights are for, and then of course you have 'Boy racers' they have the Front Frogs on permantely "because it looks cool" like landing lights on a Jet Fighter no doubt!
How Sad is that ..................................

C_Breeze

ArthurF wrote:

Johnny - I couldnt agree more, and what amuses me is the pure ignorance that go's with "Front Fogs", and have you noticed how many people actually turn off their Dipped headlight while turning on the Fogs! """crazy""" or what, because they obviously dont realise that the Dipped Headlight is designed for night driving and actually hits the road much better than Fogs.
(FRONT FOGS ARE NOT ANGLED DOWN & ARE NOT INTENDED AS REPLACEMENTS FOR DIPPED BEAMS) unless its foggy of course!
Thats why they are called FOG LIGHTS.

A friend of mine in the AA says that so many people are ignorant of what different lights are for, and then of course you have 'Boy racers' they have the Front Frogs on permantely "because it looks cool" like landing lights on a Jet Fighter no doubt!
How Sad is that ..................................

Um excuse me but most people driving around with fog lights dont seem to be boy racers to me. - unless mercs , beemers and such are now considered boy racer cars. Infact most cars ive seen with fogs on are totally the opposite to boy racer cars.
I am what would be branded a boy racer (because im young and drive a hatchback) and i have already said i hate fogs on all the time.
and where did the whole jet fighter idea come from
-pure ignorance , its people like you that give young drivers a bad rep, by coming onto forums and spreading your crap.

colm_mcm

ArthurF wrote:

(FRONT FOGS ARE NOT ANGLED DOWN

they actually are

ArthurF wrote:

like landing lights on a Jet Fighter

wtf?

MrPudding

Why / how exactly do front fog lights make your car look cool?

MrP

colm_mcm

who said they looked cool?

fletch

colm_mcm wrote:

who said they looked cool?

I think they look cool....of course that's only my opinion and not a fact.

colm_mcm

I suppose they tell the world that you're not driving a base model! but seriously, i don't see the harm, they're not dangerous.

Calibos

The day I'm dazzled by someone elses fogs is the day I stop using them.

Xenons on the other hand should never have gotten approval. Never failed to be dazzled by an oncoming car with xenons....oh and buses, never failed to be dazzled by their higher mounted lights.

69 mustang

mmenarry wrote:

Driving lights only come on with the main beam of the headlights (on with high beam, off otherwise)
Michael

Not true they mostly come on with side lights.
Fog lights yellow
Driving lights clear
some after market ones may be fitted wrong.

I'd rather see them than not

mmenarry

69 mustang wrote:

Not true they mostly come on with side lights.
Fog lights yellow
Driving lights clear
some after market ones may be fitted wrong.

I'd rather see them than not

Driving lights (not to be confused with the "marker lights" such as volvo use), must only come on with the main beam, and extinguish on dipped.

The only other differenciator is the beam pattern.

M.

Big Balls

Calibos wrote:

The day I'm dazzled by someone elses fogs is the day I stop using them.

Xenons on the other hand should never have gotten approval. Never failed to be dazzled by an oncoming car with xenons....oh and buses, never failed to be dazzled by their higher mounted lights.

Sorry Cali - I have owned a car with xenons and they adjust accordingly unlike fogs.

On a day to day basis I would be blinded/dazzled by some idiot with fogs on in the dark (probably with dipped headlights on too!!) a lot more than xenons.

Some mad xenons like on certain BMW/Range Rovers do blind you sometimes but generally I find fogs a lot worse.

Fogs don't make a car cool, engine power does that.

Berkel

I always have em on - I think in some situations they can make you more noticeable and with the amount of idiots, eating, smoking, talking on mobiles, rooting around for a cd and messing with their radio, talking to the kids in the back, its easy for them not to see you.! :mad:

I also ride a motorcycle so it probably comes from that as I always drive with the bike lights on! :cool:

Big Balls

I don't think anyone has pointed out that it's actually a road traffic offence to have fogs on when there's no fog.

In the UK, plods pull people in over it.

franksm

Big Balls wrote:

In the UK, plods pull people in over it.

Same in the North, I've seen it happen.

Saw an eejit in the middle lane on the N4 going from Lucan direction to the M50 roundabout this morning at about 0720 - rear foglight on, in stand-still traffic. (The guy in the car behind him all was lit up like a red neon light. Some people just accept the stupidity of others)

It wasn't even foggy this morning ! A little bit of frost yes, but zero fog !

On my poll-of-muppets, it's still the noddy-cars (Micras) that have the most obnoxious front foglamps - , plus previous model Fiestas, and any Renault especially Clio, Megane, Scenic and the Laguna - although the latter's foglights aren't dazzling compared to the others.

Big Balls

franksm wrote:

it's still the noddy-cars (Micras) that have the most obnoxious front foglamps

Damn right.

LordSutch

Why is it always those fecky little Micra's that have the Front Fog's on?
(and BMW's) ................................................

johnnyrotten

fletch wrote:

I drive with dipped beams and front fogs on all the time (except if its nighttime or raining, I turn off the fogs)
Anything which makes me more visible to other road users/pedestrians I don't think is a bad thing....
Front Fogs are designed to light up the road directly in front of you so shouldn't bother people during the day

Actually Front Fog lights are designed to be used in FOG! Only!

johnnyrotten

The next time you turn on your Front Fogs have a look for a lit up symbol ( in Orange ), on your dash display, indicating a FOG light. If this is a case turn them off , Unless its Foggy of Course.

GavinPJQuinn

Front fog lights/spot lights/lamps what ever you want to call them are put on a car as a safety feature and should only be switched on during foggy conditions or when visibility is seriously reduced and legally must be switched off when conditions improve.Take it from me I work in a garage and know the rules of the road as I used to teach motorbike CBT training in the UK.
Not that this post will make any difference to all the as***les who drive round with them on during normal driving conditions.
Check out this link.
http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/21.htm#201

Please turn them off at night, especially at night because it blinds us bikers even more.Dont think this will make much difference though???????:mad:

C_Breeze

GavinPJQuinn wrote:

Front fog lights/spot lights/lamps what ever you want to call them are put on a car as a safety feature and should only be switched on during foggy conditions or when visibility is seriously reduced and legally must be switched off when conditions improve.Take it from me I work in a garage and know the rules of the road as I used to teach motorbike CBT training in the UK.
Not that this post will make any difference to all the as***les who drive round with them on during normal driving conditions.
Check out this link.
http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/21.htm#201

Please turn them off at night, especially at night because it blinds us bikers even more.Dont think this will make much difference though???????:mad:

eh ,since when was Ireland part of the UK ? ..... i didnt know we had the same rules of the road

johnnyrotten

C_Breeze wrote:

eh ,since when was Ireland part of the UK ? ..... i didnt know we had the same rules of the road

Don't be silly. The safety factor is the point here!

C_Breeze

johnnyrotten wrote:

Don't be silly. The safety factor is the point here!

thats true , i completley agree.
but what i mean is he said it was against the law , and posted link from UK - implying its agaisnt the law her in IRL also , which its not.