Fog Lights people!!

faceman

Ok i know all us boardsies arent offenders

What the hell was going on out on the roads today?? Remember that massive pile up on the M7? Has the nation learnt nothing?

Use fogs lights when it is foggy.
Parking lights are not your dipped lights
Dipped lights are not your full beams

Just a small quick of the wrist this morning to turn on the correct lights could save lights and save on insurance claims!

Sorry, rant over!

kluivert

Wow a complaint that people arent using fog lights.

I totally agree GF phoned me when she got to work in Dublin this morning to say that traffic had been back nearly all the way to the M1 toll bridge.

She said that the fog was bad and some people didnt even have lights on never mind fog lights.

I would class a majority of people in Ireland as bad drivers simply as.

How people can drive through a town and with no lights on amazes me. I near hit a car one night in town here because it didnt have any lights on and pulled out of a parking space.

I see the EU has made DRL Day Running Lights mandatory from 2010 or something onwards. About time.

L1011

I managed to do half a mile without them on because of my car's "anti muppet" feature where it turns them off when you turn off the engine (meaning they're off when you next turn the car on and it could be clear), this was after stoping to grab the paper... luckily it was in built up and not very foggy Tallaght and not the 5 foot visibility on the M4!

kluivert

MYOB wrote: »

I managed to do half a mile without them on because of my car's "anti muppet" feature where it turns them off when you turn off the engine (meaning they're off when you next turn the car on and it could be clear), this was after stoping to grab the paper... luckily it was in built up and not very foggy Tallaght and not the 5 foot visibility on the M4!

I think this is what faceman means, its doesnt take a second to reach over and turn them.

It becomes a habit after a while, I turn on my lights after starting the car, I just do now because its a habit and dont realise that am doing it any more.

But if its foggy something should click in a drivers head to check to see if the fog lights are on.

And I think the OP is referring to rear fogs.

niceirishfella

........and on the flip side of this.......in perfect weather and driving conditions you have the muppets out driving doing 30mph with their REAR fog lamp on.

Good Grief........i was stuck behind one of these last sunday evening. I was fit to be tied.:eek:

LostinBlanch

I agree with the op, the amount of cars I saw without lights on in this mornings fog was unbelievable.

ballooba

Yeah, the standard of education is the problem.

quarryman

I counted them while in traffic this morning passing me.

1 in 10 had no lights.
1 in 5 had fog lights but chose not to use them.

peasant

ballooba wrote: »

Yeah, the standard of education is the problem.

I'd go as far as to say that the standard of general cop-on is dreadful.

Why should you need to educate people that is just as important to be seen as it is to be able to see yourself?

I mean, seriously ...anyone with half a brain should realise at least that much without being told.

At the very latest, once you've met the first car that you could hardly see (which doesn't take long around here) is when you should check your own lights to make sure that what needs to be on is on.

Alanstrainor

My god the amount of people driving around with their parking lights on this morning was insane, and the number of people with no lights on was just stupid. And then there's the people have a a mix of parking lights and fogs on. The one day when people should have their dipped lights on and fogs 90% dont. madness i tells ya.

Padraig Mor

faceman wrote: »

Use fogs lights when it is foggy.

And turn off your rear fogs in busy traffic - unless it's extremely dense fog. Believe it or not, the person right behind you knows you're there!

High&Low

This is why having your car lights on at all times when driving during the day should become the law (irrespective of weather conditions). On my cycle into work this morning I couldn't get over the number of people with no lights on, visibility for me on my bike was only a few meters, visibility in a car is worse. What do these people think when they get into their cars and they can barely see the end of their bonnets?

Some people have the attitude (like in a previous thread on here) that lights are for seeing with, when in fact in a suburban area the vast majority of the time they are to be seen...

kona

or the people who just drive with full beams and or fog on ALL the time???
or the people who drive with full beams in fog???(you should just use your main beam)
or indeed the people who couldnt be arsed turning them on.

irish people are ignorant to feckin everything:mad:

GrumPy

I dont even know howto put my parking lights on?

At least I know the diff between dipped, full, and high beams though My car only has rear fog lights. The amount of people with fog lights on pis$es me off! Idiots driving around with them on for no reason.

E92

Sure if we all slowed down you could have reversing lights on, no lights on or anything, haven't ye all heard that the problem on roads is all those speeding drivers:rolleyes:?

faceman

Irish GrumPy wrote: »

I dont even know howto put my parking lights on?

At least I know the diff between dipped, full, and high beams though My car only has rear fog lights. The amount of people with fog lights on pis$es me off! Idiots driving around with them on for no reason.

Dipped lights in a car usually have the symbok for the light with the beams pointing down at an angle. (You often refer people referreing to these as full beams/lights!)

Parking lights are usually symoblised by 2 lights pointing away from each other. The affect of this is turning on 2 small lamps which are pretty useless. (however we still have gobsheens referring to these as dipped lights!!!!)

LuckyStar

I was on the N4 yesterday morning and not only did the car in front have no lights on, it was a silver car!!! Like at least if it was red or something it might be someways visible in fog. I always have my dips on but the fogs only go on when it's foggy.

WannaST

you have to feel sorry for buyers of some french cars, its a bit of a lottery as to what electrics work on them, unless the driver gets out and walks around the car he/she's not going to know what lights are working in the first place

i don't know how many i saw this morning that had all sorts of combination of lights on, but those that don't have any at all should be pulled over for dangerous driving.

one poor sod had it all... brake lights stuck on, fog light on, then both indicators flashed dimly as he slowed down (braking???), reverse light flashed when he stopped completely (hand-brake???) yet managed no lights on the front at all ... and it was a '05 car

antodeco

On the way to the m50 this morning, a car drove across me directly in front of me over the stillorgan dual carriageway. Fog was VERY heavy there. Luckily, I had my front fogs on and I managed to see the reflection on his car. If I had been going 60kph I wouldve smashed into him. To make things worse, as I drove past, I noticed how his rear window, and front window were completed misted up. I just dont know....

When I eventually got to the slip road for the m50 (leopardstown exit) there was a patch of very dense fog. Driving along on the left lane when Im met by the back of a old 5 series estate. No lights on. It was also a silver car. I was around 5 - 10 metres behind it before I realised it was there. Again, the woman was sat up against the window, what can only be described as trying to "see through" the fog :rolleyes:

L1011

kluivert wrote: »

I think this is what faceman means, its doesnt take a second to reach over and turn them.

It becomes a habit after a while, I turn on my lights after starting the car, I just do now because its a habit and dont realise that am doing it any more.

But if its foggy something should click in a drivers head to check to see if the fog lights are on.

And I think the OP is referring to rear fogs.

I guessed that, my point was that I was (possibly) one of the people he was complaining about.

As goes turning on the lights, because I drive a very light coloured car I leave my normal beams on all the time - as the RSA advise, anyway... so checking the lights isn't part of my automatic seatbelt/adjust fans/clutch/engine 'could do this in my sleep' procedure. Which, as this shows, has its faults at time.

Fey!

Irish GrumPy wrote: »

I dont even know howto put my parking lights on?

At least I know the diff between dipped, full, and high beams though My car only has rear fog lights. The amount of people with fog lights on pis$es me off! Idiots driving around with them on for no reason.

Aren't high and full the same??? I go by park (first click on the light switch), dipped (second click on the light switch), and high/full (pulling or pushing the light/indicator stalk, depending on the car you're in, so that the blue headlight light on the dash lights up and stays lit up).

As for the usage of lights, I met several cars this morning with no lights or just parking lights, and they couldn't be seen until they were nearly on top of you. Silver/white cars seemed to be the most difficult to see. And, as someone else pointed out, there were a lot of cars with foglights fitted but not in use, as well as the usual one eyed monstrosities (one headlight or one foglight working, and sometimes a bit of both).

Also, using main beams in the fog is a bit of a waste; you just get blinded by the light relected back at you by the fog. That's why foglights are so low to the ground...

What's with the cyclists in the fog? Met a guy on the Quincentennial Bridge last night, where there is a cycle path, cycling on the road with no lights or reflectors in a freezing for. The number of unlit/reflectored cyclists around seem to be getting bigger. Any chance of the gardai doing something about it before one of these retards gets themselves killed/paralyzed, and some poor mug in a car has to live with the cyclists stupidity?

paulksnn

I'd also like to point out that unless visibility is less than 10 feet, you can turn off your fog lights when you're stuck in city traffic and moving at 3 mph. Feel free to turn them on again if you can't see the two/three cars in front of you.

I really hate being dazzles from 5 feet away!
rant over.

Omcd

Would the muppet who was driving a dumper lorry on the N3 at Bracetown this morning at c. 80 - 100k in three car length visibility with no lights on whatsoever please check in future that he hasn't left his brain behind before he gets into his truck - also, the drivers of the 10 cars close up behind him in hope he wouldn't blindly plough into something should also evaluate their sanity...

Max_Damage

kluivert wrote: »

I see the EU has made DRL Day Running Lights mandatory from 2010 or something onwards. About time.

Similar to those seen on American-spec. cars? (Amber on the front wings, red on the rear)

Cookie_Monster

High&Low wrote: »

visibility for me on my bike was only a few meters, visibility in a car is worse.

Why would visability in a car be worse?

tinkerbell

Yep I agree with everything here. Driving in this morning was insane. In some parts it was extremely heavy fog and I was the only person driving on the N81 Tallaght Bypass and then on the M50 with my fogs on. Now I did turn the fogs off for a few mins at one point because the fog had cleared so they weren't needed but a few mins later I'd to put them back on again because the fog came back.

The M50 was particularly bad between Sandyford and Cherrywood, I couldn't even see the sign for the Kilternan exit! It was so foggy, nobody had lights on, never mind fog lights. There were a few trucks in the left lane as well with no lights on whatsoever so I just stayed in the right lane. Reason being is because I didn't even see the trucks until I was coming up beside them on the right lane coz they'd no lights on! So it was safer to be in the right lane.

People are total idiots when it comes to things like this. Turn on your damn fogs aargh!

Omcd

Max_Damage wrote: »

Similar to those seen on American-spec. cars? (Amber on the front wings, red on the rear)

IMO amber running lights on the sides of cars cause confusion - Volvo S40 have had them for years - it took me two or three near accidents almost pulling out in front of S40s that I thought were turning left to realise they were running lights and not indicators...

plenty of people speeding on the N4 earlier too
good job they didnt hit a denser bank of fog or there could have been another fatal pile up

corcaigh07

you can be sure these muppets probably turned their fog lights on after the fog had passed! sigh

pclancy

Why doesnt the road safety authority or Garda run a full page ad in all the papers suggesting the proper useage of dipped and fog lights to maybe pusha few people into actually turning them on? Parking lights are my main hate, they're like two little candles coming towards you in the night/fog/rain! Rubbish.

Biro

Padraig Mor wrote: »

And turn off your rear fogs in busy traffic - unless it's extremely dense fog. Believe it or not, the person right behind you knows you're there!

That bugs me most.
It's all very simple. In any sort of poor visibility turn on your dipped lights. That includes driving with a bright rising or setting sun to your back, so that the dazzled on coming cars can see you easier.
Front foglights are useless in daylight. They serve only to help you see in fog at night. They are no easier to see on an on-coming car that already has his dipped lights on.
Rear foglights should only be used in thick fog when you can't see anything behind you. When you can see a car reasonably clearly behind you, it's safe to assume he can see you. Turn off the bloody foglight. In Limerick there was at least a quarter mile visibility, and all cars clearly visible, but they all assumed that the foglight was vital. I could see their faces in their interior mirror from 2 seconds back, but they still assumed they needed to blind everyone with the foglight on. If these people are so quick to turn on the folglights, they should be just as quick to turn them off. If you crash into someone cause they didn't have a fog light on, you were going far far too fast for the conditions.

As an aside, to the poster criticising people with only one working foglight, a lot of cars only have one rear foglight.

nice1franko

i left my lights off this morn and drove slow. was hoping someone would rear end me and then id get a whopper claim from the fukers. i need one cos my car is banjaxed.

Zulu

Fey! wrote: »

What's with the cyclists in the fog? Met a guy on the Quincentennial Bridge last night, where there is a cycle path, cycling on the road with no lights or reflectors in a freezing for. ...

Ah stealth cyclists! I've almost run over these before.

peasant

pclancy wrote: »

Why doesnt the road safety authority or Garda run a full page ad in all the papers suggesting the proper useage of dipped and fog lights to maybe pusha few people into actually turning them on? Parking lights are my main hate, they're like two little candles coming towards you in the night/fog/rain! Rubbish.

80 euro fine and two penalty points for improper use of vehicle lighting/ vehicle not lit up according to weather conditions / circumstances.

They'd make a fortune

zilog_jones

Omcd wrote: »

IMO amber running lights on the sides of cars cause confusion - Volvo S40 have had them for years - it took me two or three near accidents almost pulling out in front of S40s that I thought were turning left to realise they were running lights and not indicators...

Those are side marker lights, not DRLs. New BMWs seem to have them too, on the front at least.

IIRC DRLs are similar if not the same as dipped beams, except you can't turn them off. Like on most Volvos and Saabs.

Cookie_Monster

nice1franko wrote: »

i left my lights off this morn and drove slow. was hoping someone would rear end me and then id get a whopper claim from the fukers. i need one cos my car is banjaxed.

WTF!!!!

Thats very responsible, that is:rolleyes:

amira

Use fog lights when it's foggy!!!

not when is not!! Can't believe that on a day like today people was not using them when it is the most common light you see on everyday, everytime when it's not foggy...

guess ppol dunno their lights!!!! :cool:

nice1franko

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

WTF!!!!

Thats very responsible, that is:rolleyes:

gotcha

only kidding.

John Mason

LostinBlanch wrote: »

I agree with the op, the amount of cars I saw without lights on in this mornings fog was unbelievable.

+1, i got the bus to work this morning (car is in the garage) and i was shocked at the amount of cars with no lights on, mainly i have say, women with kids in the back bringing them to school.

antodeco

nice1franko wrote: »

gotcha

only kidding.

I think next time you may need to put on the "sarcasm" button! :D

chump

Drove through Dublin town and through Phoenix park this morning.
I'd guess 1 in 5 cars that past me coming from Castlenock direction had NO lights on whatsoever.
I flashed the first 3 or 4, but then gave up. They just kept coming.

Funneh thing is I've been driven demented by the amount of cars during pleasant evenings in and around the city, even when it is still bright, with full lights and fog lights on.

_Kaiser_

Ah yes, the amount of clowns I saw out on the N3 this morning with NO lights on (or minimal parking lights only) was unbelievable!

Of course, the Gardai are half the problem. I passed a squad car on the way pulled in on a nice stretch of wide dual carriageway (where else! :rolleyes:) just outside Kells with the cop's arm out the window, doing his bit for the Revenue. I was very tempted to ring the local station and suggest he get off his lazy arse and pull in some of the aforementioned muppets instead, but where would it get me?!

rebel.ranter

antodeco wrote: »

To make things worse, as I drove past, I noticed how his rear window, and front window were completed misted up. I just dont know....

This drives me nuts, how can people see out of these cars??

Why oh why do people close the vents in cars?
I think there is a shocking understanding of how heater/fan/air-con controls work.

E92

Loads of people who have cars with aircon as standard will be found driving in the summer with the windows fully open. I mean I know aircon fails from time to time, but it doesn't fail that often.

Similarly in winter you see the same cars with the windows completely fogged up, looks like the aircon went on strike again:rolleyes:.....

sirpsycho

Plenty of morons out there this morning once again. How do they get driving licenses is beyond me. No fog lights on, sometimes no lights on at all. Do you people think other drivers can see infared or something! Gimps. /rant

Atomic Pineapple

just on the comment about not being able to see out, I used water to clear the frost off my car there yesterday morning and the car was clear and me goin out the gate then all of a sudden it froze up on me down the road and I almost hit a car trying to find a place to pull in, very very stupid of me and made me learn a valuable lesson, got up 15mins earlier this morning and turned on the a/c in the car and left it running, much better job.

the fog was terrible this morning again is right but i have to say everybody on there way to dundalk had there fog lights on, rear and front

kluivert

Its simple. Put the heat on inside the car, turn the little knob so thats its air is directed at the windscreen, close the vents and your windscreen will stay clear.

Another tip, leave the two side vent opened and directed towards side windows so you can see your mirrors and out the side windows ok.

Another tip, a car warms up quicker when driven, you actually do more damage to a car if its sitting for 10 mins trying to warm up.

I have seen muppets wiping the windscreen trying to clear it.

If there is not much air coming out of the vents and you find that you have to turn up the fan to two or three this means that the Pollen filter is dirty and needs to be cleaned or changed.

paulksnn

"Another tip, a car warms up quicker when driven, you actually do more damage to a car if its sitting for 10 mins trying to warm up."

Kluivert - Are you really suggesting that people drive in frozen cars where the can't see in order to save some wear on the engine??

kluivert

paulksnn wrote: »

"Another tip, a car warms up quicker when driven, you actually do more damage to a car if its sitting for 10 mins trying to warm up."

Kluivert - Are you really suggesting that people drive in frozen cars where the can't see in order to save some wear on the engine??

No dont be silly, but I was just stating that a car will warm up quicker when driven thats all.

Please do not drive a car without proper visibility.

I am suggestiong that people learn out to use the functions of a car.

You need to take the whole post in context not just that paragraph am afraid. Excuse me my syntax is not great.

I meant have the heat on in the car directed towards the windscreen which is helped by closing the vents on the dashboard.

Plus having your parking lights on and your front fogs lights on is not cool or a fashion statement, put on your lights!!!

paulksnn

I was just checking Kluivert.
It did seem out of context with all the other good advice, that's all.

Is it possible for the gardai to get out on the road and issue fines for not using your lights when it's foggy. I know (from previous posts) that it's legal, I'm just wondering what's stopping the gardai going out and pulling people in over their dangerous driving.

Has anyone ever seen it being done/heard of somone being pulled in?

Biro

If I clear the windscreen and all windows with warm water and turn on the AC towards the window straight away, then I can drive straight away without fogging up. I can't leave the car running for 10 minutes, apart from wear and tear, the thing would be robbed if I left it running outside the house!
I can't understand some people in the estate out in the morning wipers on trying to get rid of frost. One girl came out before me one morning, on with wipers, obviously no time to go into the house for water, kept a pull on the windscreen washer which was frozen, then proceeded to drive anyway while wiping vigorously, only to have to stop cause she couldn't see and have me pass her with clear windows!