Rear Fog Lights (for a change)

Tropheus

I drove the M50 from Lucan to the M1 this evening and was really pi$$ed off by the number of drivers using rear fogs.

Yes there was fog, but visibility was easily above 300 meters. Driving in close moving traffic with rear fogs on is plain ignorant.

Driving the M50 isn't a pleasure at the best of times, but is compounded when you're behind someone with their rear fogs on when it's totally unnecessary.

What is it with Irish drivers a fog lights?

Midnight_EG

I was driving the Naas Road tonight, was coasting past the Green Isle Hotel when I realised it wasn't in my peripheral vision, nor could I see it from 100 yards away., i had to be directly perpendicular to it to see it!

Tropheus

Midnight_EG wrote: »

I was driving the Naas Road tonight, was coasting past the Green Isle Hotel when I realised it wasn't in my peripheral vision, nor could I see it from 100 yards away., i had to be directly perpendicular to it to see it!

So the Green Isle Hotel should have fog lights?

Seth Brundle

A fog light thread?
Run away, we're all gonn die!

Padraig Mor

:mad::mad::mad:
GGGGRRRRRRRRRR

This is bugging the **** out of me lately too. There's been lots of fog down this direction recently which of course means all the "safe" drivers turning on the eye-frazzling rear fogs (not gonna mention front fogs here!).

The retard's guide to rear fogs:
1. We don't usually get fog thick enough in this country to use them.
2. If you can see a couple of hundred metres, you don't need them.
3. If I can see you , you don't need them.
4. If I'm 10 ****ing feet behind you, you REALLY don't need them!
5. If the fog goes away, you don't need them.

Wishbone Ash

It's very annoying when drivers adopt the 'all or nothing' approach - no flexibility or initiative. I'll use rear fogs in heavy fog when traffic is very light especially in unlit rural roads. As soon as another driver approaches from behind, I switch them off.

(Contrary to popular belief, there is no legal requirement to have rear fog lights here.)

Padraig Mor wrote: »

3. If I can see you , you don't need them

But how does the 'offender' know that you have seen him/her, and, isn't it possible that you have seen them because of their fogs?

Guy:Incognito

Manufacturers need to change light stalks. Fog lights (front and rear) should be on a dash switch and nowhere near the light stalk. The fog light dash light shoudl also start flashing after about 10 mins or so. At the very least it would have people in to dealers complainign about the flashign light where they could be told a fog light isnt supposed to be permemantly on.

In 12 years of driving around Dublin (I do leave dublin sometimes aswell ) , a bit in the UK and a small bit in Germany I've had actual proper cause to use my rear fogs once that I remember.

OT but I've been noticeing people with blown break lights the last week or so. The vast majority of them across all makes and models , if one bulbs is gone it's always the left one.

neilthefunkeone

Have seen a fair few over the weekend.. but its really not that annoying.. Personally anyway..

Friend of mine has LED's on his Bimmer and when braking they are way more distracting than a rear fog...

Mitch Connor

its only ever the rear fog lights that have annoyed me. I don't mind the front ones at all - but having the rear lights on pisses me off no end.

Cionád

neilthefunkeone wrote: »

Have seen a fair few over the weekend.. but its really not that annoying.. Personally anyway..

Got to agree, front fogs at night can dazzle though and it can be hard to see the dimensions of the approaching car on country roads.

Rear fogs are not going to cause an accident so I just acknowledge the stupidity and move on.

Anan1

Cionád wrote: »

Rear fogs are not going to cause an accident so I just acknowledge the stupidity and move on.

They might well do, it's harder to see what's going on around a car with its rear fogs on at night.

Third_Echelon

This is definitely one of my pet hates as well..

Can we come up with some sort of system to warn stupid drivers of this? 3 flashes and a beep followed by a shakey fist???

copacetic

Stekelly wrote: »

Manufacturers need to change light stalks. Fog lights (front and rear) should be on a dash switch and nowhere near the light stalk. The fog light dash light shoudl also start flashing after about 10 mins or so. At the very least it would have people in to dealers complainign about the flashign light where they could be told a fog light isnt supposed to be permemantly on..

They are on the seperate dash switches on mine and light up 'warning' style cluster lights also so you can't really forget them.

I didn't really mind the few people I saw yesterday with them left on, as they had likely had actual fog to deal with during their journeys.

no1beemerfan

Third_Echelon wrote: »

This is definitely one of my pet hates as well..

Can we come up with some sort of system to warn stupid drivers of this? 3 flashes and a beep followed by a shakey fist???

I just give 'em my headlights! Coming out of Dublin last night in light fog and the amount of drivers that had their rear fogs on seriously made my blood boil. Any one who pulled in front of me with theirs on got my full headlight....and only one driver had the cop-on to turn his rear fog lights off.

Cionád

Anan1 wrote: »

They might well do, it's harder to see what's going on around a car with its rear fogs on at night.

I guess everyone is different, they don't bother me in the slightest.

Anan1

no1beemerfan wrote: »

I just give 'em my headlights! Coming out of Dublin last night in light fog and the amount of drivers that had their rear fogs on seriously made my blood boil. Any one who pulled in front of me with theirs on got my full headlight....and only one driver had the cop-on to turn his rear fog lights off.

Which brings us to the heart of the problem - anyone stupid enough to leave their fogs on is most likely too stupid to know what they're doing wrong.;)

Cionád

no1beemerfan wrote: »

I just give 'em my headlights! Coming out of Dublin last night in light fog and the amount of drivers that had their rear fogs on seriously made my blood boil. Any one who pulled in front of me with theirs on got my full headlight....and only one driver had the cop-on to turn his rear fog lights off.

Most of them probably didn't have a clue why you were flashing them.

Anan1

Cionád wrote: »

I guess everyone is different, they don't bother me in the slightest.

I don't think it's specific to me, I don't think anyone can see as much detail at night when there's a bright light shining at them.

Cionád

Anan1 wrote: »

I don't think it's specific to me, I don't think anyone can see as much detail at night when there's a bright light shining at them.

I suppose, but in the list of things that piss me off about other drivers it would be way down.
It's nowhere near as common as the no indicating/incorrect indicators, it's actually kind of refreshing to see a different type of stupidity

Thread moving from foglights to indicating is bound to get locked...

no1beemerfan

Anan1 wrote: »

Which brings us to the heart of the problem - anyone stupid enough to leave their fogs on is most likely too stupid to know what they're doing wrong.;)

Cionád wrote: »

Most of them probably didn't have a clue why you were flashing them.

Both of ye are probably 110% right unfortunately

tmcw

copacetic wrote: »

I didn't really mind the few people I saw yesterday with them left on, as they had likely had actual fog to deal with during their journeys.

This probably hits the nail on the head. I came across the midlands on the N4/M4 last night, and the fog was very thick the whole way from Longford to just at the end of the M4. At one point, I passed two cars (a Z4 behind a people carrier), about 20m between them, both with rear foglights on, happily doing about 80km/hr. Easy to see them from a good way back. There were also other cars pushing the limit, I'd reckon; being able to see whats ahead approaching at the guts of 30-40km/hr is vital. Plus, while the rear foglight can be bright, it is possible not to look directly into it, even when overtaking. I'd certainly prefer to have rear foglights shining back at me (predictable, adaptable), than someone with full headlights, or worse, a full flash or early full just as passing in the opposite direction (unpredicatable, dangerous).

Effects

Mitch Connor wrote: »

its only ever the rear fog lights that have annoyed me. I don't mind the front ones at all - but having the rear lights on pisses me off no end.

Even when you have a Nissan Micra coming towards you? They seem to have fog lights directed staight at oncoming drivers and it seems like they are always on.

Alanstrainor

We'll just have to wait a few years until automatic lights become standard on all cars. Where by the car will decide what lights are applicable to the conditions, and daylight running lights were on all the time.
I got stuck behind a couple of people yesterday with rear fogs which were quite annoying, but there really is no way of letting the other driver know, as the chances are they have no clue what lights they have on.

Riskymove

Cionád wrote: »

I guess everyone is different, they don't bother me in the slightest.

+1 I dont get this at all

and front fog lights dont dazzle me either

oh well

Absurdum

Alanstrainor wrote: »

as the chances are they have no clue what lights they have on.

this is true, I know on one of my old cars there was only a small orange light on the switch which was barely noticeable

corktina

Alanstrainor wrote: »

We'll just have to wait a few years until automatic lights become standard on all cars. Where by the car will decide what lights are applicable to the conditions, and daylight running lights were on all the time.
I got stuck behind a couple of people yesterday with rear fogs which were quite annoying, but there really is no way of letting the other driver know, as the chances are they have no clue what lights they have on.

oh no, dont even go there,What will we all post about then?

copacetic

Alanstrainor wrote: »

We'll just have to wait a few years until automatic lights become standard on all cars. Where by the car will decide what lights are applicable to the conditions, and daylight running lights were on all the time.
I got stuck behind a couple of people yesterday with rear fogs which were quite annoying, but there really is no way of letting the other driver know, as the chances are they have no clue what lights they have on.

I have auto lights, but the fogs aren't auto. The car can sense how dark it is, but not visibility. It'll be another while yet for that to come in I think. Is it available on any car yet?

congo_90

oh dear. A foglight thread rabble rabble lol. people were in fog using their lights so we slate em?

_Kaiser_

Well the fog was very thick down this way over the weekend so I used my rear fog light most of the time - it only started to thin out last night. That said on the rare occasions that I did have someone close enough to my bumper I switched it off.

(I don't have front fogs - unfortunately! - so ye can't give out to me about those! although I'm seriously thinking of buying the necessary parts on ebay and getting them installed.. nixer anyone? )

What's FAR more annnoying is the number of idiots I saw driving around with no/minimal lights on. I mean, driving a silver car in heavy fog with no lights?? Just asking for trouble imo! :mad:

corktina

clue is in the name....rear fog lights are necessary when its FOGGY (not misty but when you cant really see the road ahead of you)

Front fog lights are more or less a fashion item. Dont do any harm and might actually help a little bit when used correctly (ie when its FOGGY) but need improving with a lump hammer when used at all other times.

Cabaal

Used front and rear lights on Saturday in Kilkenny, fog was so bloody think on Saturday night I ended up missing two junctions and had to turn around and go back.

Mind you it was all backroads.

Met a few muppets
- Those with NO lights what-so-ever
- Those with no fog lights!

Fog was so bad for most of the way home that you'd be lucky to see somebody's back lights within 20feet.

Yes its an exception but it happens, anyway majority of the time idiots don't know how or when to use fog lights.

itsonlywords

ksimpson wrote: »

I drove the M50 from Lucan to the M1 this evening and was really pi$$ed off by the number of drivers using rear fogs.

Yes there was fog, but visibility was easily above 300 meters. Driving in close moving traffic with rear fogs on is plain ignorant.

Driving the M50 isn't a pleasure at the best of times, but is compounded when you're behind someone with their rear fogs on when it's totally unnecessary.

What is it with Irish drivers a fog lights?

I dothe same as another poster. I give them full head lights until they cop on. If I get the opportunity I overtake and then treat them to the same lesson. Result, 1 educted driver. works everytime. AFAIK it is an offence to have fog lights on when unnecessary.

Hagar

I hate the geniuses that install their combined side-light/brake-light bulb incorrectly so that the brake-light is always illuminated at 21w just making it just as bright as foglights. Then when they apply their brakes the side-light come on at on 5w and is invisible. Recipe for a rear-end shunt.

GTE

neilthefunkeone wrote: »

Have seen a fair few over the weekend.. but its really not that annoying.. Personally anyway..

Friend of mine has LED's on his Bimmer and when braking they are way more distracting than a rear fog...

Same with myself. Maybe I have weird eyes but only those mad LED brake lights and full beams annoy me.

Maybe at night time its different for somepeople but I still dont get annoyed about it. They are only fog lights. Too bright, have a bigger distance between you and the other car. At traffic lights of at a stop just put up with it and do what the rules of the road say about strong lights in your vision. Better safe then sorry

Its a really silly thing to get annoyed over when you see the amount of people without even parking lights on.

Wishbone Ash

Stekelly wrote: »

Manufacturers need to change light stalks.

A better idea - when fog lights are switched on, the vehicle is automatically restricted to 20kph. If the fog is thick enough to warrant fog lights, it would be impossible to go any faster anyway. The retards who use them when unwarranted would soon switch them off.

tmcw wrote: »

This probably hits the nail on the head

No it doesn't! Just because someone has met a patch of fog on a journey, it doesn't mean that the fogs have to stay on fot the rest of the trip.

Cabaal wrote: »

Met a few muppets

- Those with no fog lights!

They may have not had any. They are not a legal requirement and not all vehicles have them.

sean1141

no1beemerfan wrote: »

I just give 'em my headlights! Coming out of Dublin last night in light fog and the amount of drivers that had their rear fogs on seriously made my blood boil. Any one who pulled in front of me with theirs on got my full headlight....and only one driver had the cop-on to turn his rear fog lights off.

thats a great idea!! blind the driver in front of you so they are distracted from what they are doing and are more likely to cause an accident. i hate being stuck behind some fool who has a blinding fog light on too but blinding them back is not the answer. it it annoys you that much either pull in and let them on there way or overtake when its safe. IMO two wrongs dont make a right.

johndaman66

Inappropriate use of the rear, or front foglights somewhat tests my patience too. The irony of it is that these dip sticks probably think they are being health and safety concious while the opposite is probably the case, seen as they may well be damaging the eyesight of the occupants in the vehicle behind.

I'm very convinced that the half of them on our roads are away in a world of their own. Among my other pet hates on the road are refusing to turn on lights or assuming those side light candles cover you when it is quite clearly dark (not intendend towards all Toyota drivers but quiet often it appears they are the biggest offenders of this). Don't get me started on roundabouts, haphazardly using any lane available in a pick and mix fashion and cutting into other lanes. Not indicating or more dangerously indicating incorrectly which appears to be going on quite a lot. Where did these people get their license's? Surely they can't all be on the cowboy license's. Ok, rant over for the day!