Fogs in daylight

GM228

Something which has always bugged me, when using your front fog lights in daytime fog do you use dipped + fogs or sidelights + fogs?

You always hear use your fogs during fog etc, but I don't think there is anything specific as to what to use them in conjunction with?

GM228

cantdecide

Dips and fogs makes the most sense. There are no circumstances where you shouldn't use your dips for extra visibility even in normal conditions but front fogs on foggy days just gives you that little extra again.

QuinDixie

cantdecide wrote: »

Dips and fogs makes the most sense. There are no circumstances where you shouldn't use your dips for extra visibility even in normal conditions but front fogs on foggy days just gives you that little extra again.

They are fog lights. They are not for everyday use like many drivers believe.
The reality is most drivers who use them constantly know so little about cars that they don't know how to turn them off.

GM228

QuinDixie wrote: »

They are fog lights. They are not for everyday use like many drivers believe.
The reality is most drivers who use them constantly know so little about cars that they don't know how to turn them off.

I know that and I did say when driving in fog, I'm just curious if there is anything specific i.e with dips or sides?

I think people seem to think leaving on the fogs is cool, little do they realise how dazzling they can be-mind you they should because there's enough other cars passing them doing the same thing!

Another annoyance is people leaving on there rear fog when you are close behind them, the rear fogs can be extremely harsh on the eye if your following for some distance.

GM228

Bongalongherb

I have one back fog-light from standard manufacturer of my car in Ireland. Blinding folk oncoming with front fog-lights is a pain in the arse. If it is really foggy in the dark I'd use my hazard lights always and the back fog-light so the driver behind me has a clear picture of distance from me. Driving up through St Margaret's back-road in the dark is enjoyable until a dope has his/her front fog lights on and full beams.

icjzfmq7ewon1t

I don't find front fogs blinding but I agree that rear ones are very hard on the eyes

GM228

Leia Dead Baby wrote: »

I don't find front fogs blinding but I agree that rear ones are very hard on the eyes

Some front fogs can be very blinding whilst others arn't, depends on the model and possibly the bulbs used.

GM228

LordSutch

cantdecide wrote: »

Dips and fogs makes the most sense. There are no circumstances where you shouldn't use your dips for extra visibility even in normal conditions but front fogson foggy days just gives you that little extra again.

Front fogs on foggy days = Yes.
...rear fogs too.

Bongalongherb

Driving on back-roads with no lighting and only cats-eye's and then been hit by front fogs and high beams can be a nasty one unless you know the road well. Strange though as I thought using front fog-lights in Ireland was not allowed, but folk still use them at the most inappropriate weather condition state.

icjzfmq7ewon1t

I must be lucky so I never meet the blinding ones ☺

GM228

Bongalongherb wrote: »

Driving on back-roads with no lighting and only cats-eye's and then front fogs and high beams can be a nasty one unless you know the road well. Strange though as I thought using front fog-lights in Ireland was not allowed, but folk still use them at the most inappropriate weather condition state.

You are correct, using fogs when it isn't foggy is illegal!

Is it enforced though?

GM228

challengemaster

There's no reason you should ever be driving with just side lights on tbh. If you reckon conditions warrant lights on, turn your dips on.

Front and rear fogs are designed to do two different things - front fogs are meant to be used in heavy fog, rain, or snow (aka adverse conditions) to help the driver see the edges of the road close to the car. By being placed low and aimed straight / down, they don't reflect off the fog the same way that dips or full beam does.

There is no reason anyone should be blinded by front fogs being on (provided they're aimed properly), they're not that bright.

Rear fogs are just very intense bright lights to cut through some of the fog and alert other road users where your car is.

Bongalongherb

These folk that use both full beams and fog-lights on a crisp clear cats-eye night road are only looking out for themselves to see the road better for them personally with absolutely no consideration for other drivers. They shouldn't be driving in the first place if they do not know the basics and road theory. Their license needs to be queried.

highlydebased

GM228 wrote:

Is it enforced though?

My old man was pulled in by the Gardai once and told off for having the front fogs on. Summers night. I haven't let him forget about it!

Bongalongherb

challengemaster wrote: »

There's no reason you should ever be driving with just side lights on tbh. If you reckon conditions warrant lights on, turn your dips on.

Front and rear fogs are designed to do two different things - front fogs are meant to be used in heavy fog, rain, or snow (aka adverse conditions) to help the driver see the edges of the road close to the car. By being placed low and aimed straight / down, they don't reflect off the fog the same way that dips or full beam does.

There is no reason anyone should be blinded by front fogs being on (provided they're aimed properly), they're not that bright.

Rear fogs are just very intense bright lights to cut through some of the fog and alert other road users where your car is.

If that's for me, then I will say that driving in very heavy fog, my back fog light is on but I also use my hazard lights as well to allow other drivers to see me more clearly, but I would only use the hazards in very heavy fog.

Obviously my main lights would be on also, not just side lights.

cantdecide

I accept that front fogs are a no no in clear condition but front fogs on other cars don't attract my attention at all. In fact a lot of older cars have front fogs integrated into the head lamp units and I bet most of those aggrieved about them would be unaware of them at all. They simply light up the ground in front of your car.

From a learner's point of view, the advice I always give is don't be looking at the other cars' lights due to target fixation. Ustilise every other point of reference to determine your road position and obstacles because if you can see through dipped headlamps, you have better eyesight than I.

LordSutch wrote: »

Front fogs on foggy days = Yes.
...rear fogs too.

OP asked about fronts. Didn't want to state the obvious.

MascotDec85

Dipped headlights and fogs without question.

My daytime running lights are brighter than my sidelights. When driving sidelights are ultimately useless, if you need lights on, put your dipped lights on.

Bongalongherb

Everyone to their own by the looks of it. If we all done the same we would be just programmed automated robots. Just turn the fecking beams and fog-lights off on a clear dark night with no Fog and happy days. Pretty please.

Every time I am blinded by the light of a mechanical god on a clear twilight and dark night this music plays in my head with wonder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzShipIYpOw

J_R

challengemaster wrote: »

There's no reason you should ever be driving with just side lights on tbh. If you reckon conditions warrant lights on, turn your dips on.

Front and rear fogs are designed to do two different things - front fogs are meant to be used in heavy fog, rain, or snow (aka adverse conditions) to help the driver see the edges of the road close to the car. By being placed low and aimed straight / down, they don't reflect off the fog the same way that dips or full beam does.

There is no reason anyone should be blinded by front fogs being on (provided they're aimed properly), they're not that bright.

Rear fogs are just very intense bright lights to cut through some of the fog and alert other road users where your car is.

+1. At last, a sane man.

Properly adjusted fog lamps WILL NOT dazzle oncoming traffic.

The vast majority of motorists do not appear to understand how fog lamps work. They appear to lump spot and fog lamps together, but they are completely different. Spot lamps throw a round beam of light, fog lamps throw a flat beam of light along the ground, no upward light whatsoever. If they did, then they would be useless in fog as the upward light would be reflected back by the fog.

If anyone is dazzled by a fog lamp then either the lamps are maladjusted or their eyesight/ spectacles need checking.

GM228

J_R wrote: »

+1. At last, a sane man.

Properly adjusted fog lamps WILL NOT dazzle oncoming traffic.

The vast majority of motorists do not appear to understand how fog lamps work. They appear to lump spot and fog lamps together, but they are completely different. Spot lamps throw a round beam of light, fog lamps throw a flat beam of light along the ground, no upward light whatsoever. If they did, then they would be useless in fog as the upward light would be reflected back by the fog.

If anyone is dazzled by a fog lamp then either the lamps are maladjusted or their eyesight/ spectacles need checking.

Unfortunately a lot of fogs arn't adjusted properly and unlike the main lights their alignment is not checked by the NCT AFAIK.

Also a lot of the "cool" people who use them 24/7 upgrade/replace the bulbs with types which are a different colour/wattage or variant which changes the lighting parameters, then there's the problem with cars which have hit kerbs (and slightly bent the bumper) or other things, lowered suspension or a heavy load in the boot all changing the beam direction. Don't get me wrong I have also seen plenty of dipped headlights dazzling for similar reasons.

I have perfect 20/20 vision but yet I do often see dazzling front fogs, but also you need to remember that different people will have different sensitivities to light aswell.

GM228

Mycroft H

Clearly no one has met the K11 Micra with the fog lights that would sear your retinas.

QuinDixie

GM228 wrote: »

I know that and I did say when driving in fog, I'm just curious if there is anything specific i.e with dips or sides?

I think people seem to think leaving on the fogs is cool, little do they realise how dazzling they can be-mind you they should because there's enough other cars passing them doing the same thing!

Another annoyance is people leaving on there rear fog when you are close behind them, the rear fogs can be extremely harsh on the eye if your following for some distance.

GM228

in foggy conditions, if you use your front fog lights it is best not to than put on your main beams too.

Del2005

QuinDixie wrote: »

in foggy conditions, if you use your front fog lights it is best not to than put on your main beams too.

Main beams will create a huge glare in front of you and you'll not see any of the road, dipped beams and slow down.

BoatMad

Bongalongherb wrote: »

Driving on back-roads with no lighting and only cats-eye's and then been hit by front fogs and high beams can be a nasty one unless you know the road well. Strange though as I thought using front fog-lights in Ireland was not allowed, but folk still use them at the most inappropriate weather condition state.

there is no requirement that fogs actually cannot be on with your high beams, is this regard they are the same as " driving lamps "

whats not allowed is that the fogs then stay on when you dip. ( when there is no fog )


so you can quite literally be blinded off the road with various high beams, quite legitimately

Bongalongherb

Bongalongherb wrote: »

These folk that use both full beams and fog-lights on a crisp clear cats-eye night road are only looking out for themselves to see the road better for them personally with absolutely no consideration for other drivers. They shouldn't be driving in the first place if they do not know the basics and road theory. Their license needs to be queried.

Makes no sense whatsoever?

Unless an oncoming driver leaves their beams on when approaching you, I see no issue whatsoever with it?

I often have my full beams on when driving on a motorway at night. What odds does that make to you or anyone else? (unless as I say, you're giving out about people not reverting back to dips when another car appears).


I'd be with another poster in regards to never being blinded by fogs. With the exception of one car...

Mycroft H wrote: »

Clearly no one has met the K11 Micra with the fog lights that would sear your retinas.

Must be something up with them Micras?! Even the dipped lights blind you!? It's always a Micra that gets me. No other car's fogs seem to bother me at all.

BoatMad

BoatMad wrote: »

there is no requirement that fogs actually cannot be on with your high beams, is this regard they are the same as " driving lamps "

I never get blinded by fogs, and use them myself regularly (mostly when in housing estates, etc.) so I'm not against them.

That said, your post is wrong and misleading from a Learner's perspective. Fog lights are only allowed to be used in weather conditions such as fog and snow...

(8) Where a vehicle equipped with a fog lamp within the meaning of article 44 of these Regulations is used in a public place, such lamp shall be used only in fog or while snow is falling.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1963/si/189/made/en/print

BoatMad

Deleted User wrote: »

I never get blinded by fogs, and use them myself regularly (mostly when in housing estates, etc.) so I'm not against them.

That said, your post is wrong and misleading from a Learner's perspective. Fog lights are only allowed to be used in weather conditions such as fog and snow...





http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1963/si/189/made/en/print

indeed, the dispensation that defines fog lights is merely that they are allowed to be close to the ground

I was merely pointing out that the car can have lots of main beam lights , that will blind you if not dipped.

Bongalongherb

Deleted User wrote: »

Makes no sense whatsoever?

Unless an oncoming driver leaves their beams on when approaching you, I see no issue whatsoever with it?

I often have my full beams on when driving on a motorway at night. What odds does that make to you or anyone else? (unless as I say, you're giving out about people not reverting back to dips when another car appears).


I'd be with another poster in regards to never being blinded by fogs. With the exception of one car...





Must be something up with them Micras?! Even the dipped lights blind you!? It's always a Micra that gets me. No other car's fogs seem to bother me at all.

They do it too many times on back-roads of which I normally drive. I drive around the motorways I don't use them. Full beams and fog lights blasting on a clear clear night, no fog no rain no snow.

BoatMad

Bongalongherb wrote: »

They do it too many times on back-roads of which I normally drive. I drive around the motorways I don't use them. Full beams and fog lights blasting on a clear clear night, no fog no rain no snow.

yes but its the full beams that are " blasting you" , the fogs in that situation are having little or no effect

Bongalongherb

BoatMad wrote: »

yes but its the full beams that are " blasting you" , the fogs in that situation are having little or no effect

The light is amplified all-told from the two fogs and the beams. Maybe the one's I see that blind the hell out of me are not adjusted correctly or they are using some home-made front fogs but I have excellent eyesight and they blind me. As I said previously, the folk I see oncoming that do this it does blind you a lot.

BoatMad

Bongalongherb wrote: »

The light is amplified all-told from the two fogs and the beams. Maybe the one's I see that blind the hell out of me are not adjusted correctly or they are using some home-made front fogs but I have excellent eyesight and they blind me. As I said previously, the folk I see oncoming that do this it does blind you a lot.

given I live in a rural location and drive the back roads, I can certainly attest m that its the bloody full beams that blind me, not the fogs.


The simplest situation should be that fogs should switch off on main beam activation , since the two are really mutually exclusive

Bongalongherb

The only other thing I can assume is that these folk with full beams and full fogs on a clear nice night is that they don't really care about other drivers/road-users once they can light up the whole road in front of them. Maybe they are afraid to turn down the hi beams and turn off their front fogs incase they can't see the road or cats eyes ?. That's the impression I'm getting.

LordSutch

Early this morning; Ford Fiesta with one Mum in the front and three kids in the back, with side lights & (front fogs turned on). The obvious result being that the fogs were pointing upwards, at enough of an angle to dazzle oncoming traffic...

It's a very common occurrence on Irish roads, and for some unknown reason its always the same scenario. The driver turns on the side lights (little bulbs) and then deliberately bypasses the Dipped Headlights, in favour of the Front Fog lights

I'd love to confront one of these drivers and just ask "WHY?

PS: I have tried this out myself to see what the advantage might be, and I found that the Dipped Beams are far superior to the Front Fogs. The dipped beams light up the road way ahead in front of the car, as they are designed to do, while the front fogs only penetrate a short distance in front of the car, (unless of course the car has some weight at the back), in which case the fogs will " kick up" and shine up from the road > and into oncoming traffic.

Staph

Double post

Staph

LordSutch wrote: »

It's a very common occurrence on Irish roads, and for some unknown reason its always the same scenario. The driver turns on the side lights (little bulbs) and then deliberately bypasses the Dipped Headlights, in favour of the Front Fog lights

I'd love to confront one of these drivers and just ask "WHY?

Most likely that their headlight bulbs are blown and they haven't bothered to replace them! So they turn on the front fogs....****.

pbthevet

I drive a 151 Mitsubishi outlander

When you turn it on the fogs are on automatically. Cant turn off.

To turn off you have to turn on normal lights and then if u want fogs on press the fog light switch.

Are these fogs or not tho. They in same place. Never checked to see if 2 bulbs down there

GM228

pbthevet wrote: »

I drive a 151 Mitsubishi outlander

When you turn it on the fogs are on automatically. Cant turn off.

To turn off you have to turn on normal lights and then if u want fogs on press the fog light switch.

Are these fogs or not tho. They in same place. Never checked to see if 2 bulbs down there

They are auto driving lamps/integrated DRLs on the Outlanders AFAIK.

GM228

Shermanator

what I find worse than leaving the fogs on is the people who go out at night or early in the morning and have only their daytime running lights on. a lot of them don't seam to realise that they don't have any rear lights on. Came across one of these recently in heavy rain and nearly ran up her ass.

jelutong

Fog lights are the the most useless piece of equipment ever fitted to a car,apart for the ones the older Micras ones of course.

GM228

jelutong wrote: »

Fog lights are the the most useless piece of equipment ever fitted to a car,apart for the ones the older Micras ones of course.

I do agree (fronts) as I don't think they give any real benefit to drivers and don't really provide an extra lighting, rears however are a different story are very important!

Funny how rears are mandatory (except on an import mind you), but fronts are optional.

GM228

I can't tell you why

challengemaster wrote: »

There is no reason anyone should be blinded by front fogs being on (provided they're aimed properly), they're not that bright.

All good, except for this bit. Straight out as opposed to dipped means the light is more likely to shine up that little bit too. The intense light you referred to in the rear is just as intense in the front except without a red filter.

People find front fog lights "blinding". Don't dismiss the opinions of several posters on this thread.

Some people will be more photo-sensitive then others. Those who wear glasses find light at night more difficult to deal with. Then of course people will fit bulbs to their cars that are illegally bright and available in all good autofactors.

I can't tell you why

pbthevet wrote: »

I drive a 151 Mitsubishi outlander

When you turn it on the fogs are on automatically. Cant turn off.

To turn off you have to turn on normal lights and then if u want fogs on press the fog light switch.

Are these fogs or not tho. They in same place. Never checked to see if 2 bulbs down there

In a 151 they are probably daytime running lights. If the fog light symbol show on the dash, they are fog lights. If not they are daytime running lights.

GM228

I can't tell you why wrote: »

In a 151 they are probably daytime running lights. If the fog light symbol show on the dash, they are fog lights. If not they are daytime running lights.

They are intigrated DRLs.

GM228

I can't tell you why

J_R wrote: »

+1. At last, a sane man.

Properly adjusted fog lamps WILL NOT dazzle oncoming traffic.

The vast majority of motorists do not appear to understand how fog lamps work. They appear to lump spot and fog lamps together, but they are completely different. Spot lamps throw a round beam of light, fog lamps throw a flat beam of light along the ground, no upward light whatsoever. If they did, then they would be useless in fog as the upward light would be reflected back by the fog.

If anyone is dazzled by a fog lamp then either the lamps are maladjusted or their eyesight/ spectacles need checking.

If no light was dispersing up, then you would not actually see that they were on. Some light disperses up. This is simple logic and fact.

This additional light / any light will reduce the ability of a person to see the road ahead. When this extra light is defused by the fog, that is ok. But when it is not, it will simply be an annoyance, reducing the ability of a driver to see past the oncoming car with extra lights. Photo-sensitivity is not part of the

I can't tell you why

GM228 wrote: »

They are intigrated DRLs!

GM228

DRL = Daytime Running Lights.

GM228

I can't tell you why wrote: »

Less of the !
That is pretty much what I said, DRL = Daytime Running Lights.
I used probably. You used AFAIK.
I also explain to any reader how to tell the difference, by looking for the fog-light symbol on the display.

Apologies and point taken. Exclamation removed! I had an idea they were (hence AFAIK) and then got confirmation they are DRLs so meant it as a confirmation.

GM228