Why Is It Illegal To Use Fog Lights?

[Timm]

I don't know why you would use them at night anyway.

[kingdeacon]

it could be worse, i got over took tonight on the a23 by someone driving with out any lights on! i flashed them loads till they turned them on, it was pitch black in a street light section but i was doing 80mph when they past me

[Pompey Gaz]

some idiot in a new civic had his on and it wasn't proper dark, i just thought he was a tit

[dead_bodys_everywhere]

Judging by "badboyts" post he is clearly illiterate, perhaps he is unable to read the Highway Code? Alternatively it may just go to prove that people that drive with their fog lights on when they are not needed are chav scum!

I personally REALLY hate it and think everyone seen doing it should suffer on the spot castration. I look forward to getting a brace of roof and bull bar lights on my truck so I can return them the favour of burning their retinas out at the flick of a switch when I see them.

Bit **** harsh perhaps ? you just refered to him as scum .

He only asked a question and posted his opinion on the matter.

People like you are the reason only the same old few post on these boards 90% of the time .

You obviously know your cars inside and out and seem to know toyotas well but really any need for the insults .

P.s yeah turn the foglights off they look pishe , remove them and make room for some cold air ducting ;)

[JappyBeast]

I love it when they have the side lights on with the fog lights...

Not.

[Captain Weirdbeard]

or maybe volvo drivers or motorbikers who think its safer to drive round all the time with lights on blinding people?

i never drive with them on, im just saying if everyone else can burn my retinas out and get away with it why cant i do it to them?

Advanced Motorcyclist here,

You can't say that about Volvo drivers and motorcyclists. There is a difference. A Volvo driver does not "think" I'll put some day time driving lights on 'coz it's safer... the car is hardwired that way for him (or her). Also, it is a car and therefore quite easy to spot and difficult to pull out in front of accidentally. The motorcyclist does not "think" it is safer either! He or she "knows" it is safer and chooses to light up during t'day, hopefully using properly adjusted diped beam(s).

A motorcycle is not easy to spot in traffic and I'm quite sure that you're old enough to have heard the old "sorry mate I didn't see you story" so think again whether this is just a frivolous thing to do.

You're suggesting retaliation if somebody dazzles you. Whether they do it intentionally or not does not come into it, you would most certainly be in the wrong if you responded as you are suggesting. The Highway code used to recommend that the safest thing is to concentrate harder on keeping your vehicle in control rather than fixate on the other driver blinding you. It helps to look at the nearside of the road until the hazard has passed. If you follow your natural instinct to "look into the light" whilst trying to make your point by blinding the other driver back you just make a bad situation potentially deadly. You might find yourself looking into the light again, this time with St Peter's voice telling you to walk into it.

[Mat-O]

Well I drive with mine on usually, as I'm 18 and think it makes me look cool. They dazzle less than main beams so I can't see a problem, in fact having them in dull weather with sidelights is far better than having main beams on dipped.

[DellaRed]

Well i had to comment on this ... Its quite funny really because it doesnt bother me when people have their fog lights on! ... especially on a cold Winters night when i dont know where they've come from (somewhere foggy maybe) and may have accidentally left them on!

On occassions when maybe i might have cleaned the interior of the car or just turned the switch a little too far and the fog lights are on accidentally ... I have had people flashing, leaving me confused because i dont know what they might have been flashing at ... is it a cop further down the road that they're warning me about? have i got my indicator on? or is it my belt hanging out the door?! is full beam on? maybe i have no lights on at all! etc etc ... then i find out that the fog lights are on ... its like whats the big deal about :S ... no worse than a massive lorry driving towards you or behind you!

Must say though, we've got a Chrysler Voyager as the family car and it does look mean with the fogs on :P ... slightest excuse to have them on and they're on ;)

[T600]

Well I drive with mine on usually, as I'm 18 and think it makes me look cool.

:rofl:

[Karma Supra]

I have had people flashing, leaving me confused because i dont know what they might have been flashing at ... is it a cop further down the road that they're warning me about? have i got my indicator on? or is it my belt hanging out the door?! is full beam on? maybe i have no lights on at all! etc etc ...

If you can’t control the most basic features of a car you shouldn’t be driving one!!!

Must say though, we've got a Chrysler Voyager as the family car and it does look mean with the fogs on :P ... slightest excuse to have them on and they're on ;)

Jinxed is correct!

Bit **** harsh perhaps ? you just refered to him as scum .

He only asked a question and posted his opinion on the matter.

People like you are the reason only the same old few post on these boards 90% of the time .

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Not you personally, but in general for all forum users :) I can assure you the response is mild compared to that given to those I see on the streets with them on ;)

You obviously know your cars inside and out and seem to know toyotas well but really any need for the insults .

I give sound technical info and help and advise, I also give abuse where it is required to keep things in balance.

The Highway code used to recommend that the safest thing is to concentrate harder on keeping your vehicle in control rather than fixate on the other driver blinding you.

It says to slow down and stop doesn’t it? Same thing I guess… It also says not to use them if visibility is good ;)

I thought most/all modern bikes/mopeds had the dipped headlights wired in to stay on Volvo style? Manufacturers aren’t allowed to rely on riders/drivers having common sense any more :(

As for driving lights, Driving lights are wired to come on with your full beam, so shouldn't make any different to oncomming drivers anyway! I see no problem at all with having the fog lights on if there is no one about - if if improves visibilty on country lanes etc...

[DellaRed]

Well in answer to Karma Supra ... Ive been driving for 25 years now and havent had an accident yet! ... so im not doing too badly !!!

I dont actually understand what point you're trying to get across to me ... :S

[Pompey Gaz]

Well I drive with mine on usually, as I'm 18 and think it makes me look cool.

:rofl:

Its not big and not clever.

My dad used his in his Zafira when he was in Scotland because he was in mountainous terrain, the roads had no lighting and there were no other cars so he used them to help him see. its like the only time i've known him to have them on..... once he got down and was driving through the village, He forgot to turn them off and the police pulled him over because of it and it wasn't till he explained why they let him off. Thing is they are there for a reason and that reason ISN'T to look good they are a safety feature

[Karma Supra]

Well in answer to Karma Supra ... Ive been driving for 25 years now and havent had an accident yet! ... so im not doing too badly !!!

How many have you caused? ;)

[DellaRed]

Well in answer to Karma Supra ... Ive been driving for 25 years now and havent had an accident yet! ... so im not doing too badly !!!

How many have you caused? ;)

hahahaha what a joker

[Jinxed]

I wish the police would just start prosecuting these people mercilessly.

[DellaRed]

I wish the police would just start prosecuting these people mercilessly.

gosh thats a little drastic, theres far worse things that happen on the road than a couple of extra lights on a car being on/ if it was full beam being on i could fully understand it... spose if its one of those things that bug you you cant help feeling strongly about it?!

[Mat-O]

I wish the police would just start prosecuting these people mercilessly.

gosh thats a little drastic, theres far worse things that happen on the road than a couple of extra lights on a car being on/ if it was full beam being on i could fully understand it... spose if its one of those things that bug you you cant help feeling strongly about it?!

Yeah, alot of people are complaining about it, but at the end of the day it doesn't really concern/affect them, and I think that in itself is more yobbish than having fog lights on.

Personally I think having trousers tucked into sports socks looks ridiculus, but it doesn't concern me what they choose to dress like, I wouldn't think less of them for it, or think they should be 'prosecuted mercilessly' for it.

[T600]

The difference being that the fashion police don't issue fixed penalty notices.

There's a reason why you're not supposed to use your fogs in clear conditions.

I'm not surprised that people feel strongly about other drivers ignoring that law just because they think it looks cool.

[Parts-King]

I once stopped at the traffice lights, in fog, with both my front and rear fog lights on. Plod pulled up alongside and we both rolled down the electric windows, "Nice to see you have your fog lights on sir" err "Thank you officer"........."Just lower your speed a little, you should be travelling less than 30mph in a 30 limit in these foggy conditions" WTF I knew he was behind me, I thought I better stick to the limit and not go too slow in case I got pulled........You cant win...lol

Kingo

[Boro Sera]

I wish the police would just start prosecuting these people mercilessly.

gosh thats a little drastic, theres far worse things that happen on the road than a couple of extra lights on a car being on/ if it was full beam being on i could fully understand it... spose if its one of those things that bug you you cant help feeling strongly about it?!

No, not too drastic, but they should go after the 'middle lane hogs' on motorways before they turn their money making attention to lights !

[JappyBeast]

They need to pull people up who do U-turns on mini-roundabouts!

[Boro Sera]

They need to pull people up who do U-turns on mini-roundabouts!

No, that's a perfectly legal manoeuvre. Annoying sometimes, but legal.

You can legally just go round and round a roundabout if you want. It's annoying, but allowable !

[Mat-O]

The difference being that the fashion police don't issue fixed penalty notices.

There's a reason why you're not supposed to use your fogs in clear conditions.

I'm not surprised that people feel strongly about other drivers ignoring that law just because they think it looks cool.

I can't see how me recieving a fixed penalty notice concerns you, it's no-ones buisiness but mine, and it will not affect anyone but me. If I was doing something like speeding I could understand people whining on the forums, as it could be you who was killed, but fog lights will do no harm to anyone (apart from getting me a penalty).

Another example; if someone was in the middle of nowhere and gets a house extension without planning permission, it wasn't affecting anyone, but you knew about it, would you go up to them and start whining and interferring?

Bottom line is; people should wind their necks in, stop interferring and mind their own buisiness.

[Captain Weirdbeard]

Soz for firing off a blank reply just before. I was laughing so much at the thought of what it was like being 18 and trying to look "cool" that I lost control of my keyboard and skidded into the kerb.

Can a moderator delete it for me please?

[Karma Supra]

I can't see how me recieving a fixed penalty notice concerns you, it's no-ones buisiness but mine, and it will not affect anyone but me. If I was doing something like speeding I could understand people whining on the forums, as it could be you who was killed, but fog lights will do no harm to anyone (apart from getting me a penalty).

Another example; if someone was in the middle of nowhere and gets a house extension without planning permission, it wasn't affecting anyone, but you knew about it, would you go up to them and start whining and interferring?

Bottom line is; people should wind their necks in, stop interferring and mind their own buisiness.

If everyone knew that they'd instantly get a fixed penalty if a cop car saw them, I am willing to bet that you would see a LOT less people driving around with them on!

I also consider it very much my business if I am being dazzled by them. Its not so bad in a built up lit area where your eyes are more adjusted to ambient light, but when you have not seen a light for miles and you suddenly get confronted by some bell end with their fogs on it is far worse! Its also considerably worse when you are sat in a low slung car with a low slung driving position, like my Supra, my old MR2s or the Porsche I sold earlier this year.