[GAFlyer4Fun]

driving up the M4 last night

Which way was 'up' in the fog? Did not realise you had an AI in the car.

[Flintstone]

Yes, I had to deal with those idiots driving up the M4 last night. Not only were the fog lights dazzling and uncomfortable, they totally confused the picture about what was going on, distances, speeds, etc. Dangerous practice.

Paul, get yourself some LED light bars. I have 120W + 180W on my 4x4 and they don't half make a difference. On the back lanes I can see wayyyyy further than usual, a boon at this time of year with horny, suicidal stags throwing themselves out of the scenery.

They also let fog light (mis) users know you can see them from behind. About half a mile usually.

Just watch the first thirty seconds of the video.

[Paul_Sengupta]

"An error has occurred."

But I've seen your LED things in person, rather bright! Don't want to blind everyone else on the motorway though!

[Flintstone]

Fixxored. Fast forward to 00:16.

I don't drive around with them on ALL the time.

[Jim Jones]

I have a low slung 2 seater and a 4x4. Now is the time of year for favouring the latter. Not because of icy roads, but because the poorly adjusted headlights of on coming traffic affect the former far more.

[avtur3]

I have a low slung 2 seater and a 4x4. Now is the time of year for favouring the latter. Not because of icy roads, but because the poorly adjusted headlights of on coming traffic affect the former far more.

Not just poorly adjusted, I was out in my Triumph Spitfire a few evenings ago in traffic in front of a new Range Rover (fully equipped with LED's) it was painful I don't doubt his headlamps were correctly adjusted, just the wrong combination of vehicles.

On a broader not re LED headlights even driving a saloon car I'm noticing an increasing number of vehicle headlights can be dazzling be they behind or oncoming. I understand that many new headlamps don't have the 'angled' dipped beam cut of old but simply have a flat cut off. I'm sure they're great to drive behind but not the best for other road users. New Merc's seem to be particularly marginal for adjustment of the cut off.

[riverrock]

The flat cut off of dipped beam headlights has been on certain cars for at least 12 years, judging by the rusty Fiat Punto outside.
The differences are that cars have got higher - SUV sized - and lights have got brighter.

[PeteSpencer]

But rear fog lights only if it's *very* foggy and there's no one following you.

Don't see the logic of this: There's always going to be someone following you: In any type of fog a bright set of rear fog lights is a good guide to there being traffic ahead: What's that traffic going to do if he spots me coming up behind him in the distance?

Courteously turn his rear fogs off?

What's the point of rear fogs on if there's no-one behind?

Nah: in any reduced visibility (including heavy rain/spray), both fogs on and quit whingeing....

[GolfHotel]

But rear fog lights only if it's *very* foggy and there's no one following you.

Don't see the logic of this: There's always going to be someone following you: In any type of fog a bright set of rear fog lights is a good guide to there being traffic ahead: What's that traffic going to do if he spots me coming up behind him in the distance?

Courteously turn his rear fogs off?

What's the point of rear fogs on if there's no-one behind?

Nah: in any reduced visibility (including heavy rain/spray), both fogs on and quit whingeing....

Rear high intensity lights in heavy rain cause problems with visibility for cars behind and make it more difficult to see when brake lights come on.

The rule used to be visibility of less than a set distance before they should be turned on.

They are only intended to increase your visibility to someone coming up behind you. If they can see you fro. Several 100 yards anyway there is no upside to using them. And if they stop the driver behind noticing your brake lights the problem is obvious.

[GolfHotel]

The Highway Code says that you should only use your fog lamps when the visibility drops below 100m. If you're not sure when that is, a good rule of thumb is to work out whether you can see the tail lights of the car in front of you. If you can't, you (and they) should probably be using rear fog lamps

A quick Google gives this

[avtur3]

Courteously turn his rear fogs off?

Actually yes ... that's what I do, if visibility is really poor and I cant's see anyone behind (and gauged by what I can see in front), the rear fog goes on. Then when a following car comes into view the rear fog is turned off. So in poor conditions that means the rear fog may turned on and off frequently, making its use effective but not a nuisance to anyone behind.

[Paul_Sengupta]

What's that traffic going to do if he spots me coming up behind him in the distance? Courteously turn his rear fogs off?

Yes, exactly, but waits until you get within normal tail light range.

What's the point of rear fogs on if there's no-one behind?

They're to be seen by approaching traffic from behind. Once a car behind is able to see you with just your normal tail lights then there is no longer any use for the fog light, and the only effects will be to dazzle the driver behind and mask the brake lights.

If you think traffic approaching from behind will be able to see your normal tail lights within the allocated stopping distance then there is no reason to switch on the fog lights at all. Fog lights should only be used when the visibility is very restricted. Driving up the M4 the other night there were cars doing 70-80mph with their fog lights on. If the visibility is good enough to drive any more than perhaps 40-50 mph on the motorway (a figure I've just come up with arbitrarily!) then it's good enough to not use fog lights at all.

Avtur 3 has it.

[Flintstone]

Wot they said.

As soon as the vehicle behind is visible to me I turn the rear fog lights off. That said, I can't remember when I last drove in sub-100 metre conditions. Ten years ago, probably more.

[cirrostratus]

Two gripes about Car Lights........

People that drive with a defective light meaning they drive their cars around on One Headlight ( Cyclops ) most dangerously when its only the nearside that is on


Other is when in a queue of traffic which doesn't move , those inconsiderate drivers ( and not always slush-box drivers ) that keep their foot on the brake instead of using hand brake....... with modern cars with their super intensive ultra bright brake lights it dazzles anyone who are unfortunate to be behind

[PeteSpencer]

Two gripes about Car Lights........


Other is when in a queue of traffic which doesn't move , those inconsiderate drivers ( and not always slush-box drivers ) that keep their foot on the brake instead of using hand brake....... with modern cars with their super intensive ultra bright brake lights it dazzles anyone who are unfortunate to be behind

That's what HB-S function does on the Krauto: press on the footbrake when stationary in traffic and the brake goes on and disengages when accelerator pressed> Very handy function saves fiddling with the Hand (foot actually) parking brake and separate release knob.

Another handy HB-C function for inching forward in slow moving queues actually applies brake to stop as soon as accelerator released and prevents roll-on.

Unfortunately the stoplights are lit in both cases.