[Diesel2000]

Last night I was driving home about 11.30pm round the town centre and my friend who was drunk caught the eye of a police car so the police car followed and I pulled over and he asked the usual is it your car, have you been drinking etc and then said your front fog lamps are on, that is a penalty fine and he may have said about points on my licence I am not sure if he added about the points.

Now I did know my fog lamps were on as I drive a Grand Cherokee Jeep and at night it does help me to see a bit better as I live in the country so use dark country road but also I do like the way it looks, silly I know but there you go.

I can not believe that the police would fine anyone for having them on as when you are driving it is not like they notice on the dashboard so I am sure lots of people leave them on by accident.

I do not think it is a hazard to other motorists at all so I can not see the problem, I do not have my rear fog lamps on just the front.

Can anyone tell me what the problem seems to be and is it a fineable and possible points offence.

Replies appreciated.

Gia

[roddersdad]

Technically yes you can,as stated again in the highway code rule 211,"you MUST NOTuse front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced",
visibility is seriously reduced is classed as usually when you cannot see more than 100 meters.

rule 211 then also goes on to say that "you MUST switch them off when the visibility improves"

and i would hazard a guess that yes it is fineable and you could get points for it,
if you are using them to see better then are they set incorrectly for fogs and possibly causing dazzle to other road users,just a few thoughts on the matter.

[Patrols Wife]

Originally Posted by Diesel2000

I do not think it is a hazard to other motorists at all so I can not see the problem, I do not have my rear fog lamps on just the front.

Its not a hazard to other motorists? What about the driver in front of you that has the dazzle from your front fogs in their rear view mirror and wing mirrors? Of course its a hazard!

Save the use of them for your dark lanes etc and not tootling about town.

[Diyisfun]

Its the new fashion, people think there car looks good (making them coool). We all know fog lights make very little difference to seeing in fog, let alone in normal night conditions.
Fog lights with side lights dawn/dusk I think are beter than headlights.

[Marcusdarkus]

i was fined £30 for using foglights in the early nineties, and i admit i didnt know it was illegal. It is a hazard and definetly does dazzle other road users. I see people still use them, especially if they have got a headlight bulb blown.

:mad: MUPPETS

[sparklelard]

It's like the idots who drive round with their front fogs on when there is no fog. These lights dazzle. When I had a 4x4 with big orange spots, I use to switch them on in the face of these pillocks.

What is worse is the rear fog light of the car you are following. This bright light can burn an image into the retina and can cause temporary blindness.

[roddersdad]

Originally Posted by sparklelard

It's like the idots who drive round with their front fogs on when there is no fog. These lights dazzle. When I had a 4x4 with big orange spots, I use to switch them on in the face of these pillocks.

What is worse is the rear fog light of the car you are following. This bright light can burn an image into the retina and can cause temporary blindness.

now we have two vehicles driven towards each other dazzled at goodness knows what speed,i was going to say a quick flash but unfortunatly they dont seem to respond to that any more either(and thats with the lights):D

[sparklelard]

I think I know who'd come off worse!

Anyway, I makes you think doesn't it.

[roddersdad]

Originally Posted by sparklelard

I think I know who'd come off worse!

Anyway, I makes you think doesn't it.

I know what you mean,:) ,unfortunatly these people that do and dazzle others dont seem that bothered or just totally oblivious to what they are doing,possibly some have forgot,but a little more forethought would go a long way,(i must be getting old:D )

[michelangelo]

I have to admit that I am sick of people who drive with their foglights on (even in daylight!!??!!).

One thing I have noticed is that most 'offendors' seem to be driving Renaults. Anyone know why this might be?

[galaxymadbaz]

Originally Posted by Diesel2000

I can not believe that the police would fine anyone for having them on as when you are driving it is not like they notice on the dashboard so I am sure lots of people leave them on by accident.
Gia

So these people are also driving without due care and attention???? I know when I've got my fog lights on, front or rear.

Originally Posted by Diesel2000

Can anyone tell me what the problem seems to be and is it a fineable and possible points offence.

Problem is undue consideration!!!!

Sorry Gia, I may seem a little harsh, and I think you may have been an easy target, however there are too many people driving round with badly adjusted headlamps/fogs, illegal xenons (the >60 watt varieties) it certainly makes my night driving a lot less pleasant than it used to be.

Just one question to everyone how often do you check all your bulbs? is it me or are a great percentage of cars lacking one or more working brake lights?

[roddersdad]

"Just one question to everyone how often do you check all your bulbs? is it me or are a great percentage of cars lacking one or more working brake lights?"


Every time i make a journey,but thats only me,its the way i have been brought up to do it and also habit as i can drive various vehicles during the day.

[tenpinn]

Yeah plus the ammount of on coming cars you get with only one light working down counrty lanes making you think that it is a bike, you can also be fined when driving through patchy fog if you do not turn your lights off inbetween patchs of fog.

[davey_g]

Originally Posted by Diesel2000

Last night I was driving home about 11.30pm round the town centre and my friend who was drunk caught the eye of a police car so the police car followed and I pulled over and he asked the usual is it your car, have you been drinking etc and then said your front fog lamps are on, that is a penalty fine and he may have said about points on my licence I am not sure if he added about the points.

Now I did know my fog lamps were on as I drive a Grand Cherokee Jeep and at night it does help me to see a bit better as I live in the country so use dark country road but also I do like the way it looks, silly I know but there you go.

I can not believe that the police would fine anyone for having them on as when you are driving it is not like they notice on the dashboard so I am sure lots of people leave them on by accident.

I do not think it is a hazard to other motorists at all so I can not see the problem, I do not have my rear fog lamps on just the front.

Can anyone tell me what the problem seems to be and is it a fineable and possible points offence.

Replies appreciated.

Gia

I'm just glad you found a police patrol willing to do their job. It IS an offence and the reflected light from fog lights on roads, not to mention poorly adjusted lights, is distracting to other road users. Plenty of others have quoted the appropriate parts of law etc here. There are warning lights to show that fog lights are on - if these aren't noticed by the driver, you have to wonder what else the driver may not notice!

Perhaps, since they're only meant to be used in conditions of poor visibility when you'd obviously be travelling slowly, activating the switch should be taken as a signal by the engine management system to restrict the vehicle's speed to 15mph? I wonder how many we'd see turned on then?!

[Fionadilston]

Originally Posted by tenpinn

Yeah plus the ammount of on coming cars you get with only one light working down country lanes making you think that it is a bike, you can also be fined when driving through patchy fog if you do not turn your lights off inbetween patchs of fog.

it is not just country lanes the number on the main roads is scary too particularly when you are out in the sticks where there is no street lighting F.xxx

[Watcher]

Fog Lights

Fog Lights? Utterly, stupidly pointless. No bloody good in fog anyway, (unless it is REALLY dense, in which case rear hi-intensity lights might be justified), and just spray light everywhere its not needed.

And as for the morons who drive on motorways and trunk roads with their rear ones on at night, personally I'd do them for at least four offences.

I saw a dreadful crash once, on the M5, because some moron had his/her rear fog lamps on; some people thought "brake lights!" and slowed down suddenly; the lorry drivers who were either asleep, or could see far enough to know there there was no real reason to brake, didn't!

[KJC1000]

This is one of my pet hates!! I can't stand it when idiots drive around with their fog lights on! I've been driving for years and there has only been 1 time when I have needed my fog lights! You look like you don't know what the buttons in the car do so you thought you would just press them all and hope for the best!! As has been said, it dazzles other road users and makes you look ridiculous.. also is an offence!! Dont do it!

[Sussex Patrol]

Originally Posted by Diesel2000

as when you are driving it is not like they notice on the dashboard

Gia

Sorry but I think you will find front and rear fog light switches have 'tell tales' either on the switch or a warning light will come on in the instrumentation- at least on every car I have seen:confused:
And yes it is an offence and very irritating when its not foggy :mad:

[Snowball]

How many drivers never even glance at the instrument panel whilst they are driving? Apart from those who dazzle other drivers with full beams and inappropriate use of fog lights, at the opposite end of the scale are the drivers who have no lights on at all, well after dusk. It makes you wonder just how inattentive these people are, not to notice that their instrument panels are in darkness.

[Rolebama]

If only I had a £ for every breakdown I attended because the driver had ignored a warning lamp on the dash..............
Citroen used to have a very large STOP lamp on the dashboard to indicate suspension and brake fluid loss. I lost count of the amount of cars which were damaged after driving from the M40 to A40 and not being able to stop for the traffic lights which used to be in Hillingdon. They would quite openly tell me that the lamp had been on for X amount of miles 'but the car was going OK'.

[myoldcar]

yes they do dazzle other road users, rear fog lights are also a rear pain as being sat behind people with them on causes strain on the eyes if in stop start traffic. Put simply fog lights are for the fog nothing else.

[ptr550]

you have indicator lights on dash to tell you they are on double the fine and give them 6 points then they might remember to switch them OFF.:mad::mad:

[Snowball]

The mobile phone penalties don't seem to have had a lot of effect, so how are they going to deal with misuse of driving lights?

[ptr550]

Give them the same as previously stated might convince them to get handsfree:mad::mad:

[T5transpoter]

It is illegal to drive with front fog lights on when the visability is above 100 mtrs this is because the light this type of lamp gives off has no dip pattern and can dazzle other road users, you can get a £40 fine for this but no points.

[Snowball]

Originally Posted by T5transpoter

It is illegal to drive with front fog lights on when the visability is above 100 mtrs this is because the light this type of lamp gives off has no dip pattern and can dazzle other road users, you can get a £40 fine for this but no points.

There are so many drivers misusing these lights that it would not use much police time to pull in quite a few of them. Then prosecute, and use the media to ensure the widest publicity possible, as a warning that the penalty is effective. Repeated offending should also carry heavier punishment. Marginally exceeding the speed limit is severely punished, and this is not the only action that compromises road safety.
A blinded driver within the speed limit can be more dangerous to others than a driver exceeding the limit by, say 10 mph.

[sophos9]

I'm laughing reading these posts, I'll tell you why.

Fog lights are being made to sound like the devils own carnation. So what about the drivers that forget to dip their lights, that happens by a factor of 10 where I drive. What about the person who sits some distance behind and thinks its fine to have their lights on full beam "its OK, they wont be able to tell I've got em on full" :mad:

The tractors that have misaligned lights, lights on buildings that point directly in the drivers face....

All of these are incompetence, I would favour intent over incompetence any day!

[Rolebama]

The real problem with the majority of these so-called fog lamps, is that they are not. Most of them just throw out a lot of light in front of the car causing dazzle and glare to oncoming drivers. True fog lamps send out a very thin, wide beam to allow you to see the road underneath the fog. When properly adjusted,they do not shine up into the windscreens of oncoming vehicles.

[Rolebama]

I though this one was worth a seperate post. 'lights on buildings that point directly in the drivers face....' by Sophos9.
Hillingdon Borough Football Club has a set of floodlights which shine directly into the eyes on anyone driving along Howletts Lane towards Breakspear Road,in Ruislip. I, amongst others, have pointed this out to the local Police station over the years. Their stock reply seems to be that it should be taken up with the Borough Environmental Health Officer. Their reply is that it was a Police matter as it affects driving.

[sophos9]

"Lighting Pollution" as is correctly termed is an Environmental problem and thus should be taken up by the designated authority.

Advise them in writing that there is a high likelihood that a road traffic incident will occur and as such it is their responsibility to resolve, any further ignoring will result in the local press being involved to raise peoples awareness.

They are tied into budgets and don't care about the practical driving experience...