Fog Lights question.

[Hazell B]

Out of interest, did anyone at the races yesterday notice if Matt Neal had his rear fog on during all three races, or just when Fab Gio came up close behind him?

Don't want to start a whole 'cheater' thing here, but why the hell was a fog light on with cars so close and rain not fog? It struck me as deeply unfair, especially as it only looked on (on TV) when the VXR was up his tail :mark:

Did anyone else have fogs on at all?

[LiamM]

Probably Matt didnt want anyone collecting him in the spray in some parts of the track especially on the Craners?

[PDS]

Out of interest, did anyone at the races yesterday notice if Matt Neal had his rear fog on during all three races, or just when Fab Gio came up close behind him?

Did anyone else have fogs on at all?

All drivers started the races with their fog lights on.

When I find the photographic evidence, I will post it here!

[wedge]

I use rear fog lights in everday driving when the rain and spray gets bad :/

[thetrooper_uk]

I use rear fog lights in everday driving when the rain and spray gets bad :/
So your 1 of them that don't know what they are for. The name gives it away slightly FOG lights, not rain spray lights, your normal lights will do the job in heavy rain. It's 1 of my pet hates people that switch the fog lights on at the wrong time and then also forget to switch them of again. Talk about driver distractions. :mad:

[Brooklands78]

All drivers started the races with their fog lights on.

When I find the photographic evidence, I will post it here!

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=826652741&size=o

Someone at the bottom of the photo seems to have a fog light on - I'll leave it to you to identify the car! The rest all appear to be rear lights/brake lights. Personaly, if I was behind another car in that sort of visibility, I'd like it to be lit up like a Christmas tree!

[Dave B]

I use rear fog lights in everday driving when the rain and spray gets bad :/
Pray that I'm never behind you, then.

[wedge]

So your 1 of them that don't know what they are for. The name gives it away slightly FOG lights, not rain spray lights, your normal lights will do the job in heavy rain. It's 1 of my pet hates people that switch the fog lights on at the wrong time and then also forget to switch them of again. Talk about driver distractions. :mad:

Sometimes the spray gets so bad that normal lights are never enough, and then you get people who forget to put on dipped lights.

I'd rather put my rear fog lights on, warn the drivers behind me of my presence than be involved in a rear end shunt.

I usually remember to switch them off when other cars' rear lights are more visible.

[PDS]

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=826652741&size=o

Someone at the bottom of the photo seems to have a fog light on - I'll leave it to you to identify the car! The rest all appear to be rear lights/brake lights. Personaly, if I was behind another car in that sort of visibility, I'd like it to be lit up like a Christmas tree!
Those are not brake lights... Halfway down the Craner Curves?!?

If you check with all the cars running... the brake lights are fitted to the outermost point of the rear of the car! Fog lamps are fitted, if not below, inwards of those brake lights... Look again!

As in this shot of Jackson.. http://www.btccpages.com/gallery/v/btcc2007/donington/raceday/Jackson_Turkington_wet.jpg.html

[Steelrat]

So your 1 of them that don't know what they are for. The name gives it away slightly FOG lights, not rain spray lights, your normal lights will do the job in heavy rain. It's 1 of my pet hates people that switch the fog lights on at the wrong time and then also forget to switch them of again. Talk about driver distractions. :mad:

You are kidding .... Especially with some of the rain we've had the last two weeks, the spray churned up is just as bad as a fog. Anyway, you're wrong. As anyone with the slightest knowledge of the highway code knows:

201: You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 211).

HTH

P

[DaveTaylor]

Sometimes the spray gets so bad that normal lights are never enough, and then you get people who forget to put on dipped lights.

I'd rather put my rear fog lights on, warn the drivers behind me of my presence than be involved in a rear end shunt.

I usually remember to switch them off when other cars' rear lights are more visible.
you 'usually' remember huh.
I suppose you like the middle
lane on the motorways too.
If its raining hard slow down it creates less spray then you don't need to use fog lights.
Have you never heard of rear dazzle, its just as bad as some muppet coming at you with full beam on, i bet that annoys you right.

[DaveTaylor]

201: You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 211).


HTH

P[/QUOTE]

yes and i am sure that you'll also find in the highway code that you should adjust your speed to the driving conditions. So your telling me that with all this rain recently. That driving around your home town at 30mph the spary was that bad that you would need fog lights (balls) if it raining heavy slow down it will reduce spray and increase your chance of being able to stop all without the need for fog lights.
But if you want to hammer on in the pissing rain at the same speed as you would when its dry then you deserve every smash you have.
I just pity the poor sod you hit

[Steelrat]

yes and i am sure that you'll also find in the highway code that you should adjust your speed to the driving conditions. So your telling me that with all this rain recently. That driving around your home town at 30mph the spary was that bad that you would need fog lights (balls) if it raining heavy slow down it will reduce spray and increase your chance of being able to stop all without the need for fog lights.
But if you want to hammer on in the pissing rain at the same speed as you would when its dry then you deserve every smash you have.
I just pity the poor sod you hit

Sigh ... It's certainly a shame that the Highway Code doesn't include a section on common sense but then, hey, 90 % of drivers would be off of the road. I (foolishly) assumed that people would not think I meant driving around town. I also (foolishly) assumed that it would be understood that the fog lights we were referring to were the rear ones, as stated in the opener to the thread, these to give the drivers(?) behind who *are* bombing up the road a chance of slowing down.

As I said, it's all down to common sense. A few splashes during the day? Unless you a) drive a Ford (it's either fogs all the time or no lights) or b) live in Essex then common sense will tell you that you don't need fogs. But when you're driving in torrential rain, surrounded by lorries with spray coming from all sides (as it frequently does on the M20) you want the people behind to know you're there.

Now, if you want to talk about people who slam their anchors on when they reach the top of a hill(Read: Incline) or the beginning of a bend on a M or A road, I'm your man .....

P

[thetrooper_uk]

You are kidding .... Especially with some of the rain we've had the last two weeks, the spray churned up is just as bad as a fog. Anyway, you're wrong. As anyone with the slightest knowledge of the highway code knows:

201: You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 211).

HTH

P
I'm just guessing that you don't use this common sense that you keep talking about to adjust your driving to ur surroundings. I have never needed to use them in heavy rain and I come from scotland and it has plenty. I have never had an accident either. Most drivers couldn't even estimate that distance so asking them to switch them on and off if the visability improves is crap.

[Robinho]

fog lights, never fails to raise a good arguement!!

normally i'd agree with the majority rant that people use their fog lights in inappropriate conditions, however, in the last couple of weeks i've ad to use mine (rears only) on the motorway in the prescnece of extreme spray. amd yes the majority of traffic had slowed significantly, yet visibility was worse than pretty much any fog i've ever driven in.

however as soon as the traffic becomes dense they are useless and distracting, when the traffic is spaced out and moving then they are useful to gauge where spray/fog stops and car begins.

as for front fogs (not normally referred to as Fogs in the handbook) they (IMO) are only useful in bad fog to aid your vision, not so others can see you as they light the road better than your mains which will just light the 6ft of fog in front of you.

on the whole i think most people are quite competent at knowing when to use fogs, but get a bit carried away and use them when the conditions do not warrant them, or forget when they have then on. then they look like idiots.

if i'd been racing at Donington i would for sure have had my rear fogs on, both to avoid an errant Plato or Neal running into me, and to upset the opposition, if they work, why not use them, all fair and all that

[DaveTaylor]

I also (foolishly) assumed that it would be understood that the fog lights we were referring to were the rear ones


the same ones i was refering to. As you say they let other drivers behind you know you are there. My point was that if you drive slower you create less spray (that obscures other drivers view of you) thus other drivers will be able to see you without your fogs on

[Steelrat]

I'm just guessing that you don't use this common sense that you keep talking about to adjust your driving to ur surroundings. I have never needed to use them in heavy rain and I come from scotland and it has plenty. I have never had an accident either. Most drivers couldn't even estimate that distance so asking them to switch them on and off if the visability improves is crap.

<Thwunk> <Thwunk>. Right, now my head has stopped banging on the desk I can say is, you're stating the reason *why* the lights are switched on in that situation. I this and I that. As I said, the lights go on in poor lighting conditions to tell the people behind you who don't need to put lights on that there's someone in front who you might not have seen even though you're such a good driver(?). But I'm sure your spider sense has already made you aware.

P

[Steelrat]

fog lights, never fails to raise a good arguement!!

normally i'd agree with the majority rant that people use their fog lights in inappropriate conditions, however, in the last couple of weeks i've ad to use mine (rears only) on the motorway in the prescnece of extreme spray. amd yes the majority of traffic had slowed significantly, yet visibility was worse than pretty much any fog i've ever driven in.

however as soon as the traffic becomes dense they are useless and distracting, when the traffic is spaced out and moving then they are useful to gauge where spray/fog stops and car begins.

as for front fogs (not normally referred to as Fogs in the handbook) they (IMO) are only useful in bad fog to aid your vision, not so others can see you as they light the road better than your mains which will just light the 6ft of fog in front of you.

on the whole i think most people are quite competent at knowing when to use fogs, but get a bit carried away and use them when the conditions do not warrant them, or forget when they have then on. then they look like idiots.

if i'd been racing at Donington i would for sure have had my rear fogs on, both to avoid an errant Plato or Neal running into me, and to upset the opposition, if they work, why not use them, all fair and all that

As you say, in certain conditions. And as you also say, when the traffic is dense, next to useless. Thank you. Maybe you expressed it better than I did.

P

[HEATHY]

So your 1 of them that don't know what they are for. The name gives it away slightly FOG lights, not rain spray lights, your normal lights will do the job in heavy rain. It's 1 of my pet hates people that switch the fog lights on at the wrong time and then also forget to switch them of again. Talk about driver distractions. :mad:

They are called fog lights correct, ... however to be used in conditions of poor visibility... just like it says in the highway code for public road users! and when you are driving at 120.MPH and you have cars directly behind you driving at the same speed, visibility is a must, all cars during all 3 races dad their fog lights on, however I did notice on race 2 matt neal only had one fog light on...

most modern cars have auto off so when the key is taken out of the ignition , and the vehicle is re-started the fog lights wont come back on.

[DaveTaylor]

in poor lighting conditions
oh it's poor lighting conditions now is it. Not what your highway code quote said.

[Steelrat]

oh it's poor lighting conditions now is it. Now what your highway code quote said

Well, despite the fact you couldn't finish what you were typing (poor lighting conditions, perhaps) I think you were going to quote the "visibility is seriously reduced" bit. Sigh ... Now I'm trapped in the world of pedants.

Look, pop over to that corner, I think I can see a straw for you to clutch ..

P

[DaveTaylor]

however I did notice on race 2 matt neal only had one fog light on...

thats because the civic (and most other cars) only have one
:rolleyes:
and it's normally offside or low centre

[VXRDartford]

Even when you slow to say 30/40mph on a motorway/ a road a lot of spray is still produced. (as i found out on a2 the other day) It is always good to make yourselves as visible as you can as the way some people drive these days is of a very poor standard especially in the rain.

The worst people are the ones who have no lights on at all or just the side lights on. Don't people realise the sidelights are only for use when you are parked on a road.

Anyway if i need to be seen when i am driving i just use the blue lights and siren on my vehicle!!

[DaveTaylor]

Anyway if i need to be seen when i am driving i just use the blue lights and siren on my vehicle!!

yea and i'll bet you that you still get spanners that can't see you

[VXRDartford]

yea and i'll bet you that you still get spanners that can't see you

Yeah they always seem to be driving mercs or bmw's!!

[Teletubby]

MSA Regulation Q.5: A rearward facing red warning light of a minimum of 21 watts, with surface area minimum 20cm2, maximum 40cm2, or of 21 watts with a surface area minimum of 50cm2 and with lens and reflector to EU Standards, must be located within 10cm of the centre line of the
vehicle and be clearly visible from the rear. Vehicles fitted with full width bodywork may alternatively use two lights equally located about the vehicle centre line. An alternative light unit of equal or enhanced constant luminosity or LED lights that are either homologated by the FIA or comply with relevant EU Regulations may be used. The warning light must be switched on when visibility conditions are reduced, or as detailed within championship and/or event regulations, or when so instructed by the Clerk of the Course.

So, not fog lights but a requirement of racing in poor visibility.

[Hazell B]

Thanks Teletubby :up: