Rear fog lights switched on when there is NO FOG!

[sonny5cy 2]

Driving home tonight my eyes were utterly raped by a SUV with its rear fog lights, having no choice but to follow it for a good 15mins in the traffic. It was an Audi Q7 (the choice of vehicle is a crime itself), which is inline with most offenders out there with their Euros, be it Mercs, VWs or BMWs.

Surely a car equiped with rear fog lights have a separate switch to the front fogs, and the driver must know they are on from an indicator on the dash? All the BMWs I've driven have the reverse orange fog indicator.

[antil33t 90]

Some the button isn't separate it's part of an entire switch that most people just probably flick all the way on.

E34's have a switch that the middle position is front fogs only and top is front/rear I think E36's have a rotary switch that the middle is Front only also.

I'd just say most people are too ignorant to realize what the orange light is.

[kiwi535 538]

Some the button isn't separate it's part of an entire switch that most people just probably flick all the way on.

E34's have a switch that the middle position is front fogs only and top is front/rear I think E36's have a rotary switch that the middle is Front only also.

I'd just say most people are too ignorant to realize what the orange light is.

sad but true

[euroriffic 609]

The e36 has a separate push button for front and the rear fog. But yes, it is highly annoying

[sonny5cy 2]

Some the button isn't separate it's part of an entire switch that most people just probably flick all the way on.

E34's have a switch that the middle position is front fogs only and top is front/rear I think E36's have a rotary switch that the middle is Front only also.

I'd just say most people are too ignorant to realize what the orange light is.

Yes ignorant and/or blatant disregard to other road users I say. I think those who switch them on in good weather do it deliberately for the ‘cool’ factor. They are worse than having high beams shone in your face (at least those are temporary). I am holding on to the faint hope that one day I would witness a cop pulling one of those tossers over and slapping them with a ticket

[Wom 0]

I got a warning from a cop at a checkpoint one night for having my front fogs on. In my defence it was foggy at home (but not where the checkpoint was) and the bulb on the dash wasn't working to indicate the fogs were on, so I kinda forgot (fixed the bulb now). So some cops out there do pay attention to this stuff, but it's rather rare.

[C-130 Hercules 571]

It is not just the annoyance. It is actually very dangerous to have rear foggies turned on unnecessarily. Reason for this is that the person following is being sensitised to the bright light. This has a detrimental effect on response time when person in front then suddenly slams on the brakes. One can't easily pick up that the brake lights have come on.

Edited June 6, 2013 by C-130 Hercules

[M5V8 337]

this is a personal pet hate of mine.

offenders should be heavily fined along with not moving over left when not overtaking.

Interestingly enough some cops do care.

I got pulled over on SH1 just outside Turangi by a cop.

He was on a 100kph corner and just walked out onto the road.

He then preceeded to tell me about how fog lights on SUV's in particular have been a real problem in the area and I should turn my fog lights off.

I did. Of course. Without pointing out the low light, overcast, grey and drizzling conditions we were currently in, which I would have thought would warrant the use of factory fitted fogs lights.

Not to mention having someone wave me down (without any lighting or safety vest) on a corner in a 100 k zone.

TBO - i was happy to get out of there, I thought i was either getting punked or it was an ambush of some description.

[Allanw 1071]

...Without pointing out the low light, overcast, grey and drizzling conditions we were currently in, which I would have thought would warrant the use of factory fitted fogs lights....

Low Beams

I find it funny that people drive with front fogs on, without fog. They actually cut your long range vision, as they create more light close to the car and your eyes close the Iris slightly. People THINK they can see better, as there is more light. It's just in the wrong places.

The stupid ones are the HSV's with "DRL" that are really blinding and intense, but don't actually let the driver see anything. It just makes it harder for everone else to drive. Typical aussie car thing - doesn't work properly!

[Apex 693]

Don't get me started on fog lights front or rear and homo's who drive with them on all the time.

Stop it. It does not look cool you look like a douchebag and you are anoying everyone else on the road, you are very clever for finding the switch but it has not been a good look since 1994 and even you know it does nothing for visibility.

[M5V8 337]

Don't get me started on fog lights front or rear and homo's who drive with them on all the time.

Stop it. It does not look cool you look like a douchebag and you are anoying everyone else on the road, you are very clever for finding the switch but it has not been a good look since 1994 and even you know it does nothing for visibility.

+1 amen

Oh and my lights were on low beam allan. that's how bad the visibility was getting. There actually was fog later down the road. Just not there.

Front fog lights on BMW's don't dazzle oncoming traffic anyway.... even the cop said it's the 4WD's with the big ones on their bull bars that aren't level and point straight at oncoming traffic that's the issue.

Edited June 7, 2013 by M5V8

[deeveus 81]

I didn't realize it was socially unacceptable to have your fog lights on, I never use my rear fogs unless ofcourse it's foggy, I have been guilty of putting them on when I had a car so far up my trumpet I couldn't even see his lights. I dislike tailgaters.

I never have the front fogs on if it's pure daylight, but nearing dark I'm guilty of using them, or when visibility is poor.

[Neal 544]

Rear fogs on for no reason is for the dumb and stupid.

Front fogs are a pet hate of mine when I'm on the motorbike and the road is wet. At night if you have a car following the fogs bounce of the wet road, into my mirrors and onto the helment visor. Basically I can see sweet fa looking forward , as you cant see the side of the road you cant move over to let the car pass.

Low beams don't bounce off the wet road in the same manner and the beam sits below the bike mirrors.

If you like running front fogs on a wet night and wonder why that cop on a bike pulls you over , this will be the reason why.

[antil33t 90]

+1 amen

Front fog lights on BMW's don't dazzle oncoming traffic anyway.... even the cop said it's the 4WD's with the big ones on their bull bars that aren't level and point straight at oncoming traffic that's the issue.

Seen the ones on ford pile of sh*t falcons? they aren't even fog lights! they're more of a f**king spotlight. even the reflector isn't dipped!

the Projector Foglights in E34's and other models of BMW have an extremely(I'd emphasize this but i cbf) flat cut off. and if aimed correctly you won't even notice them.

I think the main issue with some people is they can't tell the difference between a FOG light and an Auxiliary/Driving Light.

[jom 98]

I didn't realize it was socially unacceptable to have your fog lights on, I never use my rear fogs unless ofcourse it's foggy, I have been guilty of putting them on when I had a car so far up my trumpet I couldn't even see his lights. I dislike tailgaters.

I never have the front fogs on if it's pure daylight, but nearing dark I'm guilty of using them, or when visibility is poor.

From the NZ Police FAQ:

Q: What are the rules about driving with fog lights?

Answer:

Fog lamps should only be used when visibility is severely reduced, eg by snow or fog. It is against the law to use fog lamps in clear conditions (day or night) as they can dazzle other road users.

Fog is usually defined as visibility less than 1km, but I can't find a specific NZ definition. Snow is white stuff that falls from the sky....

[dubman 39]

I have been guilty of putting them on when I had a car so far up my trumpet I couldn't even see his lights. I dislike tailgaters.

+1, i flicker them to tell tailgaters to F' off. Do agree that some people don't know that their fog lights are on, but alot of people out their just use them to show off their car

also, c*nts with full beams on at night on a fully lit street , seems to get more common

[elmarco 56]

The stupid ones are the HSV's with "DRL" that are really blinding and intense, but don't actually let the driver see anything. It just makes it harder for everone else to drive. Typical aussie car thing - doesn't work properly!

That's precisely their point - they are Daytime Running Lights and are intended for others to see you during the day, not for you to see at night. They must be wired so they can't be turned on when the headlamps are on (not sure if the wiring to do this is the legal requirement, or just that you aren't legally allowed to use DRL's at night or with other headlamps). It's nothing to do with being an Australian car - their ADR lighting regs are based on the ECE rules that almost every other country except the US & Canada use).

Front fog lights on BMW's don't dazzle oncoming traffic anyway....

Eh? They all have to meet the same ECE regulations... BMW fog lamps are no more or less likely to dazzle oncoming drivers.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2957]

Seem to be more people on the roads with incorrect lights on than those with it right.

Loads of fogs on recently farking annoying, people driving at night with no lights on, and more common one headlight out - often combined with one fog light out as well.

Is it really that hard??

[kingkarl 136]

*turns fog lights off*

[Allanw 1071]

That's precisely their point - they are Daytime Running Lights and are intended for others to see you during the day, not for you to see at night.

No, they are glaringly bright during the day, so you can't see the car properly, because you can't look at it. They should be dimmer, more diffuse, or a dipped design. Newer Euros with DRL are not glaring at all.

[Ultrarandom 3]

Never had any problem with front fogs personally.

Can definitely understand how they would dazzle though and didn't know about them actually technically being illegal to have on during the day.

My pet hate for lights will always be the HIDs in reflector housings. So often even when they're factory fitted, will someone be following me with HIDs in a reflector housing and they blind me, aftermarket fitted in a projector housing like E30 don't hit as hard as these standard reflector housings do.

Never had the misfortuine of following someone with rear fogs on though

[elmarco 56]

No, they are glaringly bright during the day, so you can't see the car properly, because you can't look at it. They should be dimmer, more diffuse, or a dipped design. Newer Euros with DRL are not glaring at all.

Ahem - that's the point... So you (the person with the DRL's) is seen. You might want to read this.

There are international standards that DRL's must meet - regardless of it being a "newer euros" or an Australian dinosaur. They are all the same (unless you are in the US where the SAE & FMVSS rules are a bit different.

[CSET 583]

Used my rear fog light this morning for the second time in a year. I concur with everyone else - if it is not foggy, rear foglights are more than a little annoying.

Nobody has raised it yet, but I thought 'fog' lights were yellow and a broad, lower wattage beam, and 'driving lights' were white and a limited-height narrow beam? I use my front driving lights in that late-arvo dusk period where it's a bit bright to justify Xenons but dim enough for some turnip to not see my park lights.

[C-130 Hercules 571]

Used my rear fog light this morning for the second time in a year. I concur with everyone else - if it is not foggy, rear foglights are more than a little annoying.

Nobody has raised it yet, but I thought 'fog' lights were yellow and a broad, lower wattage beam, and 'driving lights' were white and a limited-height narrow beam? I use my front driving lights in that late-arvo dusk period where it's a bit bright to justify Xenons but dim enough for some turnip to not see my park lights.

Don't get me started on park lights now...

[euroriffic 609]

Followed an e39 thismorning with rear fogs on