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Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 14:55:12 +0100
From: "John Evans" <johnnopsamamevion.com>
Subject: Re: Fog lights usage source


"H." <musicboxnopsamrider.co.uk> wrote in message news:3i63bucnmv6h3l3iet9oo965jiv9vn4afvnopsamcom... > >I'm almost reluctant to post this, as I have a question regarding fog lights > >and their usage. I've seen threads here before on this topic, and have done > >a quick google search and can see that this topic sparks off almost > >religious responses from some. I'm not looking for that! > > > >My question is specific. Here in Ireland, and I believe the UK, it is > >illegal to drive with fog lamps on when visibility is greater than a certain > >distance (100 feet I think). I am looking for a source which definitively > >says why. Does such a source exist? > > > >(Background: far away, on another group a debate is going on about fog > >lights and their usage. I believe that they should be used in fog, period, > >but would like a little more than my opinion). > > > John, I don't know about you, but people with front fogs on drives me > up the wall! Anyway, personal preferences aside, as Martin pointed > out, the Highway code states that bit about not using fogs other than > when in poor conditions, however, there are two caveats to that - > > Firstly, despite being recently updated, the Highway code was > originally written when cars simply didnt have front fogs, so they > just sue the sweeping term "fog lights", and thus to get around this, > most aftermarket manufacturers, and to be honest a not insignificant > number of car manufacturers describe the front lights as "Driving > Lamps" This seems to give a number of drivers the idea they are safe > to use under normal night (or even day) time conditions. > > Secondly, there is an unusual (or not so depending on how cynical you > are) loophole in UK law...... which is....... there isn't one! The > Highway Code is officially seen as "Good Driving Practice", it is NOT > law, or legislative in any way. However, in a court case, either party > can use the Highway Code as a form of evidence, to prove or disprove > poor driving - Thus lets say you drove into someone because you were > blinded by their front fogs, they couldn't be prosecuted for "Driving > with front fogs on", but the Highway code suggestions of only using > them in poor conditions would be brought up by the prosecution in > order to obtain a conviction of Dangerous Driving. > > IMHO, driving with fogs on is downright dangerous in clear conditions, > and the real fools are those who driving with JUST sidelight and fogs, > no dipped beam - if you look at the orientation of the light pattern, > fogs tend to push light out to the sides of the car, not forwards, so > those driving with side and fog lights cannot actually see as far down > a road at night as someone driving with just dipped beam! > > It's a mad world isn't it? > > Hope that helps, feel free to shout at me if that didn't make sense! > H. No, no urges to shout right now - but whenever I get into a discussion about this (particularly when the opposition drags up the term "driving lights" I do get annoyed. But at the same time, just because I say so doesn't mean I'm right. What I'm *really* looking for is a study of some sort that points to fog lights being a danger of sort when used incorrectly. Surely some car manufacturer/safety body/government agency somewhere has looked at this? /John

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