Thread: Let's have a general discussion on fog lights

Originally Posted by Muddy Diver

Actually, no. Look around on other forums and you will see I'm not alone in my thoughts. I am referring to the factory fitted OEM fog lights which are purposely aligned to point LOWER than normal headlights on low beam. They also do not penetrate as much distance as normal headlights even on dipped beam in some cases and full beams will always dazzle upwards of 20 X more than OEM fog lights yet are legal in all weather??????? Tradies ute when loaded blind more oncoming vehicles than fog lights. I think that sometime in the past, aftermarket driving lamps have influenced this senseless law having been confused with fog lamps and police are just happy to issue tickets.

exactly ... unless your doing less than 20km/h ... anything you see in the light they create .... You WILL run over anyway. fog lights are designed to throw light under the fog .... for extremely low speed travel.

all having them on does is aggravate the hell out of other drivers ... there for the fashion "look at me ... I'm cool" crowd.

Sad Really....

seeya,
Shane L.

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

exactly ... unless your doing less than 20km/h ... anything you see in the light they create .... You WILL run over anyway. fog lights are designed to throw light under the fog .... for extremely low speed travel.

all having them on does is aggravate the hell out of other drivers ... there for the fashion "look at me ... I'm cool" crowd.

Sad Really....

seeya,
Shane L.

They probably aggravate you because you have never tried using them or been in a situation where you needed to. But you have hit the nail on the head. They annoy some drivers just because they are there and those annoyed drivers see them as a fashion statement or as wanky or tosser lights.

I have had Fog lights on just about every car I have ever owned and used them in fog extensively while living in the UK. Having driven European vehicles all of my motoring life (Or vehicles with fog lights) I find them of great use in the right conditions and this does not mean just in fog.

I managed to miss a roo approaching Yass last year by inches because I caught sight of him on my passenger side in the fog lights wide spread. Saved the car front for sure as I was towing at the time doing around 70Kph and weighed around 5.5tonnes. I don't entertain that these lights make you look cool or are fashionable in the slightest because I have driven in conditions where their use is a necessity for staying safe. I think in Australia where the weather is much kinder than in UK and Northern Europe, they may have started with a fashionable look about them but time to look past that and exploit their good points. Fact is they just don't dazzle. (Unless you screw your eyes up in a blind rage staring at them while they approach you)

Originally Posted by Muddy Diver

They probably aggravate you because you have never tried using them or been in a situation where you needed to. But you have hit the nail on the head. They annoy some drivers just because they are there and those annoyed drivers see them as a fashion statement or as wanky or tosser lights.

I have had Fog lights on just about every car I have ever owned and used them in fog extensively while living in the UK. Having driven European vehicles all of my motoring life (Or vehicles with fog lights) I find them of great use in the right conditions and this does not mean just in fog.

I managed to miss a roo approaching Yass last year by inches because I caught sight of him on my passenger side in the fog lights wide spread. Saved the car front for sure as I was towing at the time doing around 70Kph and weighed around 5.5tonnes. I don't entertain that these lights make you look cool or are fashionable in the slightest because I have driven in conditions where their use is a necessity for staying safe. I think in Australia where the weather is much kinder than in UK and Northern Europe, they may have started with a fashionable look about them but time to look past that and exploit their good points. Fact is they just don't dazzle. (Unless you screw your eyes up in a blind rage staring at them while they approach you)

Yes I own european cars ... they have foglights ... they have never been needed in Australia .... EVER. If it's foggie ... GO FOR IT !!! That is what they are for. Even my range rover has fog lights. I removed them. All fog lights do in australia is get broken and need replacement so the car is roadworthy. European cars have very good non dazzling foglights (that are also generally useless for extra lighting).

Foglights will NOT save you from 'Rooos. Unless you are doing less than 20km/h (so can stop in the tiny, tiny, tiny distance they illuminate).

THe only protections from 'Roos is a good strong bullbar so you are not left stranded. They damn things will still jump into the sides of your car ... the roof ... anywhere. At least if you have a bullbar you shouldn't be stranded with a smashed in radiator.

seeya,
Shane L.

Those low level FOG lights fitted on newer cars, I bet most of the owners driving them wouldn't even know the regulations or are aware of that there is a switch to turn them off.
Front fog lights are annoying but more annoying are the rear bright red fog light that make it look like their brake lights are on.
Drivers on the road need to be educated about these things, today it's buy a new car, get in, turn the ignition on and just drive.
Maybe it should start at driver training when they are doing their lessons and on their licence test, get them educated early and breed this out. They only get taught the basics of vehicle controls like where the head light switch is and the indicators switch etc.

Originally Posted by Muddy Diver

They probably aggravate you because you have never tried using them or been in a situation where you needed to. But you have hit the nail on the head. They annoy some drivers just because they are there and those annoyed drivers see them as a fashion statement or as wanky or tosser lights.

I have had Fog lights on just about every car I have ever owned and used them in fog extensively while living in the UK. Having driven European vehicles all of my motoring life (Or vehicles with fog lights) I find them of great use in the right conditions and this does not mean just in fog.

I managed to miss a roo approaching Yass last year by inches because I caught sight of him on my passenger side in the fog lights wide spread. Saved the car front for sure as I was towing at the time doing around 70Kph and weighed around 5.5tonnes. I don't entertain that these lights make you look cool or are fashionable in the slightest because I have driven in conditions where their use is a necessity for staying safe. I think in Australia where the weather is much kinder than in UK and Northern Europe, they may have started with a fashionable look about them but time to look past that and exploit their good points. Fact is they just don't dazzle. (Unless you screw your eyes up in a blind rage staring at them while they approach you)

If you use you Fog lights to spot kangaroos you are wasting your time and are simply annoying other road users.
Do you turn them off when another vehicle is approaching so as not to blind them or just continue to use them?
If you are concerned about an animal strike then fit some driving lights that turm off when low beam is selected, Much better for seeing roos and they dont annoy or blind other road users.
BTW fog light DO dazzle and staying "Safe" is Not only about You its about other road users as well.

Hi,
Normally fog lights are fine IF they are alligned properly.
I suspect the ones that dazzle are adjusted up for distance, and being mounted low, shine in the eyes of on coming drivers.
Cheers

Originally Posted by trout1105

BTW fog light DO dazzle and staying "Safe" is Not only about You its about other road users as well.

Let's not forget road rule #219

219 Lights not to be used to dazzle other road users
A driver must not use, or allow to be used, any light fitted to or in the driver's vehicle to dazzle, or in a way that is likely to dazzle, another road user.
Penalty: 3 penalty units.

I've been "dazzled" by such lights.
This rule should be enforced more often.

Fog lights as fitted to vehicles as standard equipment are only for very slow speed manouvering in white out and similar conditions.

They dont spread as far forward as low beam, you cant drive fast with them.

If you can use low beam, then you want the fog lights turned off, because they will just reduce the size of the pupil and give lesser vision at the front of the low beam spread, which is the important thing to see.