Rear Fog Light

Status
Not open for further replies.
What amazes me is that most cars are wired so the front fog lights come on before the rear (Audi, Renault, Peugeot from experience) but the law regarding use allows rears to be used in better visibility than the front!!!

I have considered switching the wires on the back of the switch but it is too much effort when no-one seems to get done for it.

Ian

2002 1.4 Petrol SE, silver with climate control.
Why are all the A2s in Lichfield are silver ? ? ?
 
How so? Rear fogs should only be used in low visibility fog and not rain as many people do, but front fogs are usable in fog, snow and heavy rain to assist forward visibility. If you had to have the rears on first you would dazzle any following driver and wouldn't be able to turn them off if you needed your fronts on... As a matter of courtesy I always turn my rear fog off when a car comes up behind me.

Andrew - 2003 1.4 TDI Silver Climate
 
Last time I looked at teh highway code (months ago, not years ! !) rear are only in limited visibility but fronts were only to be used in "fog or falling snow" - will check tonight.

Ian

2002 1.4 Petrol SE, silver with climate control.
Why are all the A2s in Lichfield are silver ? ? ?
 
The Highway Code...

You MUST NOT
use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users
use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users.
Law RVLR reg 27

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).
Law RVLR regs 25 & 27

You MUST NOT use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 201) as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves.
Law RVLR regs 25 & 27
 
Ian
I agree with the fog or falling snow for front mounted lights with their centres less than 24" fron the road surface. I am certain this is some construvction and use regs somewhere.



<img src="images/icon_smile_cool.gif" border=0>
 
Why all the fuss about front fogs? The vast majority don't dazzle any more than efficient low beam (such as A2s have) and it does better illuminate the kerbs for the car with them on. Audi has gone to great lengths to fit fogs seperate to the headlights (they all used to be integrated on A3s and A4s etc) and to design very nice sidelight elements so why not use them? How about hogging the centre lane, not indicating, speeding in built up areas - presumably no A2OC member ever did these either?
 
quote:Originally posted by mm

The vast majority don't dazzle any more than efficient low beam... [snip] How about hogging the centre lane, not indicating, speeding in built up areas - presumably no A2OC member ever did these either?
Click to expand...
I'd be interested to know how you'd quantify "vast majority", in this instance. As far as I can see - which isn't very far when being tailgated by one of these idiots - front fogs are used for cosmetic rather than practical purposes. I agree that they do provide better illumination than headlights at ground level - indeed I use them regularly in Greece where we have little or no kerbing, faded white lines and no cats eyes: but not at the expense of the vision of other drivers.

--
m. Azure Blue 2003 1.6 FSI SE | OpenSky | ECC | DIS | Isofix | ERW | Symphony II (duff) | Space-Floor-Box | Winter Pack | Auto-Dimming Rear View thingy...
 
MM

You miss the point - it is inconsiderate to use UNDIPPED HEADLIGHTS when other cars are in front of you (I bet you dip yours) and that is exactly what fog lamps are - there is no beam cutoff as with dipped headlamps. In addition they are illegal when visibility is less than 100m.

THe reason Audi and others wire them in separately is so you only switch them on when you need them.

I wonder why so many people see them as improving their vision of the kerb when they should be looking further ahead - fog lamps do not help for that.

Ian

2002 1.4 Petrol SE, silver with climate control.
Why are all the A2s in Lichfield are silver ? ? ?
 
quote:Originally posted by ianjohnsonws14


I wonder why so many people see them as improving their vision of the kerb when they should be looking further ahead - fog lamps do not help for that.
Click to expand...
The frontfogs are already a bit dipped they only illuminate the road directly ahead and the kerbs directly ahead. There's no risk of blinding anyone with the frontfogs.
Only the rearfog can be blinding but I hardly use that. I do use the frontfogs when I drive on dark backroads, not on the highway since it's not necessary there.


Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi
 
Trouble is (and it can happen with the driving lights) is that sometimes front fogs can be mis-adjusted and point upwards towards oncoming traffic. Also being low down, when the roads are wet the light shines up and is more dazzling than not having them on.

At the end of the day, they are front fog lights and therefore should only be used when visability is reduced enough to make then useful. If the normal lights were not good enough then the manufacturer has a problem and all cars would have "front fog lights"-but they don't.





Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
I don't know about other people here, but if visibility looks fine to me, but some <s>fool</s> driver comes up behind me with front foglights on, I assume they have problems with visability and so turn my rear foglight on so that they can see me.

My Punto doesn't have front foglights (like the A3, they'd be at normal headlight level if installed), but am quite prepared to have dipped beams or sidelights on whenever to warn other road users of my presence. I think it's useful as my commute is south-east in the morning - for a large part more or less directly into the sun. There are times I cannot see an unlit car in front or approaching. After 6 months in Norway where dipped beams are compulsary all year round, I wish the UK would do something about the ignorant who like to be unseen...

I agree about the laws for 1 fog light (I've seen lot's of cars with 1 working front fog light [:eek:)] - oh how I laugh at them! :D ). However my Punto has rear sidelights, brakelights and fog light all well spaced out. No problem discerning what I'm doing with them. I dislike the ford <s>f*ck-us</s> focus and new Corsa with thier copy-cat style integrating side and brake lights - far inferiour IMHO. Volvo estates do seem to have the right idea...

I wonder why rear foglights require dipped/full beam to be turned on, but fronts only require sidelights. I thought it should be sidelights to be seen, then dipped beams to see with amongst other traffic, full beam to see with when there aren't other cars to dazzle, and finally fog's for when visability is atrocious.

Lights are one reason why I'm not so tempted to go down the A2 route (never say never though!)... Two last comparisons with my Punto - the other month when it was foggy and I needed my rear fog light on, sometimes it would turn off when I switched to or from full beam. I don't know what's going on with that, but it's clever thinking by those Itialians. The other thing is the best intellegent control of them - turn off and then back on your engine and the fog lights don't re-illuminate - that's a useful bit of tech for all those cars that drive with them on for days! Available on a £6k new Fiat, but I doubt it on a £30k BMW...
 
Gav is right about the dodgy Italian wiring. They finally seem to be getting it right. I also have a Punto and instead of illuminating the button - which is out of the line of sight - they bring on a fog light symbol on the dash, so you're constantly aware that it's on. Perhaps this should be mandatory along with non-latching switches. ie it doesn't come back on once the ignition has been turned off & on.

1.4SE petrol in Merlot Red, Biege interior, 16" 5 spoke alloys, DIS, Open Sky, Elec rear windows.
 
Gav

I think the switching arrangements are done so that with the front fogs on you can reduce the glare from dipped beam by switching down to side lights. I've had to do this on a couple of occasions on the moor roads arround me, they suffer from low cloud and the light from dipped beam just bounces back at you.

Your rear fog going off with main beam makes sense, if you can use main beam, visibility must be good enough not to require a rear fog,

Andrew - 2003 1.4 TDI Silver Climate
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top