Wanted: Sniper

Hagar

What about sitting in stop start traffic for miles to the toll booth with some gimp in a jeep behind you with his dipped xenon headlights blazing into the car from about 2 metres giving you third degree burns on the ears and the back of the neck? Do you think he could safely manage on side lights while he is vitually parked in three lanes of stagnant traffic? Now that gets on my wick big time.:mad:

311

I'm really sorry to be so ignorant about fog lights ,but exaclty how beneficial are they???

I was going to get out of my car a few times and challenge the muppets for no headlights ,but there would be no point ,they wouldn't see me coming and probably drive over me.

TempestSabre

Whats the difference between spotlights and fog lights?

http://www.rsa.ie/NEWS/News/MISUSE_OF_FOG_LIGHTS_AND_FAULTY_VEHICLE_LIGHTS.html

Ah... I guess this is it...

http://www.cheshire.police.uk/modules.php?module=faqs&action=showmain&faqIndex=L

Lights - What are the rules regarding lights on my vehicle?
To drive a vehicle at night, all of the necessary lights must be attached, clean and in good working order.

Fog lamps:

Front fog lamps are not obligatory but if fitted must be white or yellow in colour, used in a pair and must not cause undue dazzle or discomfort, nor be used except in seriously reduced visibility. They must be clean and in good working order.
Rear fog lights are obligatory on a vehicle first used on or after 01.04.86. They must be red in colour and must not cause undue dazzle or discomfort, must not be lit whilst vehicle is parked nor to be used except in seriously reduced visibility.
Where two are fitted both must work. Where one is fitted it must be fitted to the centre or the offside of the vehicle. They must be clean and in good working order.
The driver must be able to see the lights are on by way of a visual indication (warning light) inside the vehicle.

Spot lights:

Spot lights or additional headlights can only be used in a pair and in conjunction with full beam headlights and should not be capable of being illuminated without the operation of the obligatory headlights.

Rabies

6ix wrote:

I must say, that I never thought of front fog lamps as a problem. I've been drving for the last 5 years, and clocked up plenty of mileage around the country, yet I've never found front fogs in any way dazzling. That includes meeting traffic, and cars behind me. Mis-aligned dips are much more frustrating for me.

Rear fogs, are a different story, I have to pull over/overtake rather than drive behind a glaring rear fog light.

I would be the same. Front fogs lights don't bother me at all. I hate people that put their rear fog light. Argh... My mother was always at this when she had a Primera.

saobh_ie

Forget sniping the fog lights, just take out the driver, the offending vechile will then hopefully plough into a wall rendering all the lights inoperable.

Also for the people driving around with only one head, tail or brake light. I would love to take a hammer to thier working light leaving them with none! The Gardaí would do something then.

(All of the above is posted with humourous intent as per the OP.)

TempestSabre

saobh_ie wrote:

....Also for the people driving around with only one head, tail or brake light. I would love to take a hammer to thier working light leaving them with none! ...

Unless you do a light check everytime you get into the car, its often diffcult to see if a bulb has gone. Rather than cup holders there should be a warning on the dash about the bulbs.

Alun

TempestSabre wrote:

Unless you do a light check every time you get into the car, its often difficult to see if a bulb has gone. Rather than cup holders there should be a warning on the dash about the bulbs.

Agree 100% there ... in this day and age of advanced car electronics, fitting a blown bulb indicator on all new cars should a) be easy, b) cheap and c) be compulsory.

Having said that, doing the occasional bulb check is a good idea. Often you can do it just by observing reflections in windows while sitting in your own driveway.

Gerry

Heres some high quality documentary evidence, taken on a canon EOS450D ( not released in europe yet)

TempestSabre

Alun wrote:

....Often you can do it just by observing reflections in windows while sitting in your own driveway.

Depends on the driveway. I generally do when in traffic against the other cars. But since I'm not a robot, I don't do it everytime.

TheBazman

First of all the legal issue - from what I am reading it is illegal to use fog lights(spot lights) in incorrect conditions. Based off this I would estimate anywhere from 20 - 40% of drivers break this law. I think we should forget about discussions on the legality of it - first of all it has been covered before, secondly you will always have people breaking the law - how many people regularly exceed speed limits, how many do not fully stop at a stop sign...etc I would estimate that this would be at least 40%. We should take it as a given that certain people will always break the law - nothing that is said here will ever change that

I also think a distinction needs to be made beween rear fog lights and front fog(spot) lights. Personally front fog lights on a car behind me have never bothered me especially at dusk or night. Are they any more distracting than just having regular dipped beams behind you? In reality they are not (imo). I think some people just get a bee in their bonnet about it. This morning I had someone come up behind me (while I was waiting to move into slow lane) with bi-xenons and they were really blinding, far more than any fog lights. Bi-xenons are not illegal. I'm dont think we have had too many threads about people having cars with bi-xenons behind them distracting them.

Of course rear fog lights (in incorrect conditions) are a different matter - I dont think anyone can approve of this. I would imagine that most people that have them on dont even know it. I think all you can do is if you overtake give them a give flash of your own rear fogs.

Finally, an aside - we really should try not to be so sensitive and defensive on Boards. Its getting so common now that threads getting overtaken with a couple of people on their high horses throwing insults at each other. If someone makes a point you dont agree with, by all means dispute the point. There is no need in getting into a slagging match about it

Phew!

saobh_ie

TempestSabre wrote:

Depends on the driveway. I generally do when in traffic against the other cars. But since I'm not a robot, I don't do it everytime.

I am a robot, I check the bikes lights in all modes while warming up the engine at the start of every journey, I have spares and all nessesary tools with me.

The car I check at least once a week. I have spares for most of the bulbs and have the tools nessesary to replace them with me.

Company vechiles, I do a walk around and check everything, on every (rare) occasion I have cause to use one. There's never spares or tools.

It takes the guts of five seconds to check the bike and ten to check the car, thirty if I'm checking brake as well as tail lights. All the bulbs in the bike can be replaced within sixty seconds of getting tools in hand (many don't even require tools). The tail light bulbs in the car can be done quicker with no tools, I don't honestly know about the head lights but I assume they're probaly just as handy.

TempestSabre

saobh_ie wrote:

....

The car I check at least once a week. I have spares for most of the bulbs and have the tools nessesary to replace them with me. ...

It takes the guts of five seconds to check the bike and ten to check the car, thirty if I'm checking brake as well as tail lights. ...

You'd wonder then why you can't be bothered to check the car every journey.

saobh_ie

Because I'm unlikley to die if the lights aren't working in the car. On the bike riding around without a tail light or any other bulb head or indicator lights could potentially result in my death or worse.

TempestSabre

saobh_ie wrote:

Because I'm unlikley to die if the lights aren't working in the car. On the bike riding around without a tail light or any other bulb head or indicator lights could potentially result in my death or worse.

Very selfish, what about other bikers when you are in the car?

saobh_ie

LOL. You got me, I should check all the lights every journey, not just the start of the day (bike) and start of the week (car).

TempestSabre

saobh_ie wrote:

LOL. You got me, I should check all the lights every journey, not just the start of the day (bike) and start of the week (car).

You should pull over every so often aswell, or better again just check with the reflection from other cars, shop windows. Hang on did I not suggest that at the start....:D

omega man

Front fogs should not be the issue here. It's rear fogs that are the problem. As fas as i know the law governs the use of rear fogs only. Front fogs have no effect on oncoming traffic or traffic in front and if anything it is safe. What about the idiots who only turn their lights on in total darkness? That is an issue of far greater importance than front fogs for gods sake. Usually its the people with no front fogs are the ones complaining. Ok, yes its an image thing but it is safe and doesn't distract other road users imo.

TempestSabre

One problem with someone driving either on fogs or sidelights is that in poor light makes the car look like its further away than it actually is. Also many muppets have bi-xenons or colour lights in their fog lights which are distracting and often too bright to see past. Which is why I assume they say that spots should come on with main beams never seperately, and fogs only in bad conditions.

Alun

omega man wrote:

As fas as i know the law governs the use of rear fogs only.

Then you'd be wrong.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZSI189Y1963.html

44 (2) In sub-article (1) of this article, "fog lamp" means a lamp fitted to a vehicle so as, when lit, to show a light to the front of the vehicle and intended for use only in fog or while snow is falling.

49 (8) Where a vehicle equipped with a fog lamp within the meaning of article 44 of these Regulations is used in a public place, such lamp shall be used only in fog or while snow is falling.

Anyway, aside from the legal issues, it's superfluous, totally unnecessary light, whether it's glaring, blinding or not.

lightening

In fog the luminosity of the light is diffused by the fog. When there is no fog it is difficult for oncoming drivers to see indicators if the fog light is on because of the relative brightness of the fog lights (in comparison to the indicators) this is why it is illegal to drive in no fog with your fog lights on. Athough some of you think they are not dazzling they are bright compared to your indicators. You may say this is not the case, but it is.

Seth Brundle

lightening wrote:

Athough some of you think they are not dazzling they are bright compared to your indicators. You may say this is not the case, but it is.

Those that tend to say that they don't dazzle tend to be sitting behind the light!

endplate

Lightening you should work for L'oreal you can do the science bit in the ad's:D