Foglights on Today FM now

Brabus

Another thing about having your fog lights on constantly is your fuel consumption goes up by something like 5-10% more than when not in use.

Though I suppose a lot of people wouldn't know that.

The father has an annoying habit of leaving them on in the jeep(Landcruiser) so when I get in to drive it I have to check to turn them off before I drive off. One day the guards are gonna stop him and tell him to wise up.
I can see it becoming a penalty points offence if it hasn't become one already.

fastrac

What bugs me is the AA roadwatch crew telling people to switch them on at the first sign of a wisp of fog fifty miles off the coast

Wertz

Biro wrote: »

And I don't agree with turning on your foglights when overtaking a truck. The mist is never so bad that a car completely disappears in it.

Well we'll have to agree to disgaree on that one....just last week on the M1, I saw not one but two cars completely disappear in the wall of spray being thrown up from some lorries being passed on the inside lane...it was twilight (4pm) and they already had their lights on, but their taillights were obscured for the time it took for them to pass the trucks. It's no good being able to see brake lights in that situation because it may already be too late...having the fogs on for 10 seconds isn't going to kill anyone and may help avoid a collision.
That's my take on it.

[edit] Just back from going out to the shop (half a click away) and of the 20 or so cars I passed, at least half of them had their front fogs on. Of these there were six SUVs...ALL of which had their front fogs on. These are the worst offenders IMO because the lights themselves are higher and when sitting beingd you are almost directly focused on the rear view mirror.
How exactly flashing, beeping or anything else is going to even register with these morons is beyond me...most of them seem oblivious to other road users already...probably think you were warning them of a hceckpoint...

Berty

Here is what I am taking away from all of this and maybe everybody on here should.

We are good(most of us) and we do not use our fog lights except for the intended purpose.

No amount of complaining on here, the Irish Times or Matt Cooper will change a damned thing. The demographic that listen to Matt Cooper, read the Irish times are mostly not the people that need targeting.

You will be blue in the face complaining about people coming at you with broken headlights, incorrect use of their lights or any other contentious issue being commented on here. I got my complaining down to a "Jesus" these days and then Im actually in the car alone. Who am I talking to??

If you want to be the person who gets out in traffic and knocks on somebodies window then sooner or later you will get a smack in the mouth or worse.

Its nice to vent our disgust at certain road practices but lets lighten up ever so slightly. We are not all Obama, we are not going to change the world.

lightening

Wertz wrote: »

I saw not one but two cars completely disappear in the wall of spray being thrown up from some lorries being passed on the inside lane..

Yeah, I have come across this with heavy surface water on dual carriageways and motorways in the midlands and the West.

Anan1

quirke_folder wrote: »

You will be blue in the face complaining about people coming at you with broken headlights, incorrect use of their lights or any other contentious issue being commented on here. I got my complaining down to a "Jesus" these days and then Im actually in the car alone. Who am I talking to??

If you want to be the person who gets out in traffic and knocks on somebodies window then sooner or later you will get a smack in the mouth or worse.

Its nice to vent our disgust at certain road practices but lets lighten up ever so slightly. We are not all Obama, we are not going to change the world.

You're right, of course. On the other hand, if driving around with fogs on resulted in your being flashed regularly then you might reconsider.

slimjimmc

You're assuming they are aware their fogs are on and have made that quantum leap in recognising the link between the two or even care.

For dazzlig rear fog lights.... enlarge, print and paste to windscreen:

P.C.

Wertz wrote: »

Whilst we're oin the subject something that annoys hell out me is people who stand on their brake pedal whilst stopped at lights, when it's obvious it'll be more than a 10 seconds. Can these people not use a handbrake? Some car's brake lights, especially the high one are every bit as bliding as rear fogs.

I thought that I was the only one who was annoyed by this.

Mostly automatic cars - put the car in D at the beggining of the trip, and back into P at the end of the trip. Anything else, such as waiting at the lights, use the brakes - don't take it out of D :eek:

Alanstrainor

P.C. wrote: »

I thought that I was the only one who was annoyed by this.

Mostly automatic cars - put the car in D at the beggining of the trip, and back into P at the end of the trip. Anything else, such as waiting at the lights, use the brakes - don't take it out of D :eek:

Are you saying that when driving an auto you should leave it in drive all of the time? If so, i agree!...but if not...taking it out of D at lights kind of defeats the purpose of an auto. I agree with the pet hate about people sitting on their brakes for extended periods, pop on the hand brake and chill:pac:

Type 17

P.C. wrote: »

I thought that I was the only one who was annoyed by this.

Mostly automatic cars - put the car in D at the beggining of the trip, and back into P at the end of the trip. Anything else, such as waiting at the lights, use the brakes - don't take it out of D :eek:

I have an auto (DSG, actually, but no clutch pedal anyway), and if I'm stopped for more than about 5 secs, I always put it in P when stopped on the level and N + handbrake when on a hill... I hate getting blinded by handbrake amnesiacs too.

P.C.

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Are you saying that when driving an auto you should leave it in drive all of the time? If so, i agree!...but if not...taking it out of D at lights kind of defeats the purpose of an auto. I agree with the pet hate about people sitting on their brakes for extended periods, pop on the hand brake and chill:pac:

Type 17 wrote: »

I have an auto (DSG, actually, but no clutch pedal anyway), and if I'm stopped for more than about 5 secs, I always put it in P when stopped on the level and N + handbrake when on a hill... I hate getting blinded by handbrake amnesiacs too.

Thanks Type 17.

Alanstrainor

Type 17 wrote: »

I have an auto (DSG, actually, but no clutch pedal anyway), and if I'm stopped for more than about 5 secs, I always put it in P when stopped on the level and N + handbrake when on a hill... I hate getting blinded by handbrake amnesiacs too.

Okay, i just have to say, when driving an auto box, they are designed to be left in D for the duration of the journey. The only time P should be used is when parked. As for putting the car in neutral, it's pretty much pointless, and only serves to but undue strain on the gear box. Leave the car in drive and apply the handbrake, the torque converter is there to negate the need to put the car into neutral.
Seeing that most irish drivers learn to drive manual transmission cars, when they finally get around to driving auto's, old habits die hard, and they seem to make something so simple, unnecessarily difficult.

Type 17

Hasn't broken yet! (4.5 years old, we've had it 2 years last weekend)

Doesn't have a torque converter: (DSG Gearbox explanation)

Does save some fuel (live consumption in trip computer is around .6 l/hour in D and .3 l/hour in P or N)

I never wanted to sit with my foot on the brakes as the lights of others' cars annoy me - I tried the handbrake, but the car would squat at the back when I released the footbrake (anti-rollback function for hill starts), and I got sick of pulling the handbrake all the time anyway, so flicking it into P when I stop is easier (shift-gate is straight, BTW).

I only put it in N when stopped on hills as the interlock on P gets jammed with the weight of the whole car resting on it, and then it's hard to pull out of P :eek:

Anyway, back on topic: the car has front and rear fogs and I have only ever used them once and that was about 20 minutes after driving the car away from the dealer in Yorkshire - thick fog on the moors north of Manchester when heading for the ferry!

Biro

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Okay, i just have to say, when driving an auto box, they are designed to be left in D for the duration of the journey. The only time P should be used is when parked. As for putting the car in neutral, it's pretty much pointless, and only serves to but undue strain on the gear box. Leave the car in drive and apply the handbrake, the torque converter is there to negate the need to put the car into neutral.
Seeing that most irish drivers learn to drive manual transmission cars, when they finally get around to driving auto's, old habits die hard, and they seem to make something so simple, unnecessarily difficult.

The man speaks the truth. First time I drove an auto I was doing the same, putting it in neutral at long lights. But then I questioned my motive to do so and I read up on it and apparently it's recommended not to take it out of D at lights.

TheNog

quirke_folder wrote: »

I take it you were on duty otherwise vigilante springs to mind.

Was that the only reason you stopped him? If so, no wonder they feel victimised, young people that is. Would you have chased down and stopped a middle aged man in a suit and a Ford Mondeo if he had his fogs on?

If that was not the only reason the fair enough its none of my business.

I dont have a problem with people using their fogs. They dont affect me ever unless its a Micra or an old shape Almera or a SUV/Jeep or of course an Impreza.

No it wasn't the reason I stopped him. We were doing a checkpoint. And I don't go chasing people around to get them to switch them off cos then I wouldn't get any work done.

I'm sure the young lad didn't feel victimised but enlightened about the fact that 'spotlights' are a marketing gimmick as foglights don't sound as good and that he was commiting an offence too.

To me it doesn't matter if they are young or old.

Actually the worst case I had was a 60ish yr old woman that I stopped at a checkpoint in August at about 1am. She had her parking and foglights on. I asked her to switch off the foglights and turn on her dipped lights. The look of pure confusion on her face so I showed her where the foglights switch was. Thing is neither of the dipped lights were working and hadn't been working since she bought the car in November!!! She got a bit nasty with me when I refused to let her drive the rest of the way home.

Berty

TheNog wrote: »

Actually the worst case I had was a 60ish yr old woman that I stopped at a checkpoint in August at about 1am. She had her parking and foglights on. I asked her to switch off the foglights and turn on her dipped lights. The look of pure confusion on her face so I showed her where the foglights switch was. Thing is neither of the dipped lights were working and hadn't been working since she bought the car in November!!! She got a bit nasty with me when I refused to let her drive the rest of the way home.

Too right. I remember a few winters ago the Gardai did a massive check point just before a roundabout on the dual carragieway. Dont worry folks, very slow moving traffic all the time.

I noticed a lot of cars were pulled over with Gardai pointing at headlights. I was hoping there was a change in the law and people were being fined at best. I was only a very fresh driver but I was still disciplined enough to make sure my car was road worthy.

Im afraid it was only a flash in the pan.

Wathcing the Fiat Traffic core vehicle in Limerick today with one missing headlight just made me "tut" because you cant tell them their business but they would happily tell your yours. Life is odd that way.

Also Nog, may I ask? Well Im going to anyway,

Is it true from checkpoints that most people actually dont know their own registration numbers??????? A Garda told me this at a checkpoint. I believe it was his way to see am I slurring my words late at night. He was taken aback when I recited my very long number plate off the top of my head. I thought this was common sense to know this. Maybe you can enlighten me.

Padraig Mor

TheNog wrote: »

he was commiting an offence .

Just out of interest: what law specifically bans the use of foglights in non-foggy conditions? I was under the impression there was no specific prohibition against them (not trying to justify their use here BTW).

TheNog

quirke_folder wrote: »

Wathcing the Fiat Traffic core vehicle in Limerick today with one missing headlight just made me "tut" because you cant tell them their business but they would happily tell your yours. Life is odd that way.

Besides the fact the patrol cars are usually on the road for about 20hrs day, there is normally a tender to a particular garage in each district for fixing and supplying parts for the cars including light bulbs. For us to get say a replacement bulb a guard has to notify a Sergeant who then rings the Depot to get a job number and then we go to the garge with the job number and get a replacement bulb.

Seems a bit silly to me tbh cos if the bulb goes on a Friday evening we cannot get a bulb until Monday. More often than not guards will buy the bulb from their own money and try to claim it back from the district budget.

quirke_folder wrote: »

Is it true from checkpoints that most people actually dont know their own registration numbers??????? A Garda told me this at a checkpoint. I believe it was his way to see am I slurring my words late at night. He was taken aback when I recited my very long number plate off the top of my head. I thought this was common sense to know this. Maybe you can enlighten me.

Yes that is true. Believe it or not but some people don't even know the car's make and model which they are driving. Its more women than men though.

Alun

TheNog wrote: »

Seems a bit silly to me tbh cos if the bulb goes on a Friday evening we cannot get a bulb until Monday. More often than not guards will buy the bulb from their own money and try to claim it back from the district budget.

You could always do what is law in many countries on the continent and carry a spare bulb kit like I do. Hardly rocket science. In fact, buy a new car over there, and generally you'll get one in the glove box thrown in for free. I asked for one when I bought my current car here and the garage looked at me as if I had two heads.

Berty

Alun wrote: »

You could always do what is law in many countries on the continent and carry a spare bulb kit like I do. Hardly rocket science. In fact, buy a new car over there, and generally you'll get one in the glove box thrown in for free. I asked for one when I bought my current car here and the garage looked at me as if I had two heads.

My Passat has a compartment for a first aid kit in the boot which is an extra you can buy. In other EU countries this is a standard part.

Anyway, imagine the Gardai having to splash out on a spare bulb kit. They would end up spending a fortune first off and Im sure somebody would have to set up a committee to look into the feasability of it and come back in 2-3 years with their suggestions.

Type 17

quirke_folder wrote: »

...would have to set up a committee to look into the feasability of it and come back in 2-3 years with their suggestions.

Don't be silly, it could never be done that quickly...

vibe666

the best way to sort out the fog/spot light problem is to have a law that gives other road users the legal right to ram people off the road and kick the living shoit out of them for their dazzling (literally) ignorance of other road users.

maybe even extend it to people who don't know what lane to use at a roundabout or on motorways too.

but then I've always been a bit of a liberal.

Heroditas

I know that some people don't find fogs too blinding but it's far far worse if you wear glasses IMO. I find that fogs and also full beams can be extremely dazzling if I'm wearing my glasses. If I'm wearing contacts, it really isn't a problem but I'm not supposed to wear them all the time.

blackbox

People are getting the front foglights issue out of proportion. They have a low flat beam, and do not dazzle any more than dipped headlamps (unless they are mis-aligned, of course, but that is a problem for any lamp)

What about people who drive with no lights, or with only parking lights - now THAT is what I call dangerous. At least when people have their front foglights on I can see them coming.

Rear foglights are a different story - very irritating to drive behind and can "overpower" the brake lights.

whiterebel

vibe666 wrote: »

the best way to sort out the fog/spot light problem is to have a law that gives other road users the legal right to ram people off the road and kick the living shoit out of them for their dazzling (literally) ignorance of other road users.

maybe even extend it to people who don't know what lane to use at a roundabout or on motorways too.

but then I've always been a bit of a liberal.

Where does one sign up to your party?

CL32

When stopped at lights (more than 10 seconds) I use my brake lights to illuminate any females drivers behind me so I can get a good look at them. I also strap a 100 metre measuring tape to my car so I can demonstrate to a guard my exact visibilty should I be stopped for using my front fogs to illuminate the substandard boreens I pay hundreds of pounds in tax to maintain.

I don't have front fog lights (and I'm not a rear view mirror stalker) but I would use them if I had them. Never been blinded by oncoming or following foglights. My high horse is called 'no lights'. I know its June, but its overcast and its hard to judge your distance at motorways speeds when its dark and wet, please turn on A light.

Redderneck

blackbox wrote: »

People are getting the front foglights issue out of proportion. They have a low flat beam, and do not dazzle any more than dipped headlamps (unless they are mis-aligned, of course, but that is a problem for any lamp)

What about people who drive with no lights, or with only parking lights - now THAT is what I call dangerous. At least when people have their front foglights on I can see them coming.

Rear foglights are a different story - very irritating to drive behind and can "overpower" the brake lights.

Agree with you. Surely a light is only going to be dazzling if the thing is misaligned - or am I wrong on this? It's just that in 20 years of driving I've never said to myself, 'jebus, I wish that guy would turn his fogs off...'. Rear fogs, yeah, all the time unfortunately, but never been dazzled by oncoming front fogs.

Wertz

Something I noticed last night...an increasing number of dopes driving around in the dark with their sides and fogs but NOT their dipped/main beams on. Christ on a bike. All the flashing in the world doesn't get the message across either.

L-M

Pulling out of my estate the other day and some one came at me with no lights on. I flashed them to let them know, and lets just say i got only but rude gestures

su_dios

Redderneck wrote: »

Agree with you. Surely a light is only going to be dazzling if the thing is misaligned - or am I wrong on this? It's just that in 20 years of driving I've never said to myself, 'jebus, I wish that guy would turn his fogs off...'. Rear fogs, yeah, all the time unfortunately, but never been dazzled by oncoming front fogs.

I am a firm believer in daytime running lights and I really think people need to step back on this thread and jump down off their high-horse! Fog lights, when there is no fog around, have no or little affect to lighting the road. They do however make a car more visible which is far from a bad thing! The more lights the better..providing they are not dazzling in any way! I drive a golf and on the golf they are not bright or dazzling(I have made sure so as not to cause any problems). The colour of the car also means that I feel safer with the extra two lights on. However, each car is different.

Now..how many people moaning on this thread have xenons?! These are far more dazzling than fogs and rarely aligned properly.

I'll just clear this up also.. rear fogs are a big no! Fogs on 4x4s, extra bright fogs(those feckin micras!) and high level fogs. I have never been dazzled by low level fogs and xenons or ultra bright dipped lights are a far bigger problem. My god..people on the motors section on boards.ie really are an awfully moany bunch!

Btw I have read that in England it is now acceptable to use foglights as daytime driving lights providing a dimmer bulb is used. It used to be an offence to use them.