A warning.

[jaymanek]

I dont see what all the fuss is about.

Fog lights usually point directly to the ground and cannot glare anyone unless they are incorrectly set up.

I know thats the case on all of my cars.

 

[Apial]

Fuss over nothing. I had my Xenon DRLs specially activated on my MINI so that some half blind motorists can see me before they pull out. I thought it was going to be mandatory for ALL EC cars to have them fitted?

I know the DRLs work becuase I get admiring flashes from old guys travelling in the opposite direction. I do have to be careful though to not mistake this admiration for a speed trap that they are flashing their lights about. LOL

In daylight it is pretty poor if someone is dazzled by a front foglight for heavens sake. I'd rather think that if someone has thier fog on then someone's life might be saved.

 

[and11]

Dazzle

Im sure not everyone makes it up when they say they get dazzled by fog lights, i'd say 60% of the time i do, many times its from the boy racer cars, and 4x4's. I was pulled a few year ago for having them on when i had 4x4, the police actually done a u turn on busy road to pull me even though they saw me switch off as they approached. It was a genuine mistake though as i just bought the vehicle and the demister switch was right beside the fog light switch and switches were lit the same in dark. I find many of these newer 4x4's dazzle a bit, fog light or not, especially on a country road in wet conditions, but i never had a problem with lorries.

 

[psmart]

I dont see what all the fuss is about.

Fog lights usually point directly to the ground and cannot glare anyone unless they are incorrectly set up.

I know thats the case on all of my cars.

In Germany/Austria with the material/finish they use for the roads, when its raining or the ground is wet, the road acts like a mirror and reflects the light up which dazzles. Foglights can dazzle you in these circumstances.

 

[star]

What annoys me are motorcycles driving with their main beam on during the day. I find that my eyes are drawn towards the lights and they sometimes really hurt with the intensity of their lights.
SWS

But at least you see them, small consequence if you consider if you didn't see them.

 

[NewMB]

My previous car was a new shape Volvo S40.I got the daytime running lights disabled prior to delivery,but it has a downside.When you're driving and the sun goes down the instrument lights come on automatically,so it's very easy to forget to switch on your lights.At least until you get used to it.
I work in Sweden & from a bikers point of view daytime running lights(on cars) mean that bikes with lights on don't stand out as they do over here.Stupid idea if you ask me.

What exactly is the stupid idea? The idea of having DRL's on in Sweden so everybody can see you (as it does really work!) or bikes who doesn't stand out?

DRL's are standard across many countries in Europe and sooner rather than later, this will be mandatory even in the UK. I can never understand why some people decides to switch off their Volvo's DRL lights when they are on for a reason?!

During nights....well, obvious. At least some people do not have to move the switch to "ON".

During the day, in summer with sun, you can still see that car with the DRL's on better than the one before him with no lights.....

DRL's save lifes. Simple as that.

 

[psmart]

What exactly is the stupid idea? The idea of having DRL's on in Sweden so everybody can see you (as it does really work!) or bikes who doesn't stand out?

DRL's are standard across many countries in Europe and sooner rather than later, this will be mandatory even in the UK. I can never understand why some people decides to switch off their Volvo's DRL lights when they are on for a reason?!

During nights....well, obvious. At least some people do not have to move the switch to "ON".

During the day, in summer with sun, you can still see that car with the DRL's on better than the one before him with no lights.....

DRL's save lifes. Simple as that.

Firstly, I agree, lights on during the day help with visibility, and is law here in Austria during the winter months to have lights on during the day! But, and it is a big but, lights on 2x35Watt for 1 hour per day per 22 million vehicles = 1,540,000,000 Watt/Hours of electric, powered by a vehicle which is at most 36% efficient converting fossil fuels into rotary motion, how many people are dying through not being seen and how many die through pollution directly or indirectly as a result? Multiply this figure up by all the cars in Europe and we might as well return to open coal fires!

 

[NewMB]

Firstly, I agree, lights on during the day help with visibility, and is law here in Austria during the winter months to have lights on during the day! But, and it is a big but, lights on 2x35Watt for 1 hour per day per 22 million vehicles = 1,540,000,000 Watt/Hours of electric, powered by a vehicle which is at most 36% efficient converting fossil fuels into rotary motion, how many people are dying through not being seen and how many die through pollution directly or indirectly as a result? Multiply this figure up by all the cars in Europe and we might as well return to open coal fires!

All of Scandinavia + Finland, Russia, most if not all East European countries have laws for DRL's 24/7.

As for pollution, that may be so. Still find it hard to see that having lights on adds so much to a cars green credentials. But what is a life worth compared to some pollution?

I know what my choice would be.... hence the reason why both I and the wife always drive with the lights on (DRL).

 

[television]

In Sweden driving lamps are used by pedestrians, when they see a car with the lights on they know that it is moving, a handy safety reason

 

[hawk20]

In Sweden driving lamps are used by pedestrians, when they see a car with the lights on they know that it is moving, a handy safety reason

How's that? Do the lights go out when it stops at junctions, traffic lights, crossings etc?

 

[NewMB]

How's that? Do the lights go out when it stops at junctions, traffic lights, crossings etc?

No, what he means is that when a car in Sweden has it's ignition on the lights are on automatically. There is no option (on most cars) to even switch them off.

A pedestrian who sees a car with lights on, knows the car is either driving or has it's engine on.

The police can & will stop you if no lights are on.... hefty fine!

 

[coxyhog]

In this country it is against the law to drive without dipped headlights in poor visibility.
I see no reason to change that.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Day Running Lights

The Volvo V70 (estate), beloved of police forces around the UK has day running lights as a standard fitment. (when the engine is on, the headlamps are on).

A number of forces seem to have disabled this facility and run without them. Given that the evidence which demonstrates that such lights enhance the visibility of the vehicle and improve safety is both long established and persuasive, their logic defeats me.

 

[drivinggod09]

The police turn the DRL off so they are camoflaged into all the other big white volvo estates on the road, Maybe if they didnt put thug like meatheads behind the wheel of them they wouldnt stand out so much.

 

[television]

There is a switch where you can turn them off on my V70R by inserting a spike into the switch on the dash

 

[roadhog]

There is a switch where you can turn them off on my V70R by inserting a spike into the switch on the dash

On the later ones (P2 onwards) it requires a trip to the dealer and many of them refuse to turn the DRL off.

As an aside, I've just activated them on my BMW (via the famous i-drive) as I think they're beneficial. Whereas the fog lights only get used in foggy conditions. Even though it's a BMW!

I've never understood why car makers aren't required to put a simple relay into the fog lamp circuitry which resets the lights when you turn the ignition off, the amount of cars I see with (rear) fog lights still on a couple of days after the actual event is staggering.

It should be (I'm almost certain it is) an offence to use the fog lamps in good visibility but that would rely on someone actually policing it rather than just putting up speed cameras (but that's a whole new can of worms... )

 

[jberks]

On the later ones (P2 onwards) it requires a trip to the dealer and many of them refuse to turn the DRL off.

As an aside, I've just activated them on my BMW (via the famous i-drive) as I think they're beneficial. Whereas the fog lights only get used in foggy conditions. Even though it's a BMW!

I've never understood why car makers aren't required to put a simple relay into the fog lamp circuitry which resets the lights when you turn the ignition off, the amount of cars I see with (rear) fog lights still on a couple of days after the actual event is staggering.

It should be (I'm almost certain it is) an offence to use the fog lamps in good visibility but that would rely on someone actually policing it rather than just putting up speed cameras (but that's a whole new can of worms... )

More and more manufacturers are following MB with switch designs that rule out leaving the wrong light config on. Still MB did come up with it over 30 years ago so I suppose it could take a while for the rest to catch on. The worst offenders used to be the Japanese who fitted fixed on/off fog light switches near the kick panel where drivers couldn't see them.They later added warning lights on the cluster but most of their drivers are too thick to know what they mean. Then again, how many cars do you see (or not see) coming towards you in poor visibility with no lights or just some crappy 5w side lights on?

What frustrates me is that it would be so easy to police. No clever cameras, no radar vans, no ANPR, just 3 coppers standing at the side of a main road. 1st identifes them, second waves them in,lines them up and the 3rd wanders down the line writing tickets. Just think of the revenue! I'd have no sympathy. After all, it's either stupidiy or arrogant carelessness and in either case, I'd rather not share a road with them.
Never seems to happen though.

 

[st4]

Having read this, it seems outrageous the OP has to pay a fine for such an offence and smacks of blantant money raising and once again the persecution of the British motorist is all to clear to see.

He could have just be told to switch them off, given a warning and sent on his way.

 

[NewMB]

Having read this, it seems outrageous the OP has to pay a fine for such an offence and smacks of blantant money raising and once again the persecution of the British motorist is all to clear to see.

He could have just be told to switch them off, given a warning and sent on his way.

This is exactly what happened to me once.

Driving along on a single A road. Doing 30, get waved in by a "hiding" police officer. No-one else. Police officer gives me crap about the foglights being on. I say "I must have, by misstake, flicked on the switch". Ok. No probs and I am no my way.

Saying that, I was driving the Volvo 850 at the time, a car they also had.... quite easy to flick the on switch for the fogs by misstake.

 

[st4]

This is exactly what happened to me once.

Driving along on a single A road. Doing 30, get waved in by a "hiding" police officer. No-one else. Police officer gives me crap about the foglights being on. I say "I must have, by misstake, flicked on the switch". Ok. No probs and I am no my way.

Saying that, I was driving the Volvo 850 at the time, a car they also had.... quite easy to flick the on switch for the fogs by misstake.

But at least your weren't fined. Cops might was well be HMRC officers these days.