Fog light usage in the night...

[Deactivated] on 31/08/2016 - 07:41

Hi All,

Just wanted to bring up this topic, as I have noticed a lot of cars with fog lights turned on during late evening/night.

According to VicRoads:

https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/vehicl…

Using your vehicle lights incorrectly can make it difficult for other drivers to see. Incorrect use of fog or driving lights can result in a fine and loss of points from your licence.

Road Rule 217 states that drivers must not use front or rear fog lights unless driving in fog or other hazardous weather conditions that cause reduced visibility. They must be switched on separate from the main beam (high beam) and dipped beam (passing) headlights.

Fog lights should only be used in hazardous weather conditions. Drivers should familiarise themselves with the dashboard warning symbols so that they do not inadvertently switch these lights on.

Looks like it might be against the law to use the fog light when the conditions do not warrant it.

Do you use fog lights on a regular basis on the city roads (if your car has them)?

Automotive

Comments

  • drakarn_123 on 31/08/2016 - 07:46

    Careful guys! This could be the coppers tryin'a trap us!

    • [Deactivated] on 31/08/2016 - 07:50

      Damn! Blew my cover already.

  • Ryanek on 31/08/2016 - 07:53

    This and people who refuse to zipper merge are one of my pet peeves.

    • eatwell365 on 01/09/2016 - 06:53
      -1

      Just out of curiosity, would you let a car which just speeds pass 20 cars (queuing up in middle lane) from behind and "zipper merge" in front of you from the slow lane with dotted give way line?

      • Ryanek on 01/09/2016 - 08:04
        +2

        That's not a zipper merge, that's being a douche bag. A zipper merge is when two lanes of traffic merge into one and you take turns giving each other way. Some people will go out of their way to not let you in.

    • magic8ballgag on 01/09/2016 - 08:45

      I feel like the people that don't comprehend zipper-merging are those that don't use their fog lights outside of their legal scope.

  • 2jzzzz on 31/08/2016 - 08:38
    -2

    Is darkness not reduced visibility?

    • [Deactivated] on 31/08/2016 - 09:35

      Night driving is not a hazardous condition, especially in the city.

  • garffi on 31/08/2016 - 08:49

    Only trips to the snow otherwise no. Why would you need fog lights on city roads? There's plenty of street lights and cars around.

  • tomleonhart on 31/08/2016 - 10:10

    Nope. I've only used Fog Light twice.

    Once in Canberra at 6am and another time in Sydney at 7am when heavy fog is present.

  • captobvious on 31/08/2016 - 10:12
    +1

    I've seen some DRLs that are brighter than fog lights that come standard on a vehicle.

    • spackbace on 31/08/2016 - 10:46

      But DRLs don't come on with anything else. A few people drive around with both headlights and foglights - that's illegal.

      I sell many cars is fogs, I pretty much just summarise what the law states (which is generally a case of 'dont worry about this button!') - Use them when it's foggy, but only with your low beams, not with your headlights.

      • magic8ballgag on 01/09/2016 - 08:48

        Use them when it's foggy, but only with your low beams, not with your headlights.

        Low-beams are headlight globes.

        • spackbace on 03/09/2016 - 16:38

          Park lights, I knew what I meant :P

    • magic8ballgag on 01/09/2016 - 08:47

      The difference being that DRLs are LEDs and designed to not glare other drivers, fog lights use halogen globes and aren't adjustable like headlights.

      • Euphemistic on 01/09/2016 - 15:53

        Fog lights are designed to point low at the road, cutting under the fog. They shouldn't be pointing anywhere near a drivers eyes.

        I pulled up behind a black car this morning and noticed the foglights on in my Forester. Wonder how long I've been driving around with them on since the last 'inclement weather'? I often don't turn the lights off as the Subaru lights only work with the ignition on. The only time I turn my fog lights on is in heavy rain or occasional fog, I do often forget to turn them off again though.

      • captobvious on 01/09/2016 - 16:22

        What is actually worse is people who retrofit HID to their vehicles. Absolutely blinding

  • denuto on 31/08/2016 - 11:00

    Most people who use them, use them as "Look at me" lights

  • narcoleptic-haze on 02/09/2016 - 17:42
    +1

    They can be annoying, but I find it more annoying when the car has mis-aligned lights where one or both are actually pointing upwards directly into the back of your car. This seriously seems to happen at least a couple of times everytime I drive at night. If I look at my lights they shine just below the rear window of the car in front.

    If your lights are lighting up the inside of the car in front like a small sun, they're not aligned correctly!

  • michael_123 on 02/09/2016 - 22:02

    I've been pulled over before for using them. This was 3 hours east of Perth in the middle of nowhere at 9pm. Cop was coming in opposite direction, turned around and pulled me over. I played dumb and he didn't issue me an ticket.

    Whilst it is against the law, my opinion is in the middle of nowhere in areas where there's an abundance of wildlife, then you need all the light you can get. In the city/suburbs though, there's no need and it's just people who think they look nice.

    • Euphemistic on 03/09/2016 - 06:55

      I was of that opinion too initially. Then when someone mentioned that because fog lights illuminate immediately in front of the car this distracts your vision to being too close to the car and means you don't see as far down the road I tested the theory and agree. I find it makes it worse to light up the road just in front of the car more and reduces what you can see, especially on low beam. Proper driving lights or spotlights are a different story.

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