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#1
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Fog Lights
Are fog lights really a necessity? I feel that, some time ago, a
manufacturer added fog lamps to its line as a cost-effective marketing ploy. Of course, all others followed suit. I have often seen drivers operating fog lights when totally unwarranted (forgot they were on?). |
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#2
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On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 13:32:56 GMT, "lynsam" >
wrote: >Are fog lights really a necessity? I feel that, some time ago, a >manufacturer added fog lamps to its line as a cost-effective marketing ploy. >Of course, all others followed suit. > >I have often seen drivers operating fog lights when totally unwarranted >(forgot they were on?). You are not alone in your skepticism, brother. In the vast majority of autos, they serve no more purpose than the dice hanging from the rear-view. A former contributor to this forum, George McDonald, is sorely missed because of his huge fund of knowledge (unless he's still here with a pseudonym). He pointed out several times that fog lamps were designed ONLY to allow the driver to determine where the edge of the road is in fog so thick that headlamps could not penetrate it even as far as the pavement. These conditions are almost NEVER encountered in 99% of the continental US, but when they are, one would probably be driving no more than 5 mph. How often do any of us encounter fog like that? While there are EXTREMELY rare owners who have legitimate uses for fog lamps, the overwhelming majority of fog lamps serve NO purpose other than flooding the retinas of oncoming drivers and thereby actually reducing to some extent the safety of the person "using" them. I think that fog lamps are so foolish that their implementation should be restricted in some way -- like overly tinted windows, driving exclusively in the left lane of freeways, faulty mufflers, etc. Turning them on when the weather's not inclement should be a minor misdemeanor. <let the flaming begin> Ron |
#3
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"lynsam" > wrote in message ... > Are fog lights really a necessity? I feel that, some time ago, a > manufacturer added fog lamps to its line as a cost-effective marketing > ploy. Of course, all others followed suit. > > I have often seen drivers operating fog lights when totally unwarranted > (forgot they were on?). Actually, I believe it is a case of those drivers being too ignorant or stupid to turn the fog lights off. Brian |
#4
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On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 13:32:56 GMT, "lynsam" >
wrote: >Are fog lights really a necessity? I feel that, some time ago, a >manufacturer added fog lamps to its line as a cost-effective marketing ploy. >Of course, all others followed suit. > >I have often seen drivers operating fog lights when totally unwarranted >(forgot they were on?). > > In the UK, it is an offense to drive with front or rear fog lights in operation when the visibility is greater than 100metres. As for notbeing able to turn them off - i had a little test in my wifes 96 town+country. The front fogs operate by pulling out the headlight dial when it is at the dipped 9low beam) position. When the lights are turrned off, the dial moves itself back in, thus extinguishing the lights, and requiring them to be manually enabled the next time. Rear fog lights, however (which don't seem to even be an option in the US, let alone standard) are often toggle-switched. Many's the person i've seen tootling around in their Ford fiesta with the bracketed fog light on, in broad daylight. (typically rear fog lights use the same wattage bulbs as brake lights, but are docused to give light in a 20-ish degree cone directly behind the car - very much a position/marker light. |
#5
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Milleron > wrote in
: > On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 13:32:56 GMT, "lynsam" > > wrote: > >>Are fog lights really a necessity? I feel that, some time ago, a >>manufacturer added fog lamps to its line as a cost-effective marketing >>ploy. Of course, all others followed suit. >> >>I have often seen drivers operating fog lights when totally >>unwarranted (forgot they were on?). > > You are not alone in your skepticism, brother. In the vast majority of > autos, they serve no more purpose than the dice hanging from the > rear-view. A former contributor to this forum, George McDonald, The surname is spelled "Macdonald". > is > sorely missed because of his huge fund of knowledge Yep. > (unless he's still > here with a pseudonym). He pointed out several times that fog lamps > were designed ONLY to allow the driver to determine where the edge of > the road is in fog so thick that headlamps could not penetrate it even > as far as the pavement. Not quite. Foglamps are supposed to provide *more* light at the pavement than headlights could alone in heavy fog. Few cars are actually equipped with "fog" lamps from the factory. Most of them are more properly called "auxiliary" lamps, and are more akin to "driving" lamps that are not supposed to be used in fog. My Integra has those. They're mostly useless under any conditions, actually. Aucxiliary lights in most of North America seem to be mostly provided as a "value-added" item used by automakers to help differentiate lower-spec models from higher-spec ones. > These conditions are almost NEVER encountered > in 99% of the continental US, but when they are, one would probably be > driving no more than 5 mph. How often do any of us encounter fog like > that? While there are EXTREMELY rare owners who have legitimate uses > for fog lamps, the overwhelming majority of fog lamps serve NO purpose > other than flooding the retinas of oncoming drivers and thereby > actually reducing to some extent the safety of the person "using" > them. > > I think that fog lamps are so foolish that their implementation should > be restricted in some way They are. In many jurisdictions, bylaws exist that restrict or prohibit usage in urban areas. Not that this gets enforced much... If you want some real bang-up information, try posting this exact thing to rec.autos.tech. There is one poster who works in the automotive lighting industry, and this specific subject is one of his sore points. -- TeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ |
#6
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flobert > wrote in
: > > Rear fog lights, however (which don't seem to even be an option in the > US, let alone standard) Manufacturers have been legally required to install rear fogs in the UK since about the early '90s, IIRC. An interesting snippet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn_signal#Rear_Fog_Lamps The vast majority of North American drivers will experience UK-style fog maybe once or twice in their entire lives. Rear fogs are not really necessary here. -- TeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ |
#7
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TeGGeR® wrote: > > The vast majority of North American drivers will experience UK-style fog > maybe once or twice in their entire lives. Unless there are Porsche enthusiasts nearby, many of whom fit a Bosch rear fog below the rear bumper, driver's side, as a "standard tweak". Then there are the Merc drivers who are oblivious to the rear fog in the tail lamp cluster being illuminated, day in, day out, day and night. |
#8
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"TeGGeR®" > wrote in message ... > > Manufacturers have been legally required to install rear fogs in the UK > since about the early '90s, IIRC. > > An interesting snippet: > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn_signal#Rear_Fog_Lamps > > The vast majority of North American drivers will experience UK-style fog > maybe once or twice in their entire lives. Rear fogs are not really > necessary here. Here in Nova Scotia it's fairly common to see vehicles with the rear fog lights. Or the brighter than usual rear tailight on the side close to the centre line of the roadway. Brian |
#9
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On 22 Aug 2005 21:23:29 GMT, "TeGGeR®" > wrote:
>flobert > wrote in : > >> >> Rear fog lights, however (which don't seem to even be an option in the >> US, let alone standard) > > > >Manufacturers have been legally required to install rear fogs in the UK >since about the early '90s, IIRC. Way before that. early 80s AFAIK.mid at the latest. > >An interesting snippet: >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn_signal#Rear_Fog_Lamps Interesting page. SEems to ahve been written by an american though who has little experiance of uk laws and practices. A clear example is "For this reason, many European vehicles imported to the United States have their rear fog lamps wired as brake lamps" Brake and fog lights typically use the same power bulbs, yes, but a brake light is not a focused beam, a fog light is, directed almost totally aft. They're designed to be intentionally bright from behind. Not good to dazzle with an intense pseudo brake light. > >The vast majority of North American drivers will experience UK-style fog >maybe once or twice in their entire lives. Rear fogs are not really >necessary here. ACtually, i have had more severe lack of visibility here in georgia in the last 3 months. One time, 5 weeks ago, visibility was so bad, i could barely see the lines even with my head out the window,5 feet in front of the vehicle. I was crawling at 10mph that night, and very wet. Was lucky it was my old caravan in fact, the length of the bonnet compared with the seat height, and the distance to the windscreen in any other vehicle i have is much worse. , than i've had in the last 7 years in the UK. Don't get me started about the last time i was in |
#10
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On 22 Aug 2005 21:23:29 GMT, "TeGGeR®" > wrote:
>The vast majority of North American drivers will experience UK-style fog >maybe once or twice in their entire lives. Rear fogs are not really >necessary here. Using the term vast majority is probably correct, but growing up in So. Calif. where I did, it was very common. More than once I turned in the wrong driveway trying to get home, and I have had to climb up a street marker post to read the street signs. Dust is another problem in the U.S. Lots of rear-end accidents when the dust blows. I think what's really needed is a powerful strobe-type light that really lights up the fog so you know there is something there. Dick |
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