Driving with fogs lights on

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Now that evenings are darker and a lot of morning and evening commutes require headlights to be on its the annual recurrence of the obnoxious drivers with their front fog lights always switched on.

Its dark. There is no fog. Your headlights do a good job of making you visible and lighting up the road ahead. Why do you have them on?!

We already have enough to deal with in the form of big SUVs and their overly bright, high angled Xenon/LED headlights blinding us. We don't need your fog lights too!

I notice maybe 1 in 10 cars with their fog lights on have one broken. I assume they dojt realise. They look like numpties. Quite often posh cars too

My understanding is that whilst normal headlights can be automatic, fog lights almost certainly have to be manually turned on in every type of car. So if you are someone who puts their fog lights on when it's dark please can you explain the thought process that's going on in your head as you turn them on?

AIBU to think drivers who have fog lights on when it is merely dark and there is no fog are a nuisance?

Some front fog lights on newer cars double as directional lights so on comes on as the car turns a corner....

I'd love to know the thinking behind this too. Many moons ago an old boyfriend of mine was pulled over for driving at night with front fogs on when it wasn't foggy but that seems to have gone by the wayside (as do the rules around not driving with a front or rear light out).

Yes, absolute toasters. They get a flash of the fog lights and then main beam from me. Cunts.

Or tossers! What a great autocorrect!

It's illegal to drive with fog lights on when not needed. Police can issue 3 points

I suspect a lot of people have had them on going through a thick fog patch and then forgotten to turn them off. I've often noticed when I've seen a lot of traffic coming towards me with fog lights on when there's no fog where I am... a little way up the road I'll hit a thick fog patch, so probably a lot of that going on. Doesn't excuse it but it's probably one of the main reasons.

@gizlotsmum I didn't know that. Have you driven such a car? Can the driver even notice the difference?

On one of my regular journeys the pain in the arse are the oncoming fog lights and overly bright SUV headlights one one side and the oncoming pavement cyclists on the left with extra bright flashy lights. Totally blinding.

I have and actually you can. I thought it was mental and it drove me mad when my husband followed me home in it, but it did make a difference in dark corners down country lanes...

bella is that front and rear fog lights? I knew it was for rear but not front ( not that my current car has front fog lights)

It is definitely illegal. I drove a new car out of the garage and must have knocked the fog lights as wasn't sure of all the switches.
Was pulled over by the police on the motorway and given a stern warning

Bad enough people having them on for no reason on a normal day, but leaving them on after there has been fog is lazy as fuck, it's almost as if they think they can't turn them off until they reach their destination. If you're sitting in traffic and can see 1000 yards ahead of you, you don't need your rear fog light on anymore. Half the time you don't even need them on to begin with, people see a smattering of fog, and shit their pants and put them on for some reason.

Modern cars don't tend to have front fog lights, they have running lights. Which come on with the engine and cannot be turned off.

Scandinavian cars (volvos) have had them for years, not sure when they were introduced into the rest of Europe but my guess is that it's been a law change about 6 years ago.

I think mine were rear lights. But the officer said fog lights dazzle so I assume even front ones could dazzle the person in front of you in their mirror

Modern cars have fog lights..trust me. And they can definitely be turned off!!

Yes! Massive bug bear of mine, fog lights make no difference when you’re in traffic

My front fogs have to be switched on. It’s a 2.5-year old car and I am meticulous about turning them off. I hate being dazzled.

Front fogs used to be physically lower down than the usual headlights and in either case focused nearer you, as usual headlights simply light up too much fog, leaving a 'wall' of white.

Modern cars don't tend to have front fog lights, they have running lights. Which come on with the engine and cannot be turned off.

Many cars have both

Also, cars with automatic running lights on the front only - drives me nuts in dim/misty weather when the car in front is blissfully unaware that they're almost invisible from behind. Who thought that was a good idea?!

@AvoidingDM I know what daytime running lights, usually a thin LED strip. But these are full foglights being on in clear weather. Some cars you can see the running light strip, normal headlights AND the big foglights lower down on the bumper are all switched on.

Will anyone on here own up to switching fog lights on and explain why they do it?

Perfectly clear in central Cambridge tonight and I saw about 10 cars with them on... On roads with street lights and lots of traffic about

Think you may be getting confused with spot lights and fog lights. Lots of cars come with driving lights, spot lights AND fog lights. I’ll put money on most of them having their spot lights on, not their fog lights.

I feel your pain OP. Worst of all are those who drive simply with the fog lights on (and side lights). Totally devoid of brain.

I did pop mine on the other day because a warning came on when I got in the car that one of my headlights wasn’t working and I had to get home along some dark roads but I got out to check if they were dazzling before setting off (looked similar brightness to the headlights)and was watching out for people flashing me but I think they would realise why I had them on.

I did then notice other drivers had them on which I thought was odd but they aren’t dazzling like full beams. I have a Volvo with lights always on but fog lights are separate.

Think you may be getting confused with spot lights and fog lights. Lots of cars come with driving lights, spot lights AND fog lights. I’ll put money on most of them having their spot lights on, not their fog lights.

I think you might be getting confused. Driving lights/spot lights are basically the same thing and are auxiliary lights which illuminate when you activate main beam. Struggling to think of a current car which has them as standard but they’re an accessory for MINIs. Fog lights are activated by a separate switch and will require a minimum of sidelights to be on before they will operate. I’ll put money on you not having a clue what you’re taking about.