Plea for Reduced Fog Lamp Use

[cbob]

Had occasion Sunday evening to follow an XC down our local Squeamish Hiway in the dark. There was no fog, but the XC had its rear fog lamp on.
Man is that thing bright when you are stuck behind it in traffic! And it seems to be positioned right at eye-level.
Perhaps the driver was "compensating" for a missing right headlamp, by turning on all the other lights in the vehicle.

No doubt the rear foglamp is a welcome safety feature when you are crawling along in heavy fog, and need to be seen by rear-approaching traffic, but if you don't need it, please turn it off as a courtesy to others behind you.

Thanks.  

Cmdr. B.

[Chipshot]

I wonder whether some people don't just consider fog lamps to be decorative.  The ones on my SVT Contour were a great help when trying to find dropped keys.

[NeuDaddi]

When my wife and I picked up our XC70, the dealer made the point of telling us that the rear foglight is very irritating to drivers and should only be used in really bad driving conditions.  I responded by asking if it was a good tool to get other drivers to stop riding your bumper.

I haven't used it once and probably won't unless there is some really serious fog around here.

[XCMark]

Have never used it, (and really haven't even checked it out yet! ) but I have to wonder, how many here use the front fogs when there is no fog? I see lots of other cars have them and everybody uses them... looks like 4 bright lights... I'm all for being visible, but wondered how many use them. They have to be turned on manually for the XC, but our Maxima, they stay on if you have them turned that way...Me, I use them in fog of course, but also during the 'in-between' times of day, early morning sunrise, and dusk.

[Chipshot]

I actually received a recall notice for my 1981 Mazda GLC instructing me to bring the car in for modifications because the tail lamps were too bright.  Call me rude, but I filed that notice in the car's glove compartment and never bothered to have the fix made.  I actually thought it was a good thing.

I have driven behind plenty of cars with rear fog lamps and never found them to be blindingly bright.  Perhaps one has to be tailgating to be irritated.  Seems fair to me.

[hrd_rok]

on a related note, a friends 70 yr father (S60) told me one of his tricks for tailgaters was to simultaneously hit the rear fog and the gas, so when the gater brakes, he's gone... thought that was kind of humourous.

[budrichard]

Hitting the rear fogs was easier when both lit as on the old 740's. The habit of keeping the fronts on to look cool is quite distracting as on many vehicles they are very bright. Most individuals I have talked to don't seem to care that they are causing a safety problem for the oncoming driver. Please turn OFF those FRONT and REAR FOG LAMPS unless in real fog! -Dick

[littlewaywelt]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (budrichard @ Dec. 04 2003,14:05)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Hitting the rear fogs was easier when both lit as on the old 740's. The habit of keeping the fronts on to look cool is quite distracting as on many vehicles they are very bright. Most individuals I have talked to don't seem to care that they are causing a safety problem for the oncoming driver. Please turn OFF those FRONT and REAR FOG LAMPS unless in real fog! -Dick[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I turn my front fogs on anytime the road is dark or there is rain. &nbsp;If they improve my lighting, they go on. &nbsp;I don't consider these fog lights. &nbsp;I consider them driving lights. &nbsp;On the XC I don't think they are bright enough or aimed high enough to distract other drivers to the point of causing temporary blindness, but they do add a &quot;notice me factor,&quot; &nbsp;which, in my opinion will help keep the idiots from smacking me. &nbsp;I use the rear fog in fog, very heavy mist or snowstorms for the same reason. &nbsp;I also use the rear fog for ppl that have high beams on behind me and tailgaters.

[pico de luuks]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (littlewaywelt @ Dec. 04 2003,14:47)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I turn my front fogs on anytime the road is dark or there is rain. *If they improve my lighting, they go on. *I don't consider these fog lights. *I consider them driving lights. *On the XC I don't think they are bright enough or aimed high enough to distract other drivers to the point of causing temporary blindness, but they do add a &quot;notice me factor,&quot; *which, in my opinion will help keep the idiots from smacking me. *I use the rear fog in fog, very heavy mist or snowstorms for the same reason. *I also use the rear fog for ppl that have high beams on behind me and tailgaters.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Dito, for the front fogs. The rear ones will probably never be used here in Virginia Beach. Back in the Low Countries there will be more use. (both weather and tailgater wise)

[North Coast XC]

Despite an indicator on their instrument panel, I have had friends not realize they've been driving around with their fog lamps day and night and probably since they bought the car! &nbsp;I think this is the case with many drivers.

I use them for fog period. (well, occasionaly when there is heavy snow or rain too)