foglight assault

[GasoLane]

Oh good.Yet another fog/cornering lights thread.

As some would know they are called Wan#%er or Lame )Look At ME) lights for a reason...that's all they're good for.

Like Mother Nature I also drive at night on open highways and they're a pain, imagine if everyone had them on, we would all have to look at twice as many oncoming lights every night!!

Having said that I think the OP was very hard done by. Even if he only had one headlight using the fog lights WAS driving safer.

Originally Posted by geckoGT

Apart from the fact that fog lights use the same wattage as the low beam (no brighter @ 55w) and are aimed lower (so they project under fog, not into it) so it is impossible for them to shine in your eyes.

Wattage means nothing (I have two Cibie Oscar driving lights, also 55w each) and you are also assuming they are aimed correctly. Most aren't.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Seduce XR6

Foglights on vehicles such as XR6's or Territories are not bright & do not make it dangerous or blind oncoming drivers one little bit.

AND

Originally Posted by geckoGT

Apart from the fact that fog lights use the same wattage as the low beam (no brighter @ 55w) and are aimed lower (so they project under fog, not into it) so it is impossible for them to shine in your eyes.

you are just plain wrong. they may be 'the same brightness' as low beam, but when you have low beam AND fogs on, you are doubling your light output. if the road is wet, you get a reflection off the road because fogs are mounted very low, giving even more light into the oncoming driver.

it was only banned because some tools use them when not necessary. Still i do think it shouldn't be a penalty and a fine, as that's too excessive. to the OP, My sister got done for having fogs on when her headlight failed (but only one, not both). Did you consider you might have an electrical issue since both blew at the same time?

Finally, i think twits who don't dip their lights are more of a menace.

now can we

[MotherNatureVer2]

Originally Posted by Seduce XR6

And looky here what I found on a current thread in the Territory section:

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11303586

These extra bright bulbs are the dazzling ones even at low beam, but plenty like them & nobody complains re being blinded by them do they?

I do .... another reason my eye sight must be poor ..... having to contend with these every day!!!!!

[kermey]

Originally Posted by scoupedy

Take it to court and the judge will in all likelyhood let you off just tell them you were heading to the closest servo not home

Since when did servo's start selling car parts again? All i ever see now is a mini shopping center.

I would have done the same thing as the OP.

[Fireblade]

Unforunate luck to the OP, I hope the powers that be can fix this up.

I'm with some on here, I don't use my driving lights for fear of being booked using them, I know the law and me and the other half abide by it. But on the other hand I see plenty on a daily basis that do use them, probably for no other reason than they think they look cool, but at the same time they don't blind me or bother me, now 4wds on the other hand with lights that are at eye level blind me.

Petty law really but it is law and we should abide by it, seems the OP just had the most rotten luck in blowing both low beam globes so close together. Good luck with it as I would rather see you use the driving lights to get home than no lights at all.

[scoupedy]

Originally Posted by BleedBlue

When you say foglights are these also called driving lights i.e the lights on the underside of the front bumper? I thought foglights were yellow as white does not cut through fog? If so I fail to see the issue with having these on, I drive past people that have them on and it doesn't bother me in the slightest and definately don't shine in my eyes. There are some new cars with just their low beam's on that bother me but not these.

I turn them on in my Territory and they shine down and to the sides. Not sure what the fuss is all about......

The fuss is THEY ARE ILLEGAL UNLESS IN FOG- only one pair of lights are legal and needed plus you are in a territory which sits higher.

[scoupedy]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

And lets also point out that in a B series you can not replace the right side globe without removing the battery, not something you can do at a servo without a 10 mm and 13 mm spanner and a lifting tool for the battery..

I can in under 10 minutes just need some mechanical ability

[scoupedy]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

And lets also point out that in a B series you can not replace the right side globe without removing the battery, not something you can do at a servo without a 10 mm and 13 mm spanner and a lifting tool for the battery..

I can in under 10 minutes just need some mechanical ability fact is they are illegal and heaps of people find them annoying

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Wattage means nothing (I have two Cibie Oscar driving lights, also 55w each) and you are also assuming they are aimed correctly. Most aren't.

I will disagree with you there, most are aimed correctly because they are set by factory and never adjusted.

Banning them because some fools adjust them incorrectly is just stupid, they should ban all headlights then because I see many more people with incorrectly adjusted low beams than I see with with poorly adjusted fog lights.

To understand this we all need to understand the difference between a driving light and a fog light. A driving light is equal or greater wattage to the low beam and aimed up to assist high beam, it also has to be linked to the high beam dip switch. A fog light is able to be operated without the low beam and is linked to the park light and operated by a separate switch. Colour may be either yellow or white and it is aimed lower than the low beam so that it projects light under the fog without the light bounce back that low beam causes. The terms fog light and driving light are not interchangeable. Driving light and spot light are commonly interchanged.

As for the light reflecting off the wet road from fog lights and blinding you, may I suggest you look up a bit and not worry about what lights the other car has on. A low beam will also at some stage reflect off a wet road and bounce into the eyes of oncoming drivers. Considering both a fog light and a low beam have a high level of diffusion they are unlikely to cause blinding of oncoming traffic as the light concentration is not high enough. This is certainly backed up by my driving experience (of which there is a lot because I drive as part of my job).

Personally I do not see what the issue is in my experience, but a law is a law so I will comply even though I think the law is a complete load of crap that is a result of attitudes.

Dont do too much night driving in the bush then?? These lights, I can assure you, DO hurt the eyes of drivers of oncoming vehcile particularly when there is no other street lights available.

I actually do a lot of driving in the bush and have for many years, driven across this country many times amongst many other trips. If you read my post you would realise I said "urban and semi-urban", this does not mean the bush does it? There is no need to use driving lights or spotties in a urban or semi-urban area and they certainly present more of a safety issue to other motorists than fog lights yet the laws against their use is hardly ever enforced. Many people with them use them when law prohibits this in areas equipped with street lighting.

My point was in my experience the same people that protest about the use of fog lights illegally are often the same people that use driving lights illegally. I have come across this many times.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by scoupedy

I can in under 10 minutes just need some mechanical ability

I challenge you to change a right side headlight globe on a BA/BF without any tools.

[scoupedy]

Originally Posted by kermey

Since when did servo's start selling car parts again? All i ever see now is a mini shopping center.

I would have done the same thing as the OP.

TO BUY SOME BULBS!!!! or attempt to !!! its called being responsable

[scoupedy]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

I challenge you to change a right side headlight globe on a BA/BF without any tools.

I drove a cab that blew the drivers bulb everytime it hit a puddle got lots of practice and you have to jam your arm in there plus it gets a little dirty. Bring one over i charge $300/bulb
Bring it on actually not much mechanical ability just need to know how it all works

[RG]

Originally Posted by scoupedy

TO BUY SOME BULBS!!!! or attempt to !!! its called being responsable

OK so once you have bought said globes how to you propose they are changed over without tools?

[scoupedy]

Originally Posted by RG

OK so once you have bought said globes how to you propose they are changed over without tools?

Passenger side is quite easy, drivers is a pain in the ar$e but if we (cabbies) don't change them straight away they cops will pull you over and put you off the road until fixed i.e "go to the nearest servo if we see you again without it being fixed we will fine you"

[irlewy86]

Originally Posted by mrbaxr6t

heres one for you guys : I work nights and left for work from home noticed my cars' headlights seemed a little odd, But I got to where I needed to be and checked it to discover I was down a lowbeam filament in my headlights so I made a mental note to get new globes tomorrow. I did my shift and got in my car to return home when the other lowbeam filament blew which meant I was driving with parkers So I did the most logical thing I could think of and turned my foglights on so I could see where I was driving to get home. On my way home I was pulled over for using my foglights when it wasn't foggy I explained to the officer that I had to as my headlight globes blew earlier, he got mad and told me he was going to defect my vehicle because I didn't have working headlights I told him that I felt that was excessive given that the globes just went and that I was forced to use the foglights (reason he pulled me over) so that I could see to get home safely.

What the hell is the world coming to when use of foglights is such a horrible offence, I would have thought the cops would rather see me get home safely over having an accident and injuring myself and/or others which I also told him. He gave me a fine for use of foglights when no fog or some other such crap (havn't even read it handed it to a solicitor)

Driving with foglights is against the law but I would have thought driving with NO lights is wrong against the law and insane. My car has now had some new globes put in it and everything works but for the fine.

I thought I would post this story to warn others of the impending danger of using foglights under any circumstance other than fog will attract a fine

You should contest it at court mate. The idea behind the law is to prevent road accidents because of dazzled drivers. You had a light out so you used the next best available thing. You would have been a greater danger on the road with one headlight out. This fine is a joke.

[ebxr8240]

Originally Posted by MotherNature

Whilst I can understand your upset over this I am also glad that the cops at least somewhere are onto this topic.

I travel 160KM round trip every day & the return trip is at night on country roads with no lighting at all. I am constantly bombarded with oncomming cars with fog lights on ..... they might dip the high beam but have no idea how powerful these fog lamps can be.... although I am sure most of them have higher rating bulbs in them ...... they would do jack it the fog.....

IF they are fog lights they shouldn't be blinding you.. They are driving lights as they are set much higher and have stronger globe, pencil beam..
Tmk..New cars I have seen are NOT fitted with fog lights...
Most Jap imports have fog lights as my95 WRX has with 45watt globes and deffractive glass cover..
Contest it in court ...

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by MotherNature

Dont do too much night driving in the bush then?? These lights, I can assure you, DO hurt the eyes of drivers of oncoming vehcile particularly when there is no other street lights available.

Lets call it a daily experience for me!!

We have been over this time after time.. In the Falcons they are a standard 55watt globe, and put out the same output as the headlights, only difference is they have a globe cover.. Yes there are some cars that have higher wattage foglamps, eg. VY SS that are actually much brighter, but generally most cars only run a 55 wat foglight bulbs.

[RG]

Originally Posted by scoupedy

Passenger side is quite easy, drivers is a pain in the ar$e but if we (cabbies) don't change them straight away they cops will pull you over and put you off the road until fixed i.e "go to the nearest servo if we see you again without it being fixed we will fine you"

You must have very, very, very small arms and hands and also be somewhat of a contortionist.

[RG]

Originally Posted by bfiipursuit

We have been over this time after time.. In the Falcons they are a standard 55watt globe, and put out the same output as the headlights, only difference is they have a globe cover.. Yes there are some cars that have higher wattage foglamps, eg. VY SS that are actually much brighter, but generally most cars only run a 55 wat foglight bulbs.

I think the problem with some of them is not so much the lights themselves but more so the fact that they are incorrectly aligned.

Where a slight nudge of a bumper on a curb won't affect the headlight alignment it can affect a fog/driving lights alignment.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

I challenge you to change a right side headlight globe on a BA/BF without any tools.

I can.. But i have no mechanical ability, just had to replace lots of them!! me = fat hands!

[MotherNatureVer2]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

*snip*

I actually do a lot of driving in the bush and have for many years, driven across this country many times amongst many other trips. If you read my post you would realise I said "urban and semi-urban", this does not mean the bush does it? There is no need to use driving lights or spotties in a urban or semi-urban area and they certainly present more of a safety issue to other motorists than fog lights yet the laws against their use is hardly ever enforced. Many people with them use them when law prohibits this in areas equipped with street lighting.

My point was in my experience the same people that protest about the use of fog lights illegally are often the same people that use driving lights illegally. I have come across this many times.

I do beieve I was refering and had quoted pnly the part of your post that stated that it was impossible for these fog lights to blind you. I didnt refer to any part of the spot/driving light statement as I agree with that statement.

A point, in fact, is that yes in the city where there are other street/house/business lights defusing the darkness these lights do not hurt your eyes.

When you are in total darkness as I am for the 80km of my daily trip any extra lighting such as fog lights/spot lights/driving lights (yes I do know the difference in them all) will hurt the eyes of oncoming drivers.

The only time I have found this not to be the case is if I am driving our Courier ute as my eye level is a lot higher.


Bottom line - it is illegal
Lower than bottom line - life and situations are not all the same from the city to the country............ There are many variants in life

[BPXR6T]

Couldn't be more different here. Local copper advised me to fit a set of the brightest fog lights I can get and use them whenever I travel at night. Wall to wall roos around here.

[scoupedy]

Originally Posted by RG

You must have very, very, very small arms and hands and also be somewhat of a contortionist.

Yeah i do but its -"where there is a will there is a way" after getting fined i think the poster will find a way too

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by MotherNature

I do beieve I was refering and had quoted pnly the part of your post that stated that it was impossible for these fog lights to blind you. I didnt refer to any part of the spot/driving light statement as I agree with that statement.

A point, in fact, is that yes in the city where there are other street/house/business lights defusing the darkness these lights do not hurt your eyes.

When you are in total darkness as I am for the 80km of my daily trip any extra lighting such as fog lights/spot lights/driving lights (yes I do know the difference in them all) will hurt the eyes of oncoming drivers.

The only time I have found this not to be the case is if I am driving our Courier ute as my eye level is a lot higher.


Bottom line - it is illegal
Lower than bottom line - life and situations are not all the same from the city to the country............ There are many variants in life

Explain to me how a same wattage bulb that is aimed lower will appear brighter than a low beam (as the standard falcon fog lights are), in any conditions.

The whole topic has been done to death 6 years ago on here and not one person has been able to provide any evidence of how a correctly adjusted euro compliant fog light (as the falcon fog lights are) can blind anyone.

Before anyone tries, do not state that they are illegal because some are poorly adjusted as this reason for law would require the banning of all lights and therefore all night driving, many low beams are poorly adjusted too.

End of the day, I think the law is a crock and the subject is really boring but who really cares, over it.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by MotherNature

I do beieve I was refering and had quoted pnly the part of your post that stated that it was impossible for these fog lights to blind you. I didnt refer to any part of the spot/driving light statement as I agree with that statement.

A point, in fact, is that yes in the city where there are other street/house/business lights defusing the darkness these lights do not hurt your eyes.

When you are in total darkness as I am for the 80km of my daily trip any extra lighting such as fog lights/spot lights/driving lights (yes I do know the difference in them all) will hurt the eyes of oncoming drivers.

The only time I have found this not to be the case is if I am driving our Courier ute as my eye level is a lot higher.


Bottom line - it is illegal
Lower than bottom line - life and situations are not all the same from the city to the country............ There are many variants in life

I do approx 5000 kms a month, highways, country, night and day time and the cars that I find worse are 4wds towing trailers with incorrectly positioned headlights that blind me, or the numb nuts who drive around and forget to dip high beam. Lucky for me i have 530 watt of light on my XR6 now and can easily give a few arrogant people a nice suprise.

Foglights dont bother me, having said that on the FG falcon they are that dull and useless i never turn mine on unless its early morning and it is actually foggy so people can see them below the fogline.

Another thing htat drives me insane is these nob truck drivers that have 200 LEDS all over their trucks, some of the LEDs they use are more intense then headlights and blind you / are a huge distraction.. yet the RTA / Police do nothing about them.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

Explain to me how a same wattage bulb that is aimed lower will appear brighter than a low beam (as the standard falcon fog lights are), in any conditions.

The whole topic has been done to death 6 years ago on here and not one person has been able to provide any evidence of how a correctly adjusted euro compliant fog light (as the falcon fog lights are) can blind anyone.

Before anyone tries, do not state that they are illegal because some are poorly adjusted as this reason for law would require the banning of all lights and therefore all night driving, many low beams are poorly adjusted too.

End of the day, I think the law is a crock and the subject is really boring but who really cares, over it.

Your 100% correct, i only have to park either of my cars in my garage and look at the light they put out against the wall, its a joke..

Ill take some pics tonight.

[XR8320]

I'm okay with the foggies on but I do agree I struggle with some of the new brighter light upgrades as well as misaligned headlights. The foggies on the Fords are to low to really get in your eyes.

[MotherNatureVer2]

OK so maybe I didnt explain the fact that extra amounts of lighting at any wattage will increase the amount of light being shown from the front of a vehicle.

In explaination, what happens when we light 1 candle. There is light...... now add another candle ..... there is double the light .......

Now bear with me ...... both candles emit the same light power individually but when you have two together they double the amount of light ......

Getting my drift ??

It is not the fact that they are set lower on the vehcile. It is not the fact that they are 'only' 50w.

The fact is that there are extra lights there that when used in a totally dark environment it illuminates more than what is seen in the city.

Sorry for those who understand this .... I actually thought it was not that hard.....

[Peter B - CV8]

To the OP,
Mate, you did exactly what 99% of other people would have done in the same circumstances. The only problem was that you got pulled over by an unsympathetic police officer. Suck it up & mark it down as one of lifes experiences - albeit it a costly one.

[RG]

Originally Posted by MotherNature

OK so maybe I didnt explain the fact that extra amounts of lighting at any wattage will increase the amount of light being shown from the front of a vehicle.

In explaination, what happens when we light 1 candle. There is light...... now add another candle ..... there is double the light .......

Now bear with me ...... both candles emit the same light power individually but when you have two together they double the amount of light ......

Getting my drift ??

It is not the fact that they are set lower on the vehcile. It is not the fact that they are 'only' 50w.

The fact is that there are extra lights there that when used in a totally dark environment it illuminates more than what is seen in the city.

Sorry for those who understand this .... I actually thought it was not that hard.....

I understand what you are saying. I live in a regional area where any highway driving = no light apart from the moon and headlights. I don't however see fog lights as an issue though. Misaligned headlights, people who put massive wattage globes in etc I do have a problem with but not fog lights.

That being said different people have different tolerances to light and whilst you may be sensitive to it not all people are, myself included..