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30 Pound Fine For Front Fogs 15 Mins Ago What A Joke


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I *think* the R8 etc have that row of white LED lights wired to the ignition, in much the same way as motorbikes have since roughly 2003.

Nightmare for bikers, if/when the legislation comes in that mandates this for cars. People have a hard enough time seeing us as it is, now we're just gonna be one more light amongst many.

wasnt there talk not so long ago to bring us in line with european driving that we have to have our lights on all the time like volvos

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Fines have been given out for this for many years, police just dont care normally. I know someone who was always let off as they just blamed the auto lights an didn't realise the fogs where connected to it. ;) Just a petty fine like the numberplates one I read recently, who's to say I cant be stopped every night an they say I had them on when I didn't if theres no proof.

They certainly dont dazzle as much as many 4x4 or truck drivers lights so I find that excuse total non-sense, I don't use them when not needed due to fact I cant afford to get caught by a bored plod. So in theroy there fines are working ;) against me anyway lol..

Never understood the neon rules, the lights are shining under the car, they are not hurting anyone.

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Yep it's illegal when it's not foggy, but I've also never heard of anyone getting an actual ticket for it - just a warning to switch them off and they let you on your way.

If I'm 100% honest, I don't get what all the fuss is about regarding fog lights, they're not dazzling in the slightest as they point at the ground. Case in point, I had a car behind me the other day that just had his sidelights and fog lights on, and it was so much nicer not having his headlights shining through my rear screen, I was getting no glare at all.

It's even worse when you get a range rover with xenons come up behind you, as that's the perfect level to shine straight through the rear screen. I never use my fogs as I don't see the point, but they point at the ground so I couldn't care less what anyone else does with them............

Didnt read your post before my rant lol, or I could of just sayed totally agreed with you ;)

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Fines have been given out for this for many years, police just dont care normally. I know someone who was always let off as they just blamed the auto lights an didn't realise the fogs where connected to it. ;) Just a petty fine like the numberplates one I read recently, who's to say I cant be stopped every night an they say I had them on when I didn't if theres no proof.

They certainly dont dazzle as much as many 4x4 or truck drivers lights so I find that excuse total non-sense, I don't use them when not needed due to fact I cant afford to get caught by a bored plod. So in theroy there fines are working ;) against me anyway lol..

Never understood the neon rules, the lights are shining under the car, they are not hurting anyone.

heard of this before it all comes down to whether or not it says in the manual "driving lights" i have a set of LED "driving lights" hard wired into the mains. I agree with everyone else on this the lights on higher wheelbased vehicles are much more dazzling than fogs etc, again its just another revenue generation exercise funded by the motorist and another statistic to add to the roster. If there was the policeman around i'd ask him if it counted towards detected crimes but i haven't seen him in ages

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I once got a fine for this in my dads car, it was winter and it was misty, ok not really foggy, not reduced to 100m which is when you're meant to use fogs. I also got a £30 fine for it and i'm going back to 2005. It is a very chavvy thing to do, agreed, it was what seemed to be trend to drive round with fogs and side lights on, but now Xenons have taken over the trend so the chavs now drive round with 10k HID's!

I have Xenons fitted and definately don't see the point to fogs aswel.

As for the Audi's, they have DRL's which the driver has no control over. its across the range, standard on some models and part of a package on lower spec cars, i think its a great thing, you will certainly notice a car with its lights on before one with them off even in bright daylight which is the argument why from 2011 all new car will have to have DRL's. Alot of prestige marques already have them, Porsche, Audi, top spec new Vectra, facelift Laguna, top spec BMW's etc. I also agree motorbikes won't stand out as much when the law comes in but it won't apply to older cars. It aplies to buses as far back as 2002.

By the way, people who use rear fogs when it isn't foggy are just complete idiots! Especially when they only have one!

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been told off before by cops and best about it was they reversed up wrong side of main road to tell me. its good that they have thier own rules and can do what they want.

gutted for ya mate just ignore them

another law abiding citizen :lol::lol:

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Sorry mate but as a Traffic Officer he was right to give you a ticket, he could of just given you a warning and let you go but we are getting more and more call to hand out fines because of the nature as it can blind people and cause accidents.

From the Highway Code:

226

You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 236).

[Law RVLR regs 25 & 27]

236

You MUST NOT use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226) as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves.

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Had mine on in thick fog a few years ago and forgot to switch them off after it cleared. I came up behind a patrol car and got reminded I had them on when they gave a shout on their car PA system...just my reg. number followed by 'foglights off'! Would have been a bit pi**ed off if they had stopped me and handed out a fine though, as it was an honest mistake. I get annoyed with peeps who drive around with them on so flash mine to give them a reminder, but sounds like that may also incurr a fine if Mr Plod happens to notice :angry: .

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As far as i know your not ment to have them on when it's not foggy, but didn't know you can get a fine for it. Infact your the first person i have heard that has recieved a fine! Just like your not allowed to have neons under the car, blue windscreen washers etc.

you are as long as they dont flash

when i was 20 i got a £30 fine for them, i went to court to appeal and won!

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Do you not realise it dazzles oncoming drivers if it isn't foggy (or even worse when wet).

It used to be (and still is) the thing for sidelights & foglights for 3 series BMW Drivers,

please don't let it spread any further.

To be honest I'm glad you got the fine, (why have them on if it isn't Foggy ? )

the only 5 things that rates alongside it for stupidity on our roads are:- (in no particular order)

1 Rear Fogs on when it isn't Foggy

2 No Rear Fogs not on when it is very Foggy (especially on the Motorway)

3 Tailgaters

4 Driving under the influence of Drink or Drugs

5 Driving without valid Insurance, Drivers Licence, Tax, M.O.T etc

Sorry but pay the fine and don't do it again.

Wozza you missed out driving down the middle lane of the motorway when the 1st lanes empty :whistling:

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they will take about half an hour to give you a ticket for having your fogs on but if you phone saying someone stole your car they turn up 4 hours later or the next day and the guy in your car prob drove past them while they pullin someone for fog lights lol. aw well. lol

priorities

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sorry about the fine bud wat a pr..k the fogs on the is200 aint dazzling compared to the dredded NISSAN MICRA wow i always drive wit em on there the job for seeing close to the front of the car as the dips and heads are too far away ya no thats just tough bloody easy money for them :tsktsk: grr

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been told off before by cops and best about it was they reversed up wrong side of main road to tell me. its good that they have thier own rules and can do what they want.

gutted for ya mate just ignore them

another law abiding citizen :lol::lol:

i honestly have no respect for them. have never helped when needed and always there when you do somet tiny to give you the full rath of the law. and also can discriminate at their own disgretion.

i.e

owned a seat ibiza and had 2 leds on the washer jets on bonnet in red. very small. driving up motorway to a show at 70 just cruisin along and started gaining on a marked car. they sped up to about 70 also. next thing a 3series bmw and an audi a4 come past both of us at at very least 80-90mph. they turned a blind eye and pulled me over for my 2 leds during daylight and gave me a £30 fine, breathalised and a producer.

what would you say was more dangerous to the road users me or 2 cars prob racing until they seen cops then backed off a bit but still flew past.

if i knew how to start a poll i would just to see what people thought.

cheers

:angry:

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The colour of lights are used to determine in which direction a car is traveling. White or blue indicate the effective front of the car (Think about it, why are reversing lights white?) So red lights on the front of your motor could suggest (In poor lighting or conditions) that you are traveling in the other direction or applying your service brakes.... This is important information to other road users who tend to read the road to decide what actions they must take. Lights are different colours for a reason, not just to make your car pretty

If you need fogs to see so closely to the front of your car, then where on earth are you looking? You should be looking well ahead of you, not two feet in front of your car...

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I can't believe someone thought they would get a sympathetic ear by coming on here and complaining about getting a fine for being a fog light muppet! I hope this isnt the start of the invasion of the 'chav' element now the prices of the cars are dropping!

I am totally with Wozza on this one :)

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ok i agree fog lights are illegal, but i do use them when its dark, ie country lanes or narrow streets, they light up the sides of the road better so can see people / animals that may run into the roads.

i once asked old bill why fog lights are illegal when being pulled over for having them on, they said because it dazzles other drivers, i've looked at other cars with fog lights on and theyt dont dazzle me, what dazzles me is the old fart leaving his full beam on all the time. fog lights aint bright enough to dazzle the car in front, and they aim at the ground anyway. its a bit of a perfectic law to be honest. oh and i was let off because i came off country lanes where it was foggy and they couldn't prove 1 way or the other so they couldn't do me :D

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I agree with what's been said by most here - for those who drive with their foglights on, just consider this - when you see other people with their's on, do you generally think "wow, that's really cool", or is it the more likely option of "what a prat"?

Yes, foglights aren't always dazzling, but they are more likely to be as their beam pattern is not tightly controlled and cut off like those from headlights, and there has been many a times when I've had to hit the brakes because I've been totally blinded by someone's fogs. Here's another thought for - when blinded by bright lights, most humans sub-conscious reaction seems to be to head towards it! so if you must drive with them on for no reason, please fully expect for someone to plough into you!

That being said, I think the £30 fine was a bit harsh, a bit of a b*****king would have been more in order!

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would fog lights still be illegal if they wheren't as bright? ie putting a lower watt bulb in so there like side lights???

i dont like fog lights on some cars, but the spacing on the lexus being at the edges of the bumpers does look good, you must admit :P

mini-1.jpg

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I still don't get what all the fuss is about, I agree with most that I can't really understand the aesthetic benefit of having fogs on but in response to James above, when I see someone with their fogs on it doesn't bother me in the slightest - simply because it doesn't shine light anywhere near high enough to be a nuisance!

Has anyone on here actually ever been dazzled by fog lights? Or is it just a knee-jerk reaction to see someone with fog lights on and think "what a prat"? (although I'm not denying that in most cases that probably is the truth)

Agree about rear fogs though, those really are annoying when it's not foggy as they're really bright and at the perfect level to shine right in your face.

Not of much relevance here but I like Wozza's IC lights..........when used tastefully :whistling: :P

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ok i agree fog lights are illegal, but i do use them when its dark, ie country lanes or narrow streets, they light up the sides of the road better so can see people / animals that may run into the roads.

i once asked old bill why fog lights are illegal when being pulled over for having them on, they said because it dazzles other drivers, i've looked at other cars with fog lights on and theyt dont dazzle me, what dazzles me is the old fart leaving his full beam on all the time. fog lights aint bright enough to dazzle the car in front, and they aim at the ground anyway. its a bit of a perfectic law to be honest. oh and i was let off because i came off country lanes where it was foggy and they couldn't prove 1 way or the other so they couldn't do me :D

But if you cant see where the edge of the road is at the speed your driving, doesn't that ring an alarm bell to slow down?

Another way of looking at it, given you get about 1 - 2m of additional visability, what do you think the max speed you can go is that will allow you to stop in time to avoid that animal/person who cross you path in that distance?

Fog lights are not like normal lights in that they are made to create an intense low angle beam, the key word is intense, i.e. more light focused in a small area - this is why they cause dazzle as the light is not distributed over a larger area (i.e. lower intesity) but instead, if you have them on and go over a bump or dip, when you come over the bump or out of that dip, your higher than normal intensity lights may be at the right angle to hit the oncomming driver in the eyes. Your main bulb is 60W spread over a large area, your fog is 51W (same as your dipped lights) but focused over a narrow beam = more intense.

/rant

I have no problem with them being used when it is foggy, I even now mentaly make allowances for seeing them on when it isn't foggy all over... but using them as soon as it starts raining which seems to be the growing trend now (in addition to side lights and fogs for chav/boy racer element) is just plain stupid. People may as well drive round with their full beam on as when the fog light is reflected up, it is no less a blinding light. raaaarrrrrrr... now I am wound up LOL

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