“Agreed.

WE are now faced with oncoming vehicles having dipped headlights, daylight running lights AND fog lights all on blinding everyone. What are "daylight running lights" doing on at night anyway? What a stupid concept. Also why do you drivers sit with your foot on the footbrake at at traffic lights? Use your handbrake you lazy people and stop the glare of two 22watt brake lights blinding the driver waiting behind”

“Jack_Higgins
I completely agree. I have been driving for almost 40 years, during that time I've owned numerous vehicles which didn't have any fog lights fitted, I never once felt the need to have any fitted even though the standard lights then were nowhere near as bright and efficient as the lights are on todays cars.
My last two cars have been equipped with fog lights but I have rarely used them despite driving in some poor conditions, simply because modern headlights are now so bright and road signs are now so reflective that fog lights are no longer neccessary.
Visibility must be reduced to less than 100 metres before fog lights (front and rear) can be used legally but some drivers obviously think that it's cool to drive with fog lights on, I've even seen them used by boy racers on a beautiful clear summer night.
Other drivers obviously don't know the laws relating to them and switch them on when they see the faintest wisp of mist or when there is the slightest drizzle. If anyone doesn't think that fog lights dazzle perhaps they should try riding a push bike when it's raining and some moron puts their fog lights on.

The most important thing to do when driving in reduced visibility is to reduce speed, not to increase light output.

SolleyAtwell,
I fully agree with you on the brake light issue, some people are either too lazy or don't know how to apply their handbrake correctly, especially when stopped at lights on a gradient such as those at Cock and Bell at Preston. It's quite blinding sitting behind a massive 4x4 with all rear lights blazing out in your face.”

“QKhumba why are you attacking 4x4's? I have one and my brake lights are exactly the same layout and brightness as something like a Ford or Chrysler people carrier (and so is the size of my 4x4!, in fact some family people carriers are much bigger!!!!, and you are not complaining about those are you?)

The reasons why people use fog lights in the wrong conditions is totally unknown, apart from the fact that most (yes MOST) drivers nowadays don't know how to drive nor do they know what the road traffic laws are nor what the highway code contains.

They just do what they like and no-one (yes that's the traffic police I'm having a go at) seems able to stop them.

I'll suggest that 80% of drivers need to put L plates on and go back to driving shool.”

“southernchef,
You appear very defensive regarding 4x4s. It's a free country and if you feel the need to drive one then that's your choice. I'm sure that a very lively debate would ensue regarding 4x4s if someone prompted it.
However, I wasn't attacking 4x4s as a group, I simply quoted 4x4s as an example because I was sat behind a very large one recently at the lights I mentioned.
The driver obviously didn't know how to apply the handbrake or was simply too lazy to use it, he or she sat with their foot on the brake pedal for the entire duration of the red light.
I obviously don't know what make/model you drive but as you will be aware, there are numerous makes and models which all differ. This particular 4x4 was very large, like a shed on wheels, and the lights were considerably higher than those on the average car as are those on various other vehicles.

As for 80% of drivers needing to put L plates on, I would suggest that an IQ test be incorporated into the driving test, this would immediately reduce the number of dimwits on the road who don't appear to have the common sense to know when they are blinding somone, either by misuse of fog lights, brake lights, or their main beam, regardless of which vehicle they choose to drive.”

“4x4s are just the right height so that the lights shine right in the face of oncoming drivers in regular sized cars.”

“Yes QKhumba, I suppose I did get a bit defensive, probably due to many unjustified hostile comments in the past over many years....

Just for the record (and said very lightheartedly), for both work and leisure, if you can lug 600-700m of cable on drums, wooden stakes, sledgehammers, tools, traffic cones, tons of foul weather gear and four people 4 or 5 miles into the forests (and no, NOT on the tarmac bits!) over 6" of mud with a foot of snow on top using something green and economical like a Prious or a city car then I'll have one, otherwise I'll stick with my 4x4......

We seem to have similar views on driving standards, personally I'd go for driving tests every five years, with an emphasis on safety, intelligence and common sense, for everyone of all ages. That would weed out the incompetents and the dangerous ones, and stop them using their foglights of course.

Regular reassessment is undertaken in every walk of life where skills have to be performed so why not driving skills? A tonne of car (yes, ok.... nearly two tonnes in my case!!) is a lethal weapon in incompetent hands.”

“People who sit with their foot on the brake at traffic lights drive me mad, it is just so thoughtless and ignorant. It's even worse when it's raining, the glare is doubled.”

“I've had to do quite a lot of driving locally during the last couple of days in the snowy weather, it amazes me how many drivers think they need to have their fog lights on just because the roads are snowy or icy despite visibility being well over 100 metres, in several cases over 300/4000 metres.

Do these people think that foglights will help their car grip the road better?

This simply reinforces the point that many drivers are not familiar with the highway code regarding the correct use of their lights.”

“Correction, 300/400 metres !”

“in all my years at sea i was never tattoed.”