Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > A legal ruling please..........

............what does the law state regarding car front fog lights being on in broad daylight (sunny). It seems inconsiderate and totally unnecessary to me.

What does the law state on this?

One for you Rushjob???

[Edited on 31-3-2004 by everton]

[Guido]

Someting along the lines of 'shoot the b*s*a*d' springsto mind.

Somehow I'm much calmer since I stopped driving 1k miles per week....Wonder why.

Would be interested to hear Andy's 'correct' standpoint on the issue.

[antonye]

The Highway Code states:

201. 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 211).
Law RVLR regs 25 & 27

211. You MUST NOT use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 201) as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves.
Law RVLR regs 25 & 27

I've been pulled over by the Police many years ago for having them on in the car, and was basically given a warning and told to turn them off.

However, with the rapidily diminishing number of dedicated traffic officers and the move towards cameras, it seems that the chances of getting pulled over for anything these days, except speeding, is very slim!

[Road Runner]

Very true antonye sad but true

[rockhopper]

Andy (Rushjob) is away in Italy for a while.

[WeeJohnyB]

yep....one of my all time hates on the road. Either they think it looks cool or they've forgotten to turn them off - can't they see the big light flashing on their dashboard? Either way they look like complete dicks. Some might claim they are 'driving lights' I suppose. As you say, you get done for travelling a tiny bit over the limit in a 'safe' zone and dick heads drive around dazzling everyone. Confiscate their cars I say.

WeeJohnyB

[bradders]

front ones aren't too bad, its the rear that really get my goat

[antonye]

I was surprised that on just about every car I've ever owned that they don't automagically switch off with the ignition, so you have to conciously switch them back on every time.

It's only now we've got the BMW that I noticed these do actually do it. Why can't they all be like that?

The worst ones have got to be those that run on sidelights with foglights! Grrrr!

I don't think I've ever, ever needed to honestly use my foglights. The only time I've been in really bad fog, and we're talking 3-feet visibility here, it made it WORSE to have them on!

[rockhopper]

Sidelights! I personally think that you shouldnt be able to turn your sidelights on if the engine is running. Headlights or nothing it should be.

[adamH]

It improper use of lights and can carry a £30 fine