Car Fog Lights?

Question

Recently I was stopped by the police for driving at night with my front fog lights on & told that it was illegal to use fog lights except in times of 'Restricted Visibility' OK it wasnt foggy, but surely the darkness of night time is restricted visibility ( compared to day time anyway) The matter went no further but surely if it had gone to court the police would have been wrong in their definition of restricted visibility wouldn't they?

Answer 1

Nope - they were right!
the law says front (and rear! - tale note all you motorway drivers who put them on as a matter of course) fog lights are only to be used in conditions of restricted visibility ie Fog, Heavy rain, Snow.
Darkness does not RESTRICT visibility - visibility can be many Kilometers at night, just like it is during the day.
PS - Fog is deemed to exist when visibility falls below 1000meters.

Answer 2

NO! They would not have been wrong.

The name of the lights "FOG LIGHTS" gives the game away I am afraid!!!

Vehicles have lights for driving in the dark. They also have lights for driving in conditions of "further" reduced visibility - ie FOG LIGHTS!

Check your highway code for the time when you should use them. By using your front or rear fogs, you are driving without due care and consideration to other road users and causing them to be dazzled. Thus affecting their ability to see clearly.

Stop being such a selfish poser and have some consideration for OTHERS. If there is a next time, you could get a ticket - which you can pay or dispute. If you dispute it then you would go to court. And I doubt if you would win. It would cost you your costs plus time off work etc.

Answer 3

Ok, first of all are the lights your refering to amber or clear? Because there is a difference between the two. Amber lights are fog lights clear lights are called driving lights. Either way by definition those lights are considered off road lights. By that they mean they are not to be on when other traffic is present. And that is a federal law not a local or state law. That is why every auto manufacturer is required to intall a shut off switch for them. If it wasn't the law they wouldn't put the switch in. Oh and if your using the clear driving lights in the fog good luck with that. The amber lights are on a whole other spectrum that is why they are for different uses.

Restricted visibility is rain, snow, fog and things of that nature.
Night is not restricted. Seriously can you really see better with them than without them.

Answer 4

You're quite correct - the use of your vehicle's forward llumination
devices (headlamps, auxiliary lamps, etc.) is governed by the registrar (state or province), not by any Federal law.

A great many state and provincial lighting usage codes are antiquated, obsolete, unintelligably/unenforceably vague, or otherwise poorly written. Some make no distinction between fog lamps, driving lamps and spot lamps. Some make inapplicable reference to "candlepower". Some are totally silent on the matter of forward lamps other than headlamps. Even the worst
lighting codes usually state that it's not OK to operate your lamps in a manner that causes glare, so if your fog lamps are inappropriately aimed or used, you can get done for it on that basis.

Among those that do make relevant and coherent reference to auxiliary lamps, provisions vary. Some say it's OK to use fog lamps *instead of* low beam headlamps if weather conditions warrant it, others say fog lamps may be used *only with* low beams and only if weather conditions warrant it. Some say "Maximum of four lamps illuminated at any time", some say "fog
lamps may be used", some say "fog lamps may be used only if weather
conditions warrant it and only if they are aimed and operated in such a
manner as not to cause glare", and so forth.

Suggest you read your state code so you know what's legal and what's not,
then read
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/.../fog_lamps.html
for technical discussion of when it's a good and a bad idea to use fog
lamps, then use your fog lamps in accordance with the prevailing laws and
good practice.

Answer 5

If you'd gotten a ticket, the cop would have written up the violation as something like "use of fog lights when visibility was not restricted", and it would likely have been too hard for you to prove otherwise. Fog and haze are often VERY local phenomena.

Answer 6

No, sorry but you would have lost. The reality is that the fog reflects all the light back to you, the more light the blinder you become. That is why the fog lamps are set low, and they are not as visible you can see clearer and further than with normal headlamps....At least that is the theory!

Answer 7

No. They are officers of the law. It's their job. It's really annoying if your driving behind someone with a fog light on and front fogs can glare into oncoming traffic. I'd certainly go to the extent to say it restricts the visibility of the person behind you/facing you. Its a safetly feature for use in restricted visability, no other time.

Answer 8

fog lights are only for use in times of reduced visibility of 30 meters or less, if it would have went to court you would have lost as their is a law which prevents the unnecessary use of front and rear fogs,
fog lights don't improve visibility for the driver, they are used to make you more visible to other road users when weather conditions are FOGGY.

Answer 9

here is a good question though, were they in fact "fog" lights...cause you can get lights that look like they would be fog lights but are in fact "driving" lights, so the officer would have to be absolutely sure they were fogs...also depends on the state your in. In reality they give you better visibility of the road anyway.

Answer 10

If you're in the UK, they'd be quite right in their actions. "Fog" lamps should only be used when visability is down to less than 100 metres. Darkness (as in, night time), is not good enough. Guidlines say a verbal warning is normally suitable, but it is an offence for which you can receive a £30 fixed penalty notice. Normally you'll be warned and your details taken. If you keep doing it then you'll get ticket. Unless you're stopped by traffic officers and they'll probably do you for anything they can find.