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Put your lights on in the fog! - Sam (5th Dec 2018 - 11:14:15) There was a thread recently asking drivers to put their lights on when it started getting dark earlier. Well the same goes for when it's foggy. It was very murky around Liphook and Haslemere this morning and there was dense fog up at Hindhead and its astounding to see cars with no lights on. Running lights or side lights don't cut it! Put your lights on, it doesn't use up extra petrol you know!! Rant over, thank you!

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - Richard (5th Dec 2018 - 11:35:11) Actually running more electrical equipment does burn more fuel, but you would need precise equipment to measure it. It isn't a huge amount, and as you should be driving slower in fog anyway, this would offset the fuel used with the increased electrical load

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - Anon (5th Dec 2018 - 13:02:54) But turn them off at all other times. It's illegal to drive with them on in non fog conditions (and no, drizzle doesn't count). From Ask the Police UK 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. 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.

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - oldie (5th Dec 2018 - 13:14:05) Is it because the latest top of the range ultra bright dazzling bi-Xenon, LED, Matrix Laser Lights and Halfords super bright bulbs actually bounce the light back at you in dense fog? Are Range Rover drivers finally getting a taste of their own medicine? Obviously old fashioned fog lights are best if you are lucky enough to have them front and back!

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - steve (5th Dec 2018 - 13:28:20) Vehicle manufacturers must fit DRL to new types of passenger car and light goods vehicle (car derived vans) type approved to European vehicle requirements from February 20111 . In practice this means that any new model launched after this date, and many launched before, will be fitted with DRL. However, existing models on sale before this date without DRL fitted can continue to be sold and used indefinitely. Similar requirements apply to large vehicles (such as HGVs) and buses from 7 August 2012. Motorcycles do not currently require DRL to be fitted, but most manufacturers voluntarily opt for an AHO (Automatic Headlight On) system to be installed as an alternative. Changes to European legislation will, in future permit manufacturers to fit DRL on their motorcycles. DRL activate automatically when the engine is started and remain on unless the headlamps are switched on. They may however remain off in some low speed and stationary situations. In general all other lights should remain off when the DRL are on but for a limited period some vehicles may be available which automatically activate the rear position lamps at the same time as the DRL. DRL may be combined with other lamps. For example some manufacturers use the same lamp for both the DRL and position lamp. In these cases the DRL automatically dims to function as a lower intensity position lamp when the headlamps are turned on. DRL placed close to direction indicators may also automatically dim when the direction indicator is active. This is to ensure that the direction indicator is not masked by the light from the DRL.

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - Chris (5th Dec 2018 - 16:02:37) Hi Steve. Just two things: 1. What is DRL? 2. I'm not sure what vehicles will be being driven in February 20111 with or without DRL!!!! Just saying.

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - Janet (6th Dec 2018 - 21:16:39) Chris, I think DRL means "daytime running lights", ie the car lights that turn on automatically when the engine starts.

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - Adrian (7th Dec 2018 - 20:13:51) DRL - what nonsense lights on in the daytime. I bet that's the EU meddling. ROLL ON BREXIT.

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - Mrs (8th Dec 2018 - 08:22:04) Dear Adrian, I have a car that has lights come automatically, as soon as I put the key into the ignition. This a safety feature of the car, nothing to do with EU.

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - Gr (8th Dec 2018 - 14:52:22) First thing i do is switch lights on when get in the car Old car came on automatically as soon as you started it up

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - Adrian (10th Dec 2018 - 02:34:45) Lets have some common sense. In the daylight with good visibility you don't need lights. In the daytime I can see you without any lights, most people who have half a brain cell can work out when it's getting dark and then put the lights on. I mean you don't have the lights on in your house when the sun is streaming through the windows.

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - liz (10th Dec 2018 - 10:55:52) Daytime running lights have been compulsory on all new cars sold in the UK for some time.

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - Janet (11th Dec 2018 - 20:34:21) Adrian, Drive along any stretch of road in daylight, be it sunny or cloudy, and make a point of noting the relative visibility of the cars coming towards you with and without lights on. Maybe you won't reach the same conclusion as me, but I know that I find that I see the cars with daytime running lights on a lot more clearly than those without. The lights make them more easily visible. I don't mean that I can't see the non-lighted cars at all, but I do find that I see the lighted cars first. The effect is particularly striking on sunny days when driving under trees where there is dappled shade and when driving facing into bright sunlight, such as in late afternoon when the sun is low.

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - Adrian (13th Dec 2018 - 08:05:07) Janet I don't want to be rude but if you have difficulty seeing other cars in the daytime perhaps you shouldn't be driving.

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - Rölli (13th Dec 2018 - 09:10:50) its very clear, statistics show there are less accidents with DLR's. Nothing to do with politics or even obsessive H and S, just common sense (which clearly some contributors lack!)

Re: Put your lights on in the fog! - Brian (21st Dec 2018 - 16:56:14) I can remember the EU sceptic press made a big deal of this over a decade ago. It was made out to be something only a northern country like Sweden would want (‘why would us Brits want this fuel wasting measure?’). It is a good example of the type of message that created the misconception of ‘meddling EU’. Car manufacturers can produce cheaper cars if they can produce cars with fewer variations. This is one of the benefits of having a comprehensive trade agreement. In the end, we all benefit by getting cheaper better cars. The UK government (not EU) estimated at the time that this measure alone would save 6% of accidents. A significant life saving measure. The use of LEDs nowadays makes the fuel wasting argument void. How a country implements the laws around the use of the lights on cars is down to each country. Many countries in Europe chose to implement full lights on all cars (old and new) at all times. Many of these countries are at a lower latitude.

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