Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

From the Telegraph:

Driver fined £30 for leaving on fog lights
By David Sapsted
(Filed: 19/01/2004)


A businessman is to fight a £30 fine imposed by police for leaving his fog lights on after driving through fog.

Greg Algar, 25, a property developer, said yesterday that he was stopped by traffic police after near Keston Common, near Bromley, Kent, and told that the lights on his Nissan Novara could dazzle other drivers.

Mr Algar has made an official complaint to the Metropolitan Police and is planning to go to court.

He said the incident had left him "gobsmacked".

"There was fog rising up over Keston Common so I decided to switch on my fog lamps," said Mr Algar, from Beckenham. "I had gone about half a mile when a police car turned out of Biggin Hill Airport and started flashing me.

"He pointed at the fog lights and asked me why they were on. I told him it was because of the fog but he said it was 100 metres away. They told me they could dazzle other drivers."

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "When issuing fixed penalty notices, police officers are able to use discretion. They obviously took the action they thought was the most appropriate at the time and in the circumstances."


Let's hope this is just the beginning...

Mark Miwurdz

Great news!

Let's hope they catch up with the middle-lane tosspots as well.

Cheers
Kav

Scooby96

B0ll0x if I'm gonna switch them off between fog patches - no one else will!

[Edited by Scooby96 - 1/19/2004 9:54:28 AM]

Wish

iTrader: (2)

Now thats one fine they can add too...Umm Lets make it £300 Tony ?


PEOPLE TURN YOUR FOG LAMPS OFF !
ITS NOT BIG AND ITS NOT COOL.....YOU LOOK A TVVAT !

andrewdelvard

Does anyone have an idea as to WHY people do this?

pugoetru

because they are stoooopid

foreigners

it wouldn't be so bad if people put them on for a reason. just cos it's foggy, doesn't mean that you should automatically put them on.

the front ones are to aid visibility when driving, i.e. to give a low wide beam to help driving in fog in the dark - they are not needed in daylight, no matter how foggy it is.

the rears are to be seen by in extremely think fog. once a car is behind you within visible distance, it should be switched off.

foreigners

and another thing, there is a light on the dash or the switch to tell you the bloody things are on. can people not be prosecuted for driving without due and attention if they cannot see this light for days on end?

ozzy

The problem is the front fog lights can be turned on/off independantly from the rears. So, the to$$ers can happily drive around with just their sidelights and front fog lights. How the **** the see where they're going is beyond me.

Cars should have the fronts and rears coming on together. If it's foggy enough to justify them, then why wouldn't you want them both on in the first place

That way, I think it would be more unacceptable for drivers to run around with both sets of lights on IMHO.

Stefan

Rusty.

The only time I ever use my front fog lights is to flash them at oncoming muppets who have their fog lights on when there is no neeeeeed!

Jiggerypokery

... and it always amazes me to see side lights, fog lights and... sunglasses ! An interesting combination.

Might as well have a flag flying from the top of the car saying "Look at me, I'm trying so hard to look cool".

Dave P

GREAT NEWS...

OllyK

Seems a common bug bear!

It was last foggy in Nottinham before Christmas and I can guarentee that on the 25 mile journey home tonight I will see at least half a dozen people with their fogs on.

I used to like the PUG as it had 2 bright lights on the dash by your normal light "icon" for front and rears and they used to be such a distraction I couldn't wait to turn the damn things off.

Also reckon fogs should have an auto-re-set. Ignition goes off, fogs are switched off, have to physically switch them on again when you next start up, if you need them

Poor Guy

i hope i get pulled by the filth with my fog lights on.

dsmith

I hope so to.

S Page

Yep the more muppets that get fined the better.

Shane

iTrader: (6)

Nissan Almera has rear fog on the stalk with lights and when you rotate the switch to turn your lights off it turns the rear fog light switch to off as well. Simple idea with no clever electronics and could be incorporated into any car with lights with a rotary switch on a stalk.

Its about the only good thing about the car though except the only replacement part I have had to buy in 2 1/2 years is a rear wiper blade and genuine parts for a standard service cost less than £30.

Shane

wideboyuk

Couldn't believe it the other day, saw another front foglight and sidelight *** heading towards me down Ruislip high street....who was it?....only pc plod in the white mondeo which seems to spend a lot of time travelling around Northolt airbase and Ruislip area!!!
Really felt like pulling aside and asing where the fog was!!!!

yoza

Keep them on chaps, dont let a measly £30 fine put you off.

They are driving lamps and should be put on whenever your driving.

The side lights and 'driving' lights are trendy(even better with blue interior bulbs), and the do make you look cool, and everyone knows it. Just that some of you arent cool enough to carry it off.

When MRO designed my front bumper, I asked him to tilt the fogs up a bit, for extra dazzle, worked a treat.

Keep them on...........

blair

Ahh Mondeo fog lights [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

The folg lights on my wifes mondeo are built in to the headlights swith on a round dial to the right and below the steering wheel. To put the fog lights on you pull the switch towards you - it's very easy to do this whwn turning on the lights if your not careful !

There also isn't a light that comes up on the dash to show the foglights are on - its a really poor design. I've driven along with them on a couple of times by accident and I usually rant and rave at eejits driving along with their fogs on in clear weather.

Still, I bet if the cops pulled me over for it they wouldn't accept my excuse so complain to the Cheif Constable and get him to throw the book at them

[Edited by blair - 1/19/2004 3:53:51 PM]

ozzy

typical ****-stirring scouser

yoza

Foglight terrorist #1. If you dont mind....

Ive got special big fluck off wattage bulbs in mine too. They were labelled, 'Iris burners'. Blink, Blink.

zip106

But just how often is it foggy enough in this country that we actually need to use them..? Visibility is never THAT bad, is it?

RUFocused

A drive on the mountain roads in the valleys in the fog is an eye opener, single lane roads with white lines at the edge. On a realy fogy morning/night I literally do not know where my next turning is, or a junction that you rely on seeing the signpost, scarey i`ll tell you.

Jay_bee

iTrader: (1)

What about when its really really dark?

J

Sticky Stuff

Swap the fogs for driving lights with 150 watters that come on with the main beam. Then when some fog using pllock comes towards you, melt 'em.

OllyK

Wrong - saw 19, yup 19 on a nice clear evening, absolutely no reason for them to be on.

Also saw 4 cyclists with absolutely no lights on and 2 that went through red lights - death wish or what. Need to get a big 4x4 with bull bars and run a few over that may sort them out!