$110 Fine for having my fog lights on

[Bushbasher]

Originally Posted by xy500

dude, have you not read the rest of this thread? i thought it was quite clear from the consensus of people here that FOGlights do dazzle. driving lights are another issue and fall on the same page as driving with high beams on.

in my case, driving in the country at night on unlit roads foglights are so dazzling i often confuse them with high beams, hows that for a comparison? they shine in your eyes almost as bad as high beams do, ever had someone drive at you on an unlit road at night with their high beams on? it is a miracle i haven't had accidents on these occasions because you cannot see anything, even the road markers when this happens.
With high beams the cause of this is that they shine parallel to the road (ie straight into oncoming drivers eyes), they use a parabolic reflector with the globe positioned so as to give a concentrated (pencil like) beam and they are much brighter. Foglights also point straight into oncoming drivers eyes but are not as bright. Low beams point downwards and to the left a little so as to NOT point into oncoming drivers eyes by design, the globe for these are either in a spherical reflector, or a parabolic one but with the globe postioned so as to dissipate (spread) the beam. There are specific design rules that state the way headlights should be setup for safety of other drivers.

as for revenue raising, the police don't even fund themselves for a start so they're not exactly making money. Being a rapist is illegal, but you don't here people calling that revenue raising, what about dangerous driving? or running a red light? the police are there to try and protect you from others like you. which is hard to do when people refuse the follow the law.

What he said.

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

If the lights are dazzling you that bad ? They are NOT fog lights..
Fog lights don't have pencil beam..
Or have been tampered with...

It's been my experience that maybe 1 in 10 are adjusted properly and don't cause an issue. Consider this, all that has to happen is that said plonker, with fog/driving lights on, has to have a couple of mates in the back or some tools etc. in the boot or more commonly, have swapped out the rear springs to lower the rear of the car in relation to the front and he's going to dazzle oncoming traffic because 99% of said plonkers won't think to re-adjust the headlights to compensate this fact let alone the fog/driving lights and those that do adjust the headlights won't think to adjust the fog/driving lights as well.


Bushbasher

[Abacus]

Originally Posted by xy500

in my case, driving in the country at night on unlit roads foglights are so dazzling i often confuse them with high beams, hows that for a comparison? they shine in your eyes almost as bad as high beams do, ever had someone drive at you on an unlit road at night with their high beams on? it is a miracle i haven't had accidents on these occasions because you cannot see anything, even the road markers when this happens.

With high beams the cause of this is that they shine parallel to the road (ie straight into oncoming drivers eyes), they use a parabolic reflector with the globe positioned so as to give a concentrated (pencil like) beam and they are much brighter. Foglights also point straight into oncoming drivers eyes but are not as bright. Low beams point downwards and to the left a little so as to NOT point into oncoming drivers eyes by design, the globe for these are either in a spherical reflector, or a parabolic one but with the globe postioned so as to dissipate (spread) the beam. There are specific design rules that state the way headlights should be setup for safety of other drivers.

I entirely agree.

I suspect some of the "pro foggies" crowd in this thread don't do a lot of country driving. Fag lights are just a PITA in the city, but on country roads, at night, they are deadly.

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by FPVwannabe

To those that complain about others using fog lights............Whinge whinge whinge, there are far more important things to worry about. Get over yourselves.

Sure, much more important things.

You're travelling along Heathcote Rd at 100kph in the opposite direction to me, your fog lights are dazzling me, it's a 1 lane road each way and now I can't see. At that very moment, there's nothing more important in your world than a car closing in on you at 200kph being blinded by your fogs.

[flappist]

There is a simple way to fix this problem.

"Fog" lights are very useful in fog or other low visibility situations. Hazard lights (both blinkers going) are also very useful in the same situations.

Make them linked together and only operate when low beam is engaged by law so those who use them correctly are safer and those who are just posers look even stupider.

[pejamas]

Originally Posted by Rodp

At that very moment, there's nothing more important in your world than a car closing in on you at 200kph being blinded by your fogs.

You plant your foot when you get dazzled?

Edit: As for all the "breaking the law crap" its only officially been a law now for what less than a month? and I'm pretty sure the vast majority of drivers would not even know the law was passed. Do we receive any notification of law changes my the Police and or vicroads, NO. Ive only been driving for 4 years but until i got the fine i had no idea that it was "breaking the law" to have fog lights on.. I still honestly believe the HID lights are far worse than BA/BF "fog lights"

[Abacus]

Originally Posted by pejamas

You plant your foot when you get dazzled?

^^^^^

Budding mathematical genius here...


Your car 100km/h + approaching car 100km/h = clsing speed 200km/h, as Rodp correctly pointed out.

[davez104]

There is a link earlier in this thread pointing to a similar thread where people where copping fines for this back in mid 2007 so I don't think it's only just come in. All the too-ing and fro-ing is pretty pointless, but it should be obvious by now that there are a large number of people who get dazzled by these fog lights. Therefore the law makes sense and should be enforced the same as any other law.

There is another thread here about a 4wd owner ramming a hoon, I'm sure most of you have read it and I'm sure quite a few of you criticized the 4wd driver for "taking the law into his own hands" and "he could have killed someone". Yet you do the same, show no respect for the law and disobey it with your dazzling lights, you could kill someone, but obviously don't care.

Not saying that I have never broken a law, we all do from time to time, but if I get pinged for it, well, so be it, I deserved it. cop the fine and learn from it. Same goes for speed cameras/mobile radar, I don't like them but if I'm not doing anything wrong they won't worry me will they. Buggered if I know where I'm going with this, except to say the fog light law is not an entirely pointless one and people have the right to complain if others don't follow it.

Dave.

[ratter]

Originally Posted by pejamas

" its only officially been a law now for what less than a month? "

hasn't it always been a law, it's just they are inforcing it now or has the law just been passed?

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by pejamas

You plant your foot when you get dazzled?

Edit: As for all the "breaking the law crap" its only officially been a law now for what less than a month? and I'm pretty sure the vast majority of drivers would not even know the law was passed. Do we receive any notification of law changes my the Police and or vicroads, NO. Ive only been driving for 4 years but until i got the fine i had no idea that it was "breaking the law" to have fog lights on.. I still honestly believe the HID lights are far worse than BA/BF "fog lights"

*Closing speed*

You must be new to Australian automotive forums if you weren't aware that people have been getting pinched for using fogs when not in fog for quite awhile now, ignorance is no defence for this one. There's probably at least a dozen threads on this very board about it over the years.

[deesun]

Is it that ALL states have now come in with the same law and fines along with a few other laws and that they all gave a months grace and now that is over people are getting booked? Part of nationalising the road rules. I hope so. : Passed a bloke yesterday on the Pacific Hwy, he had both his high beam AND w@nka lights on and it was 3pm and bright sunshine. :

[BionicGT]

Fog light use rules have been law in NSW for a while. Became law in Vic in April.

[ebxr8240]

Originally Posted by Bushbasher

What he said.





It's been my experience that maybe 1 in 10 are adjusted properly and don't cause an issue. Consider this, all that has to happen is that said plonker, with fog/driving lights on, has to have a couple of mates in the back or some tools etc. in the boot or more commonly, have swapped out the rear springs to lower the rear of the car in relation to the front and he's going to dazzle oncoming traffic because 99% of said plonkers won't think to re-adjust the headlights to compensate this fact let alone the fog/driving lights and those that do adjust the headlights won't think to adjust the fog/driving lights as well.


Bushbasher

That can happen to normal lights !!!

[Bushbasher]

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

That can happen to normal lights !!!

:yeees: Hey, it was the early hours of the morning and I may not have been totally clear in defining my piont; but I did mention the headlights ebxr8240. I guess my point was supposed to be, that most fog/driving lights are not adjusted properly for various reasons and the driver doesn't think to adjust them when the back of the car is lower/ed in relation to the front. The same issue applies to tossers who pull trailers and caravans and don't think to adjust their lights; doubly so for 4WDs as their headlights are already at car drivers head height so it doesn't take much for them to cause a problem for oncoming traffic as most are set too hight off the showroom floor, in relation to car, to start with.... but now I'm drifting into a slightly different, but not unrelated, argument......don't get me started _

Bushbasher

[Eaglexr]

Originally Posted by pejamas

You plant your foot when you get dazzled?

Edit: As for all the "breaking the law crap" its only officially been a law now for what less than a month? and I'm pretty sure the vast majority of drivers would not even know the law was passed. Do we receive any notification of law changes my the Police and or vicroads, NO. Ive only been driving for 4 years but until i got the fine i had no idea that it was "breaking the law" to have fog lights on.. I still honestly believe the HID lights are far worse than BA/BF "fog lights"

You use the excuse Heavy Rain,well I'm glad the copper saw right through that one if you'll pardon the pun.

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by BionicGT

Fog light use rules have been law in NSW for a while. Became law in Vic in April.

Indeed. Both NSW and WA have always had a prohibition- through seperate state-based regulations, on the use of front fog lamps in clear weather conditions.

Australian Road Rule 217, 'rear fog lamps', was updated in the May 2007 Amendment package, to include the same prohibition for front fog lamps as well.

The move is also a 'contracting requirement' of the UN Road Traffic Conventions, - which prohibits the use of front fog lights in clear weather.

A minor 'difference' between our updated ARR 217 and the Convention, is that the UN Convention does allow for the use of front fog lamps in clear weather, "at night on twisty mountainous roads'.

What each state applies by way of penalties is a matter for each.

[pejamas]

Originally Posted by Eaglexr

You use the excuse Heavy Rain,well I'm glad the copper saw right through that one if you'll pardon the pun.

How in anyway was it an excuse?

[aye you]

As far as i'm aware, this law doesn't exist in the NT. or if it does, our coppers don't give a about it

[ozzman1965]

Every time I see a Boy racer with his fog lights on I think:

W@#$ER!

[Silver Ghia]

Perhaps they should give this law more publicity so people wont drive with their fancy lights on. Haven't seen anything in the media about it.

Still not sure why people drive with them on apart from the 'pose' factor. If they think its safer for themselves with them on, they are misguided. See my post #113, which explains why their own visibility is in fact worse with them on, especially on country roads without lighting.

Sometimes there is a genuine reason for a traffic rule, and this is one.

[snappy]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

Perhaps they should give this law more publicity so people wont drive with their fancy lights on. Haven't seen anything in the media about it.

Still not sure why people drive with them on apart from the 'pose' factor. If they think its safer for themselves with them on, they are misguided. See my post #113, which explains why their own visibility is in fact worse with them on, especially on country roads without lighting.

Sometimes there is a genuine reason for a traffic rule, and this is one.

correct if it was not for this forum i would not have known it was illegal to drive with them on.

[Darthur]

Lay off the guy!
They obviously must have helped slightly otherwise he wouldn't have turned them on!
I've never heard of the law, not sure if it stands in SA, but nonetheless...
If people driving past had a major problem with him they could have flashed their lights or tooted or something to let him know anyway. I'm sure that not 100% of people with foglights are bloody to$$ers striving for attention. If you get 'that' dazzled by someone with their foglights on, then write down their registration and complain to the cops instead of and being a lazy to$$er yourself and ganging up on him. Oh, by the way I don't use my fog lights, so I'm not being a fan boy, just grow up and let him deal with his $110 fine that I'm SURE has him feeling bad enough and will make him reconsider abiding a law he probably didn't even know about.

[bdave351]

Actually after going for my first long cruise for ages last night, it seems late model XR and FPV owners have become the worst offenders with these lights.

Used to be the ricer and holden brigade.......Im blaming the fact xr6t's have attracted more ex rice boys since they are the gun car these days!!

(BF T owner with flame suit on and fog lights off)

[Falcon Coupe]

I see every car that has them turned on, if they crack down on this they will make fortune in fines.

[MitchG]

I drove past atleast 4 falcon xr's last night which i noticed all had fog lights on, 1 bloke i notcied was atleast in his 60's i dout he had them on to look "cool" none of them botherd my vision what so ever, i did later drive past a hotted up toyota yaris with HID lights & it quite literally blinded me & forced me to look to the left side of the road...

[ozzman1965]

May I remind you that it was HE who brought his complaint to us, not the other way round!

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by want-a-XY

i wonder if anyone has tried removing their foglight wires (on falcon and territory) and wireing them onto their high beam circuit? that would solve it. or anyone who has got a fine for having them on write a letter to Ford and suggest they do that from the factory!!!!!!!! simple

cant speak for the later models, but with my XF, when i upgraded the factory foglights, i re-wired it a lil so the factory foglight switch drew its feed from the high beam wire at the steering column, and later on (after having to do a roadside rewire so i could drive home one night when it was foggy) added a changeover switch so i could use them as foglights when i needed to without diving under the dash..... also handy for dealing with tossers with foglights on in clear weather

[Eaglexr]

Originally Posted by pejamas

How in anyway was it an excuse?

I think it was an excuse...just my opinion.Looking at the likelihood you had them on for show leads me to that conclusion.I fail to understand why after the deteriorating weather had elapsed,you felt the need to keep them on.Using the excuse you forgot wont gel with me either,I think I'ts simply a case of you knowingly switching them on for show,you got a fine and now your posting up looking for some sort of justification.

You'll know better next time eh.

[SubJimbo]

Originally Posted by pejamas

Well last night after a very long day at Heathcote drags and even longer drive home, i got pulled over at a boos bus @ the hoppers crossing exit, as i was being breath tested another cop walked up to me and asked why i had my fog lights on, i explained ( calmly and nicely ) that i was driving through some bad rain just past Kilmore and towards the city on my way home from Heathcote. Asks for my license, walked towards the bus and came back and handed me a $110 fine.

Is this absolutely stupid or what? There not bright or distracting in my opinion, I've had many many BA/BF's with fog lights on behind me and they don't distract me nor are they too "bright" as the cop informed me.. those damn halogen lights are more annoying!

Just another Victorian Police revenue raiser?

I also got pulled over by the Booze bus there on the way home from the Footy, How freaking stupid was it of them to put it there? The traffic coming off the freeway was beyond a joke!

[Full Noise]

I can’t believe that this thread’s still going.

[TOASTED]

Lol Me Neither