Foggy Lights

Your views on traffic and parking in the town
Kateg28
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Re: Foggy Lights

Post by Kateg28 » Thu 12 Dec, 2013 9:47 am

Nope, not something new. Was there when I passed my test in the '80s. :oops:

114

You MUST NOT
use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders
use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users (see Rule 226).

In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again.
Law RVLR reg 27

And it refers to Rule 226 which is:

226

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 236). Law RVLR regs 25 & 27

(taken from the Highway code)

The highway code uses 'Should not' and 'must not' and they are distinct, should not is guidance, must not is absolute. And it is in capitals. I think they mean it!

I am not sure about use in connection with a medical condition but I don't think you can use it as a defence in this country and the law might state that if you cannot drive at night in accordance with the highway code then you should not drive however I am not a lawyer.

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Darcy Sarto
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Re: Foggy Lights

Post by Darcy Sarto » Fri 13 Dec, 2013 12:15 am

Kate is right Joe it is illegal to drive with fog lights when they are not needed (because of the fog - not your night blindness).

More importantly if driving in the UK you must tell DVLA if you have night blindness. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result.

Let us know when you might be driving in Hertford - I'll stop at home that night!

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Joe
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Re: Foggy Lights

Post by Joe » Fri 13 Dec, 2013 5:22 am

Darcy Sarto wrote:Kate is right Joe it is illegal to drive with fog lights when they are not needed (because of the fog - not your night blindness).

More importantly if driving in the UK you must tell DVLA if you have night blindness. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result.

Let us know when you might be driving in Hertford - I'll stop at home that night!
The DVLA have known about it since the first day and as I have never changed my driving license to a Spanish one they should still know.
I did try an array of tinted glasses but the yellow ones didn't do anything for me and while I did have some success with AR coated lenses.

Don't worry I will let you know when I'm back over and driving... Maybe in a weeks time if I can get a hotel room for two or three weeks.

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Darcy Sarto
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Re: Foggy Lights

Post by Darcy Sarto » Fri 13 Dec, 2013 7:58 am

Joe wrote:
The DVLA have known about it since the first day and as I have never changed my driving license to a Spanish one they should still know.
I did try an array of tinted glasses but the yellow ones didn't do anything for me and while I did have some success with AR coated lenses.

Don't worry I will let you know when I'm back over and driving... Maybe in a weeks time if I can get a hotel room for two or three weeks.
Well that's all right then!

Re the Hotel - I had to cancel an apartment I had booked for my Mum & Dad for the week after next (opposite the hospital). It worked out cheaper than The Feathers where they went last year!

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Joe
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Re: Foggy Lights

Post by Joe » Sat 14 Dec, 2013 4:59 am

Darcy Sarto wrote:
Joe wrote:
The DVLA have known about it since the first day and as I have never changed my driving license to a Spanish one they should still know.
I did try an array of tinted glasses but the yellow ones didn't do anything for me and while I did have some success with AR coated lenses.

Don't worry I will let you know when I'm back over and driving... Maybe in a weeks time if I can get a hotel room for two or three weeks.
Well that's all right then!

Re the Hotel - I had to cancel an apartment I had booked for my Mum & Dad for the week after next (opposite the hospital). It worked out cheaper than The Feathers where they went last year!
Re. hotel. Nothing at Sele Mill for my dates :( Cinnabar is a fail as they don't have there own car park. White horse Hertingfordbury has nothing for my dates. So it might have to be either The Feathers or even Hanbury Manor. Both are out of the way a bit but it sure beats staying in S.London with my ex-wife.

Back to the fog lights thing. According to the law here they can be used when there is fog, snow, intense rain, smoky conditions, dusty conditions but only on a wide stretch of road which has a lot of curves. So in theory as the track to my house has no curves, is a thin stretch of road I can't use them even though there are no street lights apart from one right outside my house :roll:

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Darcy Sarto
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Re: Foggy Lights

Post by Darcy Sarto » Sat 14 Dec, 2013 7:00 am

Yes - that's the thing with fog lights - they're for fog (and not much else). As mentioned earlier its taken me 18 months to ever switch them on in my current vehicle. I suppose I haven't got to use the tin of foam the manufacturers think suffices instead of a spare wheel either (that is probably tempting fate bit too far). http://www.psahertford.co.uk/Hertford/

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Joe
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Re: Foggy Lights

Post by Joe » Sat 14 Dec, 2013 7:57 am

Darcy Sarto wrote:Yes - that's the thing with fog lights - they're for fog (and not much else). As mentioned earlier its taken me 18 months to ever switch them on in my current vehicle. I suppose I haven't got to use the tin of foam the manufacturers think suffices instead of a spare wheel either (that is probably tempting fate bit too far). http://www.psahertford.co.uk/Hertford/

Ahh yes the "tyre mobility kit", call me old fashioned but I prefer a spare wheel and when I say a spare wheel I mean a proper wheel not these sill wheel barrow things they seem to supply now and that limit you to 50 MPH.

Oh and in case you don't know how to use your "tyre mobility kit" here's a video from VW explaining how to use it.... lol
http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/how- ... os/tyres/3

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Darcy Sarto
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Re: Foggy Lights

Post by Darcy Sarto » Sat 14 Dec, 2013 8:26 pm

Any sort of wheel is preferable to the tin of jollop I've got. When I checked out the car in the showroom before ordering it had a (space saver) wheel. Lease company, being a two bob bunch of skinflints, didn't order the £90 option spare wheel but went for the tin of jollop option. Retro fitting spare wheel option costs £250+ so stuck with it.

I do have an extra sub-woofer in place of the spare wheel so my Trojan Reggae greatest hits album sounds great (probably all the way up the high street)!

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Joe
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Re: Foggy Lights

Post by Joe » Sun 15 Dec, 2013 5:37 am

I am toying with the idea of fitting the daytime running lights to both my vehicles but I just wondered if anyone else has fitted them, do they work, are they easy to fit?
The vehicles are a Peugeot 407 & Peugeot Partner (Mk1).

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Footfruit
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Re: Foggy Lights

Post by Footfruit » Mon 16 Dec, 2013 1:23 pm

Joe wrote:
Darcy Sarto wrote:Kate is right Joe it is illegal to drive with fog lights when they are not needed (because of the fog - not your night blindness).

More importantly if driving in the UK you must tell DVLA if you have night blindness. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result.

Let us know when you might be driving in Hertford - I'll stop at home that night!
The DVLA have known about it since the first day and as I have never changed my driving license to a Spanish one they should still know.
I did try an array of tinted glasses but the yellow ones didn't do anything for me and while I did have some success with AR coated lenses.

Don't worry I will let you know when I'm back over and driving... Maybe in a weeks time if I can get a hotel room for two or three weeks.

Is it illegal to drive without fog lights in foggy conditions on if you have them fitted? I know you can get hauled over if you have them switched on and one doesn't work.

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