Tony

They do not blind oncoming drivers. Its that simple. They aim wide and to the ground. Do not go on about misaligned foglights as that is irrelevant to this topic.. misaligned can be headlights, taillights, even mirrors.

Headlights have a harsher effect on your eyes than foggies. I will happily accept that they annoy you, no problem with me – thats yours. But to say they are dangerous and ‘blinding’ – Untrue.

When you stare at a vehicle with foggies on you are being blinded by the headlights! and your own stupidity. NOT the foggies.

Q Why is the use of fog lamps allowed only during adverse weather conditions?
A Under normal weather conditions, be it in the day or at night, there is no need to switch on the fog lamps. This is because the light emitted from vehicle headlamps is sufficient to illuminate the road ahead. Switching on front fog lamps will not further improve forward vision under clear weather conditions. Some drivers have provided feedback that front fog lamps, when switched on indiscriminately, are intimidating and cause added stress to the driver in front. Switching on rear fog lamps unnecessarily may also cause confusion to motorists travelling behind you as the intense red light emitted could be mistaken as the brake light.

So, I do know that in relation to the rear fog lamp function, we will soon see the requirement that the lamp is to extinguish, each-time – the car is switched off! Done,- to prevent the ’stray’ mis-use of the lamp function, in much the manner you highlight.

Another change on the way by updated UNECE 38, is what is best described as ‘automatic’ rear fog lights, here,- using newer LED and ’sensor’ technologies, the worse the visibility; the brighter the regular tail-portion of the lamp will become.

Stop-lamp separation from the rear fog lamp function will remain at 100mm minimum – as a separate function, naturally.

UNECE changes to front fog lamp regulation has been made in relation to newer LED technologies too:- LED front fog lamp compliance codes will bear the letter “F” and a number. Halogen compliance marking continues with the usual age-old letter “B”.

Australia simply updates the ADR version of the UNECE regs as often as it can, so the later EU made cars – do have some of those function-modifications sooner, legally – because we simply adopt it anyhow, albiet slower, and for harmonisation:-)

You might find this Singaporean government FAQ weblink interesting, see ‘penalties’ for mis-using front and rear fog lamps at Question 5, some readers here in Australia can be thankful:-)
http://ask.lta.gov.sg/home/lta.....52#2289838

NSW Government is to seek a compulsory rear fog lamp ADR:-
http://www.boostcruising.com/f.....pic=450922

Interestingly, UNECE also mentions that the emission implications of lighting have to be considered. As fog lights contribute an extra 3g/km to emissions we may see default off wiring become compulsory to reduce emissions. Always good to see a Prius running around with the fog lights on. Obviously Toyota doesn’t care enough about emissions to remove them from the spec.

Though our front fog photometrics are pretty much harmonized now.

Use of the front and rear fog lamps in Australia is held at ARR 217 (AUS Road Rules) and that rule is now mostly harmonized with the “UN Convention on Road Traffic, Road Signs & Signals” on the matter.

Related:- Australia does not yet have a mandatory DRL ADR requirement, and that may not happen here, or in the UNECE Regs, therefore such an item may be left ‘optional’. I note more recent NHTSA studies are not so favourable of the item.

In time Australia will;
* Adopt a mandatory ‘rear fog function’ for most categories of new-market vehicles.
* Adopt safety vests for cars, a la EU for breakdowns and crash scenes.
* Adopt the UNECE 27R Spec hazard-warning triangle for cars, vans and 4WD’s.

http://www.nbntv.com.au/index......de-safety/

* Will likely encourage fire extinguishers in certain vehicles.

The each state as usual is to increase enforcement of ‘use’.

Fog lights project a wide beam of light, to both sides of the car and more importantly in the direction of uncoming traffic. Properly setup low beam headlights have a beam cut off and dont direct significant amounts of light onto the right side of the road. Properly setup foglights will, otherwise they would be quite useless for use in the conditions where fog lights are needed, which for those that care to know are in white out conditions and given the low forward reach of the beam would mean at speeds of less than 40km/h.
20 years ago there wasnt a need for this law. People who drove who went to the trouble of fitting fog lights, fitted them because they needed them in Alpine areas and realised when their use was appropriate and didnt feel the need to drive with them on in suburbia for whatever lame reason.
Unfortunately a law has had to be now introduced due to manufacturers loading up cars with options that are then used by some cretons that dont realise or dont care what they are doing is highly dangerous and not in the interest of others in the community.
Yes, and we have the creton view, if you dont understand the law, it must be there to raise taxes…….

But I see more people using them??????
Well they tick me off! like rear fog lights!!!!!
I see bucket load of misaligned foggies
I drive most of the time in darkness to and from work for 1.5 hours each way, i have spotties but I dont use foggies.
I often drive in foggy conditions but never need to use foggies.
My previous car had 750w of light on high beam, so I have no issue with high beam activated lights.

So you travel at 120kph in low visibility, that’s safe and within the speed limit where?
Please, enough about how you are a safe driver etc.
We have your bully and antisemtic comments thrown in as well, as soon as oafish cretons such as yourself are forced off the road and perhaps out of this country(you are a disgrace) the better.
I have submitted a complaint to the site about you, and hopefully this post and all the drivel from Scherman will be removed when i next visit.