Would someone explain to me what it is with such rampant misuse of lights with so many drivers these days? Namely Turn Signal and Fog Lights. I am amazed at how many drivers are using their Fog Lights on perfectly clear nights and even during the day on many occasions. It is almost as bad as having their High Beams on you when you meet them on the road. Or worse yet, when they are following behing you. And depending on the vehicle and the type and size of the Fog Lights, it can be even worse than High Beams. They call them “Fog Lights” for a reason people! Why the un-called-for use of these lights? Then there’s the one’s who don’t use lights that “ARE” called for. Your TURN SIGNALS. You should always use these lights. But way too many do not. Again, what gives? It sure seems to me, that showing courtesy and consideration for other drivers is an important part of safe driving.
It sure seems to me, that showing courtesy and consideration for other drivers is an important part of safe driving.
And where’s the fun in that?
BC.
I see lots of fog lights in use too, yet I do NOT see any mis-use of those lights.
FOG lights are aimed down close to the vehicle to fill in the shadow between the dim lights and the vehicle. Mounted low ( like under the bumper or in the grille ) and aimed low, THEY DO NOT AIM IN YOUR FACE.
Driving / off road lights are mounted high and aimed high. You’ll see those on top of headache racks or roll bars and grill/brush guards. These are the ones that aim beyond your dims to give a longer field of light.
I see lots of fog lights in use and they are NOT aiming in my face.
I do not see driving lights in use 99% of the time.
I have my fog lights on with my dims for that exact reason; to fill in the shadows. ( on my truck , when you select bright lights the fog lights TURN OFF. )
Turn signals are another story though.
The subconcious mind needs retrained to hit the turn singnal FIRST, then change lanes , then slow down.
Old Rt66 in Gallup has a center turning lane for all ten miles through town. Waaaay to often I’m faced with blazing brake lights IN the 45mph driving lane needing to slam on my brakes or change lanes, only to see the little blinky blink AS their turning the wheel :((
There’s even OVER use of signals.
For example, it is quite obviously the LEFT TURN lane you’re siiting in waiting for the light to change. Why on earth do you feel the need to sit there for a minute and a half…tik-tok-tik-tok-tik-tok----repeating the obvious redundantly AND shortening the life of your bulbs ?
Once you’ve made the lane change into the turning lane, turn the dang thing off.
There are 2 issues with turn signals:
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Someone is turning. I believe that those that don’t use the signal are lazy and inconsiderate. Using the turn signal to show a right turn allows those pulling out if that street to move on immediately, assuming they trust the intention of the guy with the turn signal on.
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Someone is changing lanes. This is a little trickier. It would be nice if folks used their signal to show the intention to change lanes, but local customs can change that behavior. In the DC area, using a turn signal to alert your neighbors that you are changing lanes is a challenge. For decades, I have seen drivers in the next lane over stomp on it to fill in the gap you want to fill. You really shouldn’t increase their drive time by a second or two seems to be the attitude. Sad isn’t it?
I agree,it does seem that as soon as you let it be known your intention is to move to the left (or even right) people take this as a challenge and close the gap. I believe a lange change can be safely made without a signal being given (sort of like the sitting for 90 seconds in the left turn lane with your signal on, this does not enhance safety). It is to often assumed when a person does not give a signal it is because they are stupid or lazy, I submit a possible reason no signal is given is that the lange changer has found it more difficult to change lanes if a signal has been given.
I do not have trouble with people operating fog lights.
I am amazed at how many drivers are using their Fog Lights on perfectly clear nights and even during the day on many occasions.
I’ll use my fog lights during dusk and dawn when visbility is mildly less than daylight, but it doesn’t require to use of headlights. This is to make my car more visbile to others, fog lights aren’t aimed down the road, so nobody is getting a direct shot of light in their face like they would with headlights.
it is almost as bad as having their High Beams on you when you meet them on the road. Or worse yet, when they are following behing you
Not unless they are improperly aimed. Fog lights are aimed towards the sides of the road, not dead ahead.
And depending on the vehicle and the type and size of the Fog Lights, it can be even worse than High Beams.
Unlikely, most fog lights are lower powered compared to high beam headlights.
“I am amazed at how many drivers are using their Fog Lights on perfectly clear nights and even during the day on many occasions”.
Maybe using fog lights under these conditions is a preventative measure to keep the fog from settling in.
Like several other forum members, I am puzzled by someone’s belief that fog lights–which are mounted very low on a vehicle, and which are aimed low–could be, “even worse than High Beams”. While it is possible that an occasional vehicle has severely misaimed fog lights, I have to say that I have NEVER been bothered by glare from fog lights.
From high beams? Yes
From fog lights? Absolutely not
I will agree on the issue of turn signals. All too many drivers do not signal their intentions, and in an era of cell phone distractions, this situation may be getting worse.
Incidentally, I now use my fog lights at all times when I am driving at night, because I have found a new, very valuable function for them–namely “pot hole locators”. At night, it is all too easy to drive into a pot hole, due to lack of available light at the roadway level. But, since fog lights are mounted very low and are aimed low, they really help you to see those pot holes before it is too late!
You’d really be annoyed with me then. I have my head/fog lights turned on even in broad daylight
I was once told by a cop that the factory installed headlights on the '02 Ford F-150 I used to have were illegal. I tended to use them a lot to fill in the light gap left on the road directly in front of the truck. I never did see where those lights could have been a pain to anybody’s eyes. Perhaps the OP has a habit of getting distracted by the fog lights and being transfixed into staring directly at them??? This can be a problem I have observed with those annoying blue tinted, non-DOT headlight bulbs that are popular with the rice crowd.
As far as turn signals go, I have noticed a tendency for a lot of people to weave in and out of traffic without signaling, preferring to travel closer to 90-100 mph instead of the already-too-fast 75-80 mph flow of traffic on the 65 mph limited Interstate. As annoying as that is, I actually find it more annoying when people refuse to get out of the right lane when there is a car or truck parked in the breakdown lane. The law in IL reads to get over if you can, slow down if you can’t, but I prefer to get over if it is possible at all. Most people will just stay in their lane and blast past the poor people trying to change a tire on the side of the road, getting so close to them you can smell their breath. My brother particularly gets annoyed with these people since his job is to do road service for semis.
Because most people do not realize there’s a difference between fog lights and driving lights. I have a set of driving lights that I run when it’s clear and I’m on back country roads. They’re my deer-spotter lights. They’re bright as hell, and at 55w perfectly legal, even if I were to keep them on with oncoming traffic (which I don’t because I’m nice).
I do, however, guarantee, that if I did leave them on when you were coming toward me, it would bother you. They outshine by a wide margin my high beams.
I worked with a guy years ago that would drive with his high-beams on ALL THE TIME…I asked him one time why…“Because he wanted to be noticed.”
setzzz, You’re Not Setting An Example Of ". . . showing courtesy and consideration
for other drivers . . . "
Your Remarks To Another Driver Sharing His Opinions Are Not Very Kind.
By the way, to give more credibility to what you say, learn to spell words correctly. Start by looking up “definately,” as written in " BC definately confirmed one of my suspicions . . . "
This reminds me of the guy who came on here and called somebody STOOPID.
CSA
"If you don’t, then be prepared to get my Hi Beams back at you if you meet me on the road."
Now that certainly doesn’t seem to be ". . . showing courtesy and consideration
for other drivers . . . " and it is actually not an itelligent reaction on your part.
What’s worse than a driver blinded by an approaching vehicle ? Two converging vehicles, both driven by blinded drivers ! Your response is childish and dangerous.
CSA
Mike, It Worked. People Are Still Talking About Him !
CSA
+1
If I am not mistaken, setzzz is a fairly new member of this forum. While I do want to welcome him/her to the forum, I also have to say that he/she is not making a very good impression with his/her impolite responses to other forum members.
Plus, as CSA correctly pointed out, someone who is very confrontational and also has an impaired spelling ability, is just setting himself up for having some brickbats thrown back at him. In addition to not being able to spell “definitely”, you have misspelled/misused the words “to” and “their” in one of your other prickly responses.
I could also point out the use of incomplete sentences in your posts, but I won’t do that.
;-))
I have three suggestions for settz:
Lighten up
Get your eyes checked, as extreme sensitivity to oncoming lights can indicate the growth of cataracts or other ocular problems.
Start using a dictionary
TRUE…But NOT in a positive sense…
He was such a dork.
Hey aren’t you the blind guy?
Oh , I get it alright…
it’s call O.C.D. and setzzz you’ve got it baaad.
Or you could turn the AC on full blast and open the windows. The cold air will condense the fog and it will just fall harmlessly as rain.