Driving lights or fog lights?

I to say these lights are only fog lights and should be used for that purpose. Not as you see them all day as wank lights.

About time they ban these lights!! they are fog lights and they blind oncoming traffic they have been a source of irritation for a long time!!

I wouldn't be too disappointed if this law was brought in in Victoria!! I've loss count how many high beam battles I've had with ****heads coming home from the snow fields with thier 'fog lights' on pointing up and not being able to tell if their lights are on high beam etc.
I've been thinking about getting some small spots to call them fog lights so i can drive around twith them on all the time.

Leroy

I believe its actually been "law" in most states for ages , just not enforced.

Fog lights should be a max of 55w and ONLY used in bad conditions.

Daytime running lights are a Max of 25w and can be used anytime.

AFAIK , No vehicle in Aus is actually factory fitted with Daytime running lights. Ford tried but failed , and ended up calling them Fog lights .

There are a few aftermarket ones get fitted , and I believe Telstra have them fitted to their vehicles (or very least have some sort of kit fitted to their headlights).

Above is true to about June 2004 , I haven't checked since then.

Yeah Bazza, pitty we have to have laws for this stuff. They annoy the crap out of me though, especially in those WRX thingys. More poze than anything for most. I agree with you though, lights on during the day is a good thing.Just depends if they face up or down and how bright.

I was booked 15 years ago for illegal use of additional spot lamps ...I flashed a car to tell them the cops were ahead....s@#t it was another unmarked cop car.Duh

Now I still flash all six lights on my truck at any sporty boy driving with fog lights on in the city at night...not prado's or explore oz people of course lol

Skinny

Hoo - bloody ray.

About time this law was policed.

capt.wrongway have you ever sat in a small car infront of your prado with those lights on? try it for 30 minutes and you will never use them again!~!!

They are so frustrating and the worse thing is they never adjusted and they dont have glare guards over them.

As the ADR's state you are allowed a total of 2 headlights on that have anti glare devices installed or a total of 6 lights for high beam.

fog lamps and dipped headlamps are not allowed to be able to be switched on at the same time.

fog lamps and high beam are allowed to be turned together however they are counted as a set of headlights.

fog lights to work from a seperate switch to the headlight must be wired so all parking and taillights must turn on at the same time.

shadow

Another good Fri..opps..I mean Monday funnie

G'Day all,
Thank you all for your input. I agree with most, but disagree with some. But I will defend your right to voice your opinion. I my case I only use these lights for about an half an hour prior to sunset. After that I only use my headlights. I thought I'd said that?
Someone asked if I'd ever sat behind a small vehicle with these lights on.... the answer is yes, many times. Never had a negitive responce. The lights only light up to about his rear bumber level. Although on many occasions I've been given the "finger" because my normal low beam has lit up the car.
I do not advicate the use of all lights. There are already enough "wankers" driving about that do'nt need lights to point them out.
Thanks again all.
Regards,
Bazza.

my truck driving instructor told me (he is on a board of road law advisories)
that it is illegal to have more than one set of forward facing headlights.

but i agree they are wank lights

Yeah it is annoying when people have the FOG light’s on all the time (WRX, SS Commodore’s ECT) as they generally point right into your eyes they are more for look’s than anything else.

But 4 point’s Get real I think a $100 fine would cover that sort of mistake it is almost half your licence because you may of accidentally nocked them on, It is just another example of over the top penalty’s.

Oh yeah wile we are on it, Have you ever noticed when land cruiser’s 80/100 series are towing there low beams point straight into you eyes just as annoying.

But you know what I do ‘Build a bridge and get over it’ it is life it happens move on, same story with fog light’s.

If you do happen to get pulled over for accidentally having them on. Just say I defiantly didn’t have them on must be a fault somewhere, the cop might yellow sticker the car. If so just go over the pits they will tic it off as ok, Pay the pit fee and you’re off. Better than loosing 4 point’s in my book.

Make that all states
Cheers
Charlie

i know its a serious offece in the uk to use fog lights when the weather is fine especially the rears as they look like brake lights ,they definately have their uses over there though and generally people are good with the usage of them ,but here in aussie there doesnt seem much point in them except maybe in the alpine areas and there is nothing more annoying than driving behind a little european styled buzz box on a lovely summers day with a bloody fog light blaring in your eyes .

I agree with the cops (and regulators and motoring groups etc) on this one. It is not only 'the law' but it makes sense as the low mounted lights are not aligned like a low beam. Low beam lights arevthe only lights allowed when driving towarsd another vehicle (within a certain distance which I can not remember legally but the high beam flash will let you know before that).

These lights are too dazzling to oncoming drivers and, especially in the wet, cause reduced vision. They angle flatly forward rather than down and reflect more off the wet surface.

The fools who leave their rear fog lights on in the Hyundi brigade are nearly as annoying.

PS to my above post but FOG is defined as less than 100m visibility. From there to 1000m it is considered MIST. Hope you dont get caught out by that one!

Hi all,

Just trying to remember when I got my licience up here in Qld, and back to when I was driving semi's with my father. Ah yes, fog lights were only supposed to be used at night and day when there was next to no visibility, and even then they were supposed to be yellow(as defined by fog lights). Use at any other time was and still is illegal as is having spotty's above the line of the vehicles headlights unless they were for show only and not wired up. It is about time that they started enforcing this rule as there are alot of d@$&#^*ds out there, and alot of them are other 4WD's. Everyone will think that it is just another revenue raiser but they are just enforcing rules that have been there for years even though they weren't enforced regulary (a pity). As for the use of other lights on the rear of the vehicles, if they are used and the vehicle is not in reverse, then they are wired up illegally and therefore should be confiscated and the user fined heavily. I also should think that any vehicle that is suspect of having incorrectly adjusted headlights and spotlight/foglights, should be examined and tested and if beyond specs, the owner fined as well. They do and still have the right to do all this and bugger any grace period that obviously NSW users are getting. There is one National Driving Law, but then every State wants to have their own, and in this it makes driving between States somewhat of an Ar$340&e of an affair.

Just my two bobs worth anyway.

Happy travelling.

Drivesafe

how do you get 1000 watts of light? Is it 10 forward facing lights @ 100 watts ea?

The law at present does not specifically make it an offence to use your front fog lights when conditions are not foggy.

It is illegal to use rear fog lights unless in fog.

It is illegal to dazzle other drivers. Front fog lights often do this (whether factory fitted of not).

You say that you use them when it is not dark enough to use your headlight and in conjunction with your parking lights.

Parking lights are for parking. Fog lights are for fog. Head lights are for driving during periods of low visibility. Just think about it. It is pretty simple when the name tells you what the lights are for.

and for those that cant read the little boxes......

without prejudice
i really hate to burst all the non believers bubble, but it is illegal to use your fog lights unless you are driving in foggy conditions, i know because i paid the $100 + fine but lost no demerit points for it as it was about 5 years ago.... so obviously it is not a new road rule but one that is finally being enforced, and about time.

Even Toyota calls them Fog lights.(check the web site) Turn em on in the FOG. Turn them OFF at all other times and stop giving all oncoming traffic the bleep s.

Cheers....

For info of all:

The Australian Road Rules came into effect on the 1st March 2000 and replaced previous state legislation. The applicable rules are:

Part 13—Lights and warning devices
Division 1—Lights on vehicles (except bicycles, animals and animal-drawn vehicles)
215—Using lights when driving at night or in hazardous weather conditions
(1) A driver must not drive at night, or in hazardous weather conditions causing reduced visibility unless:
(a) the headlights, tail lights and number plate light fitted to the driver's vehicle are operating effectively and are clearly visible; and
(b) if the vehicle is fitted with clearance lights or side marker lights—those lights are operating effectively and are clearly visible.
217—Using rear fog lights
(1) The driver of a vehicle fitted with a rear fog light must not operate the fog light unless the driver is driving in fog or other hazardous weather conditions causing reduced visibility.
(2) In this rule:
rear fog light means a light fitted to a vehicle to make it more easily visible from the rear in fog.
219—Lights not to be used to dazzle other road users
A driver must not use, or allow to be used, any light fitted to or in the driver's vehicle to dazzle, or in a way that is likely to dazzle, another road user.

Fog lights is fog lights, maybe there is perpetual fog inside the heads of those that drive around with em on all the time. Excels aren't the only offenders in the super bright rear fog lamp either, more and more of them are emerging. I just switched from an old 86 rangie to a series 2 disco and Intend hooking up the rear fog lamps to my brake switch, did it with the rangie cos I reckon you can never have to many stoppers specially with the number of tail gaters these days. Big problem with non fog use of low mounted lights is reduced night vision for oncoming traffic and definitely a big drama round town in the wet. I nearly scored a pedestrian cos of bright low mount "spotties", dunno who got the worst fright me or the poor sod on the side of the street.