Martin McIntosh Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Nothing to do with models, but something is puzzling me. On newish cars a front light on the side indicated may go out but on others a light (often a fog light) will come on. The former could make sense maybe so that the flasher can be seen more easily but the latter makes it more difficult. Now, by law you should have equal working lighting on each side and the use of a fog lamp is illegal unless the visibility is under 50yds, so what is the reasoning behind the two cases above? I can see this becoming very confusing for other road users. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 It's to light up the curb while turning. Comes on once the steering gets to a pre-determined angle. My wife's Viva has it but she never noticed! I found it very obvious but I have a higher viewing line... Illegal? I doubt that so many different cars would have been sold if it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Fog light is like Adaptive lighting when going round a corner . lights that side of the road to give better visibility you see this a lot on VW's Simpler than moving the lights like full adaptive. LED lights dim to allow the indicator to be more visible or the colour is switched with the Day light running light(s). E.G. Modern Mini Cooper S Well that is my understanding... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Gates Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 And don't get me started on the strobing indicators....ahhhh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted June 29, 2021 Author Share Posted June 29, 2021 MH, it certainly is because I know of someone who tried to show off his boy racer by having then on all the time and got done for it. No explanation as yet as to why some turn a light on and others off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 1 hour ago, Nigel Sharp said: Fog light is like Adaptive lighting when going round a corner . lights that side of the road to give better visibility you see this a lot on VW's Simpler than moving the lights like full adaptive. LED lights dim to allow the indicator to be more visible or the colour is switched with the Day light running light(s). E.G. Modern Mini Cooper S Well that is my understanding... Are there still fog lights? There's never any 'real' fog these days, just what I'd call 30 mph fog ie safe to drive at 30 mph. Since all the clean air legislation the sort of fogs (smog) I remember from the 50s and 60s when if you lost sight of the curb it took a while to find it again. When I drove as a passenger in my friend's car, I used to steer from the near-side seat whilst he controlled the throttle and brake when it was really thick - at about 5/10 mph max. Dad used to spend a fortune trying to find the ideal fog lamp but IIRC none of them were very effective. Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 (edited) Not sure I follow your logic Martin. The "feature" will have been approved by the EU - national type approval was phased out in the 90s, it was replaced by "Whole Vehicle Type Approval" where the whole vehicle in all its specs and forms was approved once for sale in any EU market. As such, I understand that local regulations were over-ruled. Whether this situation will continue is up to UK legislation but this lighting is allowed as fitted. Very different to misusing fog lights by driving with them turned on manually during non foggy or falling snow conditions. P.S. Light on - kerb visibility enhanced for the driver, light off - improved indicator visibility, usually where those horrible (for other drivers) xenon headlights are in use masking the effect of the indicators. Edited June 29, 2021 by Martin Harris - Moderator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 It's very unusual to see the annual modeller's convention on fog lights (or a variant of it) in the summer. Is this going to become a bi-annual event now? ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 8 hours ago, Geoff S said: Are there still fog lights? There's never any 'real' fog these days, just what I'd call 30 mph fog ie safe to drive at 30 mph. Since all the clean air legislation the sort of fogs (smog) I remember from the 50s and 60s when if you lost sight of the curb it took a while to find it again. When I drove as a passenger in my friend's car, I used to steer from the near-side seat whilst he controlled the throttle and brake when it was really thick - at about 5/10 mph max. Dad used to spend a fortune trying to find the ideal fog lamp but IIRC none of them were very effective. Geoff That's a belter that Geoff - that "there's no real fog these days", which is rolled out regularly :). Travel a bit further afield in these islands and you'd see there most certainly is still real fog about. Plenty of fog that you certainly couldn't drive at 30mph in. 5mph, if you're careful, maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J D 8 Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 One of the worst design features on some cars is placing the indicator in the centre of the light cluster at the rear so when on a bright day when the brake lamp comes on the indicator is hard to see. Led ripple indicators are good, very clear to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Christy Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 And of course, on BMWs and Audis the indicators remain an optional extra... ? -- Pete 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted June 30, 2021 Author Share Posted June 30, 2021 BMWs we all know about but lay off Audis, I drive one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lima Hotel Foxtrot Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 2 hours ago, Peter Christy said: And of course, on BMWs and Audis the indicators remain an optional extra... ? -- Pete Without doing a study, I would say that 80% of drivers do not indicate when they should, regardless of stereotypes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Colman Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 It's the same over here in my town in Spain, no matter what make or type of car. I swear they're produced especially without indicators for this place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingcoax Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 Steve, It´s the same in Portugal. Even learners don´t seem to be taught to use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Dance 1 Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 Sorry but the stereotype thing does work. However the more annoying trait which is not related to vehicle brand is the habit of many drivers of signalling their intention as they turn the steering wheel by which time it is blindingly obvious what they intend to do. This is particularly annoying at mini-roundabouts when the car approaching the roundabout signals left. Signalling two or three seconds earlier would allow me the opportunity to execute my in a timely manner and help smooth the flow of traffic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lima Hotel Foxtrot Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 I'm not saying that the stereotype doesn't exist; of course it does, that is where stereotypes come from! I'm saying that every driver fails to obey the exact letter of the Highway Code to some extant far more than they think, and that a great deal most of the time. Except for me. I'm a perfect driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 16 hours ago, Andy Gates said: And don't get me started on the strobing indicators....ahhhh! 5 hours ago, Peter Christy said: And of course, on BMWs and Audis the indicators remain an optional extra... ? -- Pete Makes me laugh that since strobing indicators were introduced, Audi drivers are now using them at every conceivable opportunity - pulling out (necessary), returning to a left hand lane (not strictly necessary), even when joining a motorway and barrelling directly into the 3rd lane, they now use their 'look what I've got' indicators! ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 (edited) On 30/06/2021 at 07:59, leccyflyer said: That's a belter that Geoff - that "there's no real fog these days", which is rolled out regularly :). Travel a bit further afield in these islands and you'd see there most certainly is still real fog about. Plenty of fog that you certainly couldn't drive at 30mph in. 5mph, if you're careful, maybe. Well, they used to let us out of school early because of fog (early 1950s) when the bus conductors were walking in front of the bus to guide the driver and fog so thick, as a pedestrian, you could walk into a lamp post. There were terrible mass vehicle pile ups on the M1 near us near Trowel services because of dense fog. It's never that bad now. Geoff Edited July 1, 2021 by Geoff S 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J D 8 Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 That sort of fog was called smog, a mix of smoke an fog and just breathing it resulted in many deaths. My dad told me he once had to pay a local chap £5 [ a lot back then ] to lead him out of Liverpool by walking in front of the car holding a rolled newspaper in front of a headlamp for dad to follow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted July 1, 2021 Author Share Posted July 1, 2021 I once sneaked out of school on my bike a few minutes early and went straight into the back of a double decker school bus parked outside! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 Indicators ? In North Kent? A large number of drivers have obviously missed any instruction on using them or they think they are in a " indicator free zone "? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken anderson. Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 most BMW's don't have directional indicators.. ken anderson...ne..1......motoring dept. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 Nor do most other makes in North Kent! But then so many drivers are on their phones you can't really expect the poor things to indicate where they are going as well ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban8 Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 (edited) Coming home from Cambridge today, the driver in front of me turned right and straight into the path of an oncoming motorcyclist. Collision avoided by a fraction of a second, no way the biker could have applied his brakes. I'd seen the biker who was in hi-viz with headlight on, from behind the vehicle in front well before the junction, so why the hell the driver in front turned into the biker's path I've no idea. As a motorcyclist myself it made me furious to witness such a close shave and afterwards made by blood run cold. I really do call into question the fitness to drive of a person who almost wiped out another road user by such blatant carelessness and/or incompetence. I wish I'd had a dashcam to record the event and have the numpty prosecuted. Too much of this sort of stuff is going on and it's getting worse. Edited August 2, 2021 by Cuban8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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