Fog

[dubber36]

We had a bit of fog here yesterday. I was out riding for about 3 hours, so saw a fair bit of traffic and I reckon at least 50% had no clue what their headlight switch did. We had;

Dipped headlights, thank you.

DRLs only, so no tail lights

Side lights only, whilst rear lights are on, even dimmer front lights than DRLs

Side lights with front fog lights, even tho' front foglights are less bright than dipped headlights.

Rear fog light blazing, OK visibility in places was below 100m, but the car following is around 20m away, so there's a pretty good chance he can see you.

Then no lights at all. Either they are oblivious, or as the DRL only gang, rely on Auto lights, which as we all know don't know when it's foggy.

Us folk on forums can try to educate as much as we like, but we are here because we have an interest in vehicles and are likely to do things properly. I don't know how to get through to the other folk. Maybe some sort of guidance at the end of a foggy/rainy/snowy weather forecast?

I'm sure the rest of you could add to my list, so feel free to vent.

 

[DaveD]

Probably the same people who sit in Lane 2 of the motorway when there's nothing in Lane 1.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Probably the same people who sit in Lane 2 of the motorway when there's nothing in Lane 1.

….and park on the yellow zig zags outside schools…

 

[Peatey]

Totally agree same here loads of fog about so no lights needed when driving!!

Auto headlights are one of the worst inventions for a vehicle in my opinion, they seem to be a solution to a problem that never existed, but I suppose it's one of the steps closer to autonomous vehicles

 

[monkeybusiness]

Sort of on topic - I live on the end of the runway at Leeds/Bradford airport and the last 24 hours have been eventful. The fog is really bad.
You can hear planes circling and lots of aborted landings.

 

[Sasquatch]

I drove back from Coventry yesterday. The wife is blind in one eye and has adapted very well (all DVLA notified and approved - you can hold a pilots licence with only one good eye) but in fog or snow struggles as she has no stereoscopic depth perception and in those conditions is deprived of the visual reference she requires.

Fine, so I took the helm. I'm a retired Class 1 dibble pilot so have vastly more training and experience than most, and on the A45 in dense fog felt that 55 MPH was about the fastest speed I could go that would, if necessary, allow me to stop in the distance I could see to be clear. Simple common sense for even the newest or least experienced driver, nefer mind an ace wheel man.

Yet the number of wannabe organ donors that flung themselves past me and into the murk at stupid speeds was absolutely frightening.

 

[JDC]

. I'm a retired Class 1 dibble pilot

Your right on what you say but this bit made me laugh.

 

[Sasquatch]

Your right on what you say but this bit made me laugh.

Well, I did get airborne a few times...

 

[Paynewright]

Some of the worse road crashes in my memory (multiple collisions / fatalities) have been in poor visibility - fog and/or smoke (Sheppy bridge / M5 firework display incident) so adjusting speed is vital.

 

[whodat]

I always wondered if some people had special windscreens that allowed them to see further into fog than I could as I've been in fog on top of hills in Yorkshire where I was crawling at not much faster than walking speeds with hazards/fog lights full beam etc to see the verge/road when a car came seriously whizzing past, overtook and disappeared into the fog. Think it was ghosts who died there the last time it was froggy.

 

[roadtripper]

DRLs only, so no tail lights

And this is one reason I have the Scandinavian setting - just in case I forget to double check that auto hasn't messed up.

Also because I've driven SAAB and Volvo for 3 decades and got rather used to the permanent lights on each corner whenever the ignition is on.

 

[Salty Spuds]

And this is one reason I have the Scandinavian setting - just in case I forget to double check that auto hasn't messed up.

Also because I've driven SAAB and Volvo for 3 decades and got rather used to the permanent lights on each corner whenever the ignition is on.

Yup, I set my tail lights to be always on with the ignition in VCDS. I do recall a member on here lambasting me for doing so, trying to tell me it was illegal. I think he's long gone now.

Rear tails on as DRL's

Hi all, So I did all the basic coding last night (Alarm lock beep, needle sweep, digital speed thingy, seat belt warning etc etc). I then went and ordered some LED tail lights so wondered if anyone has set them to be on with the DRL's? I didn't see the option while looking through the coding...

www.t6forum.com

 

[Vanderlust]

Agree with previous posts. The only time I use the auto position for the lights is in Europe mountain areas when you’re in and out of tunnels all the time when it works quite well. But then I forget to switch it back to manual setting up at campsite , tip toeing back to the van after some late night refreshments, press the key fob and the dip beam blasts across the neighbouring pitches, doh. The only time the t6 lights seem really bright.

 

[Sackmycook]

I'm a retired Class 1 dibble pilot

Not worth mentioning unless you're Hendon trained !

 

[cgtmiles]

Auto headlights are one of the worst inventions for a vehicle in my opinion, they seem to be a solution to a problem that never existed,

It doesn’t help that the t6 lights are so poor you can’t tell whether they are on even at the best of times, plus there is no indicator light on the dash to tell you what’s what! The only way to be sure what’s happening is to go manual

 

[Sasquatch]

Not worth mentioning unless you're Hendon trained !

I'm a carrot, twice over (transferred mid career.) Funnily enough my first farce, TVP, we used to train a lot of Met drivers as they didn't have the capacity (and doubtless the TVP scrambled egg ranks liked the income.)

I did apply to the Met when I came out the Army but got knocked back because of my tattoos. Strangely the Met seem happy to to give jobs to those of a criminal, racist or perverted bent, but have a few forearm tatts and they get the vapours. Or at least they did when I joined in the late 80s. It's odd that a bit of ink makes me less employable than the likes of Wayne Couzens, but that's the Met for you.

 

[Lubrown]

And this is one reason I have the Scandinavian setting - just in case I forget to double check that auto hasn't messed up.

Also because I've driven SAAB and Volvo for 3 decades and got rather used to the permanent lights on each corner whenever the ignition is on.

My last motorbike had permanent lights front and rear - it’s a thing on Hondas for the last few years in a drive to boost safety. So headlight and tail light and on permanently along with front indicators on as marker lights.

I’m still just as invisible as when lights were off as standard. In fact, since the food couriers became ‘a thing’ people seem to have even less respect for motorcycles and pedal cycles and pull out in front of you whether they see you or not.

 

[Dave A]

Not worth mentioning unless you're Hendon trained !

Or Lancashire!!

 

[dubber36]

And now the fog has lifted, there seems to be more and more with their front fog light lights on permanently.

I thought that most cars switched them off when the car was turned off, so these people must be consciously turning them on again for every journey.

 

[JumpShip]

We've spent the last few days driving through france in thick fog .
Most of the french seem to not acknowledge it at all in any way .