Foglights: the dark side of the hoon

It seems there's a dark side to the use of foglights on cars. Reader Darin complained last week about drivers blindly switching them on.

He wrote: "These morons obviously have no idea what these lights are really for. They are especially annoying, either head on or in the rear view mirror, and when the road is wet, the reflection is blinding. Even more concerning is driving with the foglights on and the main headlights on park. Muppets!"

Here are some of the many replies we received this week:

Angus: "I agree with Darin. In the UK it is a driving offence to use them unless visibility is reduced to less than 100 yards (90 metres). But my question is: what do the New Zealand road contractors coat the roads with that makes them so reflective in the rain? There are many locations in Auckland, for example, where it is impossible to see road markings in the rain at night, not to mention the dazzling reflection of car headlights and streetlights. It's a significant safety hazard. I have not driven in another country that has such shiny roads. What's the story?"

Les: "I read with bemusement the contempt some people have of other drivers' "indiscriminate" use of foglights. I wonder if these foglights come on because the drivers have set the lights to "auto" mode (as I do)? And if this is the reason, Darin should check his own setting before he calls others "morons".

Philip: "Far worse is the use by some drivers of their rear (red) foglights in clear weather at night. They either don't realise these lights are on, don't know what they are, or are just plain ignorant. The effect is the same as driving with brake lights on permanently - dazzling, distracting and very annoying, if not actually illegal. I know - I unknowingly had them turned on in an unfamiliar hire car in the UK and a following driver was so enraged he left his vehicle when we next stopped and, despite my apology and explanation, threatened me with all sorts of violence. These lights should only be used in thick fog."

Murray: "I suspect Darin was also referring to what are known as 'daytime driving lamps'. I refer to the lights low down in the scuttle. They aim straight ahead and are often as intense as a high-beam headlight. Ideally they should be wired to be inoperative when headlights are on. Because of their power they have the exact same effect as driving on high beam, which is clearly illegal. For reasons that escape me police and testing stations ignore them. As they do all the boy racers with coloured lights."

Dave: "Surely anything that increases the visibility of your vehicle in adverse conditions is to be encouraged. We have a Honda Jazz with foglights in the front bumper. They are set 30cm above the road and would need to be pointing up to the sky to shine in oncoming drivers' eyes. We drive this vehicle with the foglights on during daylight hours when there is heavy rain, mist, fog or other factors affecting clear visibility. To refer to fellow drivers as "morons" and "muppets" simply reflects Darin's own level of driving skill."