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Bumbling B, I am also sensitive to other drivers. I run the single front light at night, on low beam. I have experienced the bikes running brights at night or running driving lights at night in the city. Out in the Hill Country I will use my driving lights during the day and at night, it is very rural so no issue bothering other drivers there.
Bumbling B, I am also sensitive to other drivers. I run the single front light at night, on low beam. I have experienced the bikes running brights at night or running driving lights at night in the city. Out in the Hill Country I will use my driving lights during the day and at night, it is very rural so no issue bothering other drivers there.
On my cruiser (when I used to ride) I had driving lights too. They were very low beam and I aimed them a bit lower too as to not blind oncoming cars.
The bikes I was talking about are the ones that run brights during the day, such brights lights they are actually blinding. I know a few owners that brag about how bright their lights are and how they blind people. I am very familiar with Hill Country so I know what you are talking about.
Those rear fogs are bright and I stand by the idea that here in the US we have people that will drive with them on all the time.........if they knew the car had them. For the longest time I didn't know my Euro spec Mercedes didn't have them - once I knew I still never turned it on.
In Texas it is taught in the motorcycle riding course and is encouraged, if not required by Texas law that motorcycles ride with brights on in daylight hours. The bikes you have probably seen, and are irritating are bikers who have done an HID conversion for their headlight and then are running them on brights. The HIDs are pretty darn bright.
I'm just happy if a US driver turns on his lights in the fog so I can see them. If they don't know enough to turn on lights in for, what makes you think they would use Fog lights properly?
In Texas it is taught in the motorcycle riding course and is encouraged, if not required by Texas law that motorcycles ride with brights on in daylight hours. The bikes you have probably seen, and are irritating are bikers who have done an HID conversion for their headlight and then are running them on brights. The HIDs are pretty darn bright.
Right on, there are a ton of HID conversion sport bikes around here. You're right about it being encouraged to ride with brights on and I'll leave it at that.
My first post on SCOA as a dirty foreigner and it's about my pet-hate of people misusing foglights!
Sitting behind someone (in the UK, the biggest culprits are usually senile and on the borderline of death itself..) who has their rear fogs on in normal weather, especially at night - is one of the most painful, distracting, uncomfortable driving experiences ever. This differs to front fog lights that are usually left on all the time by children who've just learned to drive, or they're middle-aged men driving dull as dishwater Audi's who, to be fair, probably need any dash light as a distraction in order not to be bored to death by the car they're driving.
Even in fairly thick fog - if you are travelling in traffic it is common courtesy to turn them off once you are content the vehicle behind is aware of your presence.
I was working in the states for about 3 months last year and never noticed that any of the cars I had didn't have them - but I was in Florida and California. Maybe that's the point - a fair proportion of the US simply doesn't need foglights? Used anything other than thick fog (i.e. rain/snow) they're more of a hindrance in my opinion.
Fog is a major issue near the coast here in the US, particularly in the San Francisco area. I have also encountered super dense fog while driving in Vermont in the summer time - fog so thick that we were reduced to driving 10 mph on the interstate highway.
The smart is the first car that I have used where the fog lamps work independently of the headlights. Turning on normal headlights and the fog lights at the same time is counter-productive, as the reflection of the light from the headlights blinds you and prevents you from seeing anything illuminated by the fog lights.
The SAE doesn't (apparently) approve the rear marker lights for use in the US, and all of the states and the Department of Transportation follow their recommendations.
I'm just happy if a US driver turns on his lights in the fog so I can see them. If they don't know enough to turn on lights in for, what makes you think they would use Fog lights properly?
Amen! I was driving back from W. Illinois Thursday morning, very heavy fog along I-74 headed east toward Indy; any number of cars with either no lights on or driving with just the parking lights Where did/do these folks learn to drive? Here we are all hot and bothered about elderly drivers and some of the younger ones seem just plain brainless. Oh yeah - if you flash your lights to alert them to turn theirs on, guess what response you get?
PS - would really have liked to have the red rear fogs as cars were coming up from behind at well over the posted speed limit.
maybe because the few euro cars in america that still have the rear lights (jags, saabs, etc.) have morons that drive them with the fog lights switch pulled all the way out, triggering the front AND rear. these idiots are blissfully UNAWARE of the rear light feature, and take great delight in blinding those behind us.
And at least some Audis and Mercedes.
Gosh, what moronic people those are who drive on clear nights with their rear foglights on!
Would it help balance the world if I were to drive with high beams behind them if I ever am stuck behind them?
I am very familiar with Hill Country so I know what you are talking about.
or driving with just the parking lights 
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