Head lights/Fog lights

[NewToy]

When should you use them? For what they were designed for. First they are not fog/DRIVIGN lights. They are FOG lights. Turn 'em on in fog, turn 'em off in no fog. Simple? If your headlights are not giving enough light, there is something wrong.

Put me in the p.o'd column for people who think leaving them on in clear conditions is cooool.

Harry K

I am not so sure they are not fog/driving lights. The one's I'm talking about are clear, no yellow lenses like FOG lights. They are factory installed and can be actuated after the main light switch is in parking light or headlight position. They will automatically go out if you engage the highbeams. They illuminate the road low and really help light things up. We are way out in the country amongst many deer, pets and other assorted wildlife and I use them almost all the time and have never been "flashed" as if my highbeams were on. You may need a set of those big yellow goggle things if the light bothers you that much. They will fit over your eyeglasses, you know what kind I mean.
John

 

[RobertN]

Man, that's terrible!! It sounds as if "throwing cigarettes out the window" should have been number one on the list of things other driver's do that anger you. I can personally say that I'm much more annoyed when someone flips a cigarette out their window and it bounces off my windshield than if someone doesn't signal.

Has not happened to me, but I have known of motorcyclist that have been hit, or even worse, had a hot cigeratte butt drop down inside thier jacket, at highway speed. Gotta hurt worse than bee...

It really annoys me in the summer around here; it is tinder dry...

No turn signals has got to be a close second though...

 

[cp1969]

They illuminate the road low and really help light things up. We are way out in the country amongst many deer, pets and other assorted wildlife and I use them almost all the time

Unless you're going less than 20mph, they are lighting an area of the road in which you could not possibly stop. So what is the point of seeing this area?

 

[DieselPower]

Has not happened to me, but I have known of motorcyclist that have been hit, or even worse, had a hot cigeratte butt drop down inside thier jacket, at highway speed. Gotta hurt worse than bee...

It really annoys me in the summer around here; it is tinder dry...

No turn signals has got to be a close second though...

How about the person with the turn signal that doesn't cancel and it stay's on for miles and miles. Not so bad in the day but is a real PITA at night.

As far as cigeratte butt's go. I'm a smoker. When I'm done with a cigeratte I put it in the ash tray where it should be. In PA it's illegal to even put the ash out the window. When you get your tag registeration stickers there is a statement on it that states it is illegal to put ash's or butt's out the window.

 

[Dargo]

As far as cigeratte butt's go. I'm a smoker. When I'm done with a cigeratte I put it in the ash tray where it should be. In PA it's illegal to even put the ash out the window. When you get your tag registeration stickers there is a statement on it that states it is illegal to put ash's or butt's out the window.

And, you know, (no sarcasm at all) I wish you could train other smokers to do the same. I think people have the right to smoke if they want, but not to throw items on fire out their window that are a fire hazard as well as pollution. My hat is off to you.

 

[NewToy]

Unless you're going less than 20mph, they are lighting an area of the road in which you could not possibly stop. So what is the point of seeing this area?

Don't have to stop, maybe a little zig or zag might just save the bunny. If they are as ineffectual as you think I wonder why the mfg bothers to install them?
John

 

[Dargo]

Don't have to stop, maybe a little zig or zag might just save the bunny. If they are as ineffectual as you think I wonder why the mfg bothers to install them?
John

Actually, the manufacturer doesn't care if they work at all. If people think they are "cool", that is far more important than being effective.

 

[cp1969]

They are effective when used in extremely low visibility situations, during which you should be travelling slow enough to stop in the distance they illuminate.

 

[Jagmandave]

I think the "it's cool" reason is the #1 why most people do it, but there is another possible reason as well. I think a lot of people turn them on the then forget about them. I know on my Lexus, the only way you know they're on is if you notice the color (they're not yellow, but they're different than the headlights) or you notice the switch position. There's no indicator light on the dash for example to tell you they're on.
I'm also dead set against using them except in the proper conditions - rain, snow or fog - the rest of the time they should be off, 'cause as noted before they really don't help you see in clear conditions. That said, there have been a couple of times when I noticed I'd left mine on...........

 

[hwp]

I know on my Lexus, the only way you know they're on is if you notice the color (they're not yellow, but they're different than the headlights) or you notice the switch position. There's no indicator light on the dash for example to tell you they're on.

That's odd because there is a dash light indicator on my Camry. I would have thought that if Toyota does it for the lower line vehicles they would also do it for the upper line ones.

 

[kensfarm]

...it is illegal to put ash's or butt's out the window.

That law must not be working.. I still see kids mooning people all the time!!

I just use a half cup of water for an ashtray.. the cig. goes right out.. no ashtray's to clean.

 

[1bush2hog]

Unless you're going less than 20mph, they are lighting an area of the road in which you could not possibly stop. So what is the point of seeing this area?

CP1969 - Maybe you have never driven on some of the same types of backroads at night? The lights DO help me see the edges of the road, especially where roads are narrow and curvy and the whitelines, and sometimes the yellow lines too, either do not exist or are difficult to see. Alot of times the edge of the road looks the same as the shoulder and without added visibility from additional lighting are downright dangerous to unfamiliar drivers.

 

[BobRip]

I'm not advocating for or against DRL's , but at Fedex Ground drivers are required to run with headlights on even during the day. quote]

So Fed Ex makes their trucks a muted brown and hard to see and they compensate by making their drivers run lights. I perfer a passive approach, white vehicle and lights off. I try to buy light colored cars. I wonder (I don't really know) if the lights make make the vehicle they are on safer, but cause the total accident rates to go up from eye fatigue and distraction. During the day there is almost always plenty of light from the sun. Just make the cars visible by making the whole vehicle visible from the visible paint color, don't use up oil lights for this.

 

[Dargo]

I'm not advocating for or against DRL's , but at Fedex Ground drivers are required to run with headlights on even during the day. quote]

So Fed Ex makes their trucks a muted brown and hard to see and they compensate by making their drivers run lights.

Um, I think the Fed Ex trucks are white. I think it's the UPS trucks that are brown.

 

[BobRip]

Uh. Sorry. My error.

 

[Dusty]

Um, I think the Fed Ex trucks are white. I think it's the UPS trucks that are brown.

and UPS doesn't require the drivers to use the headlamps during daytime. I also find it interesting that many states don't require the headlamps to be illuminated when you are using your windshield wipers. This one makes sense, but headlamps on during the daytime doesn't to me.
Dusty

 

[cp1969]

Unless you're going less than 20mph, they are lighting an area of the road in which you could not possibly stop. So what is the point of seeing this area?

CP1969 - Maybe you have never driven on some of the same types of backroads at night? The lights DO help me see the edges of the road, especially where roads are narrow and curvy and the whitelines, and sometimes the yellow lines too, either do not exist or are difficult to see. Alot of times the edge of the road looks the same as the shoulder and without added visibility from additional lighting are downright dangerous to unfamiliar drivers.

That is most emphatically NOT the type of situation I'm talking about. I am talking about the use of these clown-on-board marker lights in mostly suburban situations--four lane, city, even on lighted thoroughfares, for crying out loud. In fact, I think it would be better for them to only be on when high beams are used...at least that way they'd be off once in a while. If all this illumination is necessary, high beams + driving lights would be the way to go. Hopefully some of these light addicts would feel obliged to dim their lights then...but, probably not.

 

[Dargo]

Uh. Sorry. My error.

Actually, I was laughing. I knew what you meant. I get the two mixed up all the time myself.

 

[Dargo]

I also find it interesting that many states don't require the headlamps to be illuminated when you are using your windshield wipers. This one makes sense, but headlamps on during the daytime doesn't to me.
Dusty

I always get the "inside" scoop about Toyota over Thanksgiving when my wife's relatives are over. A few of them work at a local Toyota plant. One was telling me that one of the prototype Toyota pickups brought by the plant for the workers to see had the headlights come on with the wiper switch as well as with the regular headlight switch. That way the driver would automatically turn on their headlights when they turned their wipers on. I didn't think it was too bad of an idea.