I was driving on a winding mountain road in NY's Adirondack Mountains last night when another vehicle came up behind me pretty quickly. After a mile or so, all kinds of flashing lights came on in my rearview mirror. I had been driving at the speed limit (55), so I couldn't imagine why I was being pulled over.

The young NY State Police officer was very courteous as he began questioning me about the rear fog lights on my MCS. It turns out that he thought that either my brake lights were stuck on, or that I had a set of illegal aftermarket lights on the car! I explained that they were a factory option, and that I had them on because of the foggy conditions. He was apologetic and I was on my way again in about two minutes.

I have been told that the rear fogs are bright, but it's the first time that I've ever been pulled over for stock equipment!

 

You'd would think they would be aware of this.

 

I got pulled over.. And ticketed for (stock) sequential turn signals on my 68' Mercury Cougar.

I've had a lot of folks over the years be confused about rear fogs on various euro cars I've owned..

"Hey your brake light is stuck!!".

Yup, just means they see me..

I used to get pulled over for the factory smoked rear tails on my GTI.

 

It must have been someone born after 1968.

 

The factory rear fogs on my '03 R53 always caused other drivers to honk & wave at me, then proceed to tell me that my brake lights were stuck on. It got to the point that I just said "thanks" instead of trying to explain it to them. This was before BMW/MINI swapped their positioning, and moved the rear fog light to the lower bumper center position (where the original reverse light was), and moved the reverse lights to the tail light housing. That setup probably caused less confusion, but I definitely liked the original tail light housing better. Oh, well.

Anyway, with my '13 Clubman, now I have people tell me I have a reverse light out, or when I do have my fog light on, that one of my brake lights it out.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

Gen 1 MINIs Pre 7/2004 , The double fog lights made the early MINI unique back in the day, then they went to the lower center fog post 7/2004, which seemed to confuse people even more like MINI has one brake light in the center stuck on.

sdiver have any pics of the 2003 with the fog lights on ?

Here is the old Gen 1 PDF for the rear fog lights.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t_Retrofit.pdf

Thanks

 

I've been stopped in VA for my Clubman fog light. Trooper told me he'd use the brightness difference all day to stop people.
No ticket, but they did reinforce my opinion of state troopers...

 

When it is foggy...they are good....
Issue is when folks turn them on cause they can on clear nights....then they are very annoying....

 

I find fog tails to be very annoying when I see them on, and usually its NOT foggy or raining. Most modern tail lights are good enough under most foggy conditions. Unless you live in an area that gets as foggy as pea soup at least once a week, they are really not necessary.

 

Yes, I do...somewhere. I'll find the photo and post this evening.

Agreed. Half of my reason for having them is to not have an empty toggle switch. The other half would be the occasions it is foggy, or raining heavily. Then it is a nicety. That is the only time my rear fog lights ever go on...well other than to test that it was in fact working.

 

So, moderately foggy once every eight days doesn't meet the criteria?

 

Americans in general don't understand what rear foglights are.

I see a lot of people driving in broad daylight in BMWs, Mercs, and other European cars with the rear foglight on and no clue in the world.

 

Americans dont understand what foglights are for at all..