Sure it may annoy some, but normal front fog lamps are not blinding (and yes I've looked at them from the front and driven with others facing me and behind me with them on) so I think some are over-reacting a bit here. If you are talking about a real problem the tall vehicles with their headlights and fogs higher up are much worse, those are seriously blinding.

Lots of things are annoying out there on the road and I'd say regular fogs are not close to being the worst offenders (I'd be happy if I could get some locals to switch from the loud exhausts to the fogs, at least those wouldn't wake me up at all hours ).

 

I guess this logic means that if it's not "blinding" or as bad as other cars or brighter bulbs then it's okay to annoy other drivers.

Well sounds pretty selfish to me.
Drive with all your lights on -- knock your socks off but don't compain about other exhaust noise -- they might think like you and reationalize that their noise isn't as bad as jet airplanes.

 

I guess this logic means that if it's not "blinding" or as bad as other cars or brighter bulbs then it's okay to annoy other drivers.

Well that sounds very selfish to me.
Drive with all your lights on -- knock your socks off but don't complain about other people's exhaust noise -- they might think like you and rationalize that their noise isn't as bad as jet airplanes.

 

Yes, I think there are shades of gray, big ugly wheels and loud bumping stereos annoy me but that doesn't mean you can't put them on your car. As for comparing an exhaust to a jet engine, well that is an extreme and if someone actually thinks like that then there is no hope they will be logical/rational in any meaningful way.

I was of course talking about the normal dinky little fogs on the 02-06 cars - perhaps the R56 fogs are terrible, glare like crazy, throw light too far, and are designed in such a way as to dazzle everyone in all directions - I don't know and really no-one else in the US does either, so we'lll have to wait until the US spec cars hit the road and people start driving with the fogs on all the time to have the final answer

PS: Many many people find Xenon/HID headlamps to be annoying and blinding, I guess none of us should get those either then I suppose..

 

The DRL's if aimed correctly should be pointed straight down the road in front of you, not ahead and off to the side like the headlights. Being the high beams at 1/2 power or so, what blinds poeple when the high beams are on is because they are so bright, not so much how they are aimed.

I admit, if I'm on a dark, little used road at night, I use my fogs to light the ditches to help look for critters. But if someone is coming at me, I turn them off.

Mark

 

My only point in post here is that some people do things because they think it's "cool" with little or no regard for other people. That includes some noisy exhausts. Fog lights have a purpose, headlights have a purpose. To just want to use them all the time because they are cool is childish if while doing so is annoying other drivers in my opinion. Again that is selfish in my opinion. I
Being bothered by what someone else does with their car is very subjective, but taking a view that you know what should or should not fall within the realm of someone else tollerance is, in my opinion, arrogant. Everything selfish thing that I can think of to do -- I can come up with a rationalization for but that does not mean I can or should do them. I prefer to err on the side of not annoying people -- call me crazy.

 

The next thing you know .... ppl will be complaining about purple headlights and underglow kits ....:impatient

If the kids want to look cool with their toys ... let them. Their money. They can spend it as they see fit

 

Remember that the DRL are the high beams at 70% power. So they are aimed much higher than the fogs are. And yes they do annoy a lot of us. I HATE DRL's. That is why I keep my fogs aimed properly so they don't annoy folks. I don't run my fogs all the time, just when conditions warrant use of my running lights. And to try and not do anything that might annoy a driver is in my opinion a lost cause, everything we do is going to annoy someone.......LOL

 

Yes, its true people do things to look cool or feel important, or just because they like the way it looks - sometimes its stupid or annoying and I agree that it is nice and preferable to be courteous (notice I said that I don't drive with the fogs on all the time) but I was just saying in response to the OP that driving with them on during the day does not look to be dangerous and as something relatively harmless, if it is legal it is pretty benign from my experience. They are low and not bright - on the current car, again I can't be sure of the new one and that context I realized later- there are simply worse things to do if you are not concerned with the aspect of every other persons annoyance level (which you really have no control over, something else you do or don't do could drive an intolerant person in a bad mood crazy). I endeavor to be very thoughtful when it comes to important things when driving, signalling and the like, but I happen to love my xenon headlights and wouldn't opt to not have them because it annoys some random segment of the population.

(By the way, honestly, if you are ordering xenons on your car you may want to reconsider if you 'prefer to err on the side of not annoying people' - some people really hate them no matter what, just ask my Mom and lots of older folks, doesn't matter how they are aimed, it is the color and intensity it seems.)

 

Front fogs during the day are kind of useless even in the fog, but they are quite useful on a foggy, rainy or snowy night. Conversely the rear fog at night usually just annoys other drivers. Normal taillights are usually sufficent to be seen, but on the highway during the day in a heavy rain, fog or snow it helps keep our wonderful MINI's from disappearing from the view of other drivers. The only thing running fogs all the time accomplishes is increasing the frequency of needing the light bulbs changed.

 

To those of you who are annoyed by cars with lights on during the day and are blinded:

What do you do at night? Drive with sunglasses on?

 

For those who prefer to be seen the fogs are an excellent alternative to have the dreadful DRL's.

 

A properly mounted fog light is approx. 12" off the road surface and aimed slightly downward. Properly aimed and mounted fog lights have a wide, diffuse pattern, are not a driving hazard and will not dazzle oncoming drivers, day or night. Whether someone wants to drive with them on all day or not is entirely their perogative and the knee-jerk and insulting reactions of some people in this forum certainly won't change that. Lighten up people.

 

Hey if I offended anyone I appologize. I don't know why this hit a nerve but it did. mad:
Motor and let Motor! I guess.

Geez I read my posts and I guess I got a bug up my tailpipe.
Maybe my penance will be to drive with my fogs on for the first month.
Maybe I'll like it and keep them on.
eVal-- sorry about getting riled up. It probably had less to do with lights and more with other stuff.

 

No worries at all, these things happen in life and on forums, sometimes other forces are having an unknown effect on our response and/or we happen to get caught up in things, I know I have been guilty of both

 

I live in a rural area with no street light. I love the added side lighting of the fogs. I have seen many a deer jump out at the last moment, and having an extra second or two to react is invaluable. I do not and would not drive with them on in the city. For me it has to be functional.

 

Sunfish
1st gear

 

Sunfish
1st gear
Fog lamps off/yellow lens's

 

My '03 came with driving lights (white) as opposed to fog lights (yellow). I don't have drl's activated (hate that feature) so my lights are on only at night. If my lights are on, the driving lights are on. I like the way it looks, and they are not too bright.

 

all the front MINI foglights are white...

 

Which lights are we talking about. Are these the ones that are located below the bumper? Or are we talking about the dealer installed lights above the bumper?

KenL said; "
Please, no no no no no!

Fogs are only to be used when visibility is seriously reduced. Lots of people over here put their front fogs on all the time and they are just being a pain in the ***. Rear fogs are even worse are they are blinding to sit behind and can make it difficult to spot brake lights going on.

The police can fine people here, they don't enforce the law often enough IMO."

+1 Well said!

chows4us said; "The next thing you know .... ppl will be complaining about purple headlights ......."

-1 You need to read this, it discusses glare and over-wattage bulbs.
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/

As far as rear fog lights go, the proper edicate for rear fog use, is to turn them off as soon as you see headlights behind you. Just as you would turn off the high beams as soon as you see lights in front of you.

The normal time to turn rear fogs on is in fog, rain, or snow especially on the highway when the amount of road spray can get to be extreme, limiting the distance at which a trailing vehicle can spot you.

 

Hey, man, if you survived the '60's like some of us old farts, you'd realize that it's all foggy now. Hence my signature..

 

I second that.!!!

 

Good read

Mark

 

Now that is funny. Your quoting daniel stern to me

Seriously dude ..... that was my feeble attempt at sarcasm.

Everytime I bring up daniel stern here, somebody beatches about it because they dont want to listen

They would rather be fashionable than functional