Why rear fog lamps are not made mandatory?

[amitoj]

If all the cars were to have front fog lamps, wont rear fog lamps become unnecessary? Unless you consistently drive in reverse

The only use case i can think of for a rear fog light is when you are reversing in thick fog. In such cases, the rear fog light should be switched on automatically when you engage reverse gear. All other times it should be off.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by amitoj

If all the cars were to have front fog lamps, wont rear fog lamps become unnecessary? Unless you consistently drive in reverse

The only use case i can think of for a rear fog light is when you are reversing in thick fog. In such cases, the rear fog light should be switched on automatically when you engage reverse gear. All other times it should be off.

Actually rear fog is red colored light slightly stronger then tail light.
Purpose is that driver of the car tailing you can see it in thick fog and maintain safe distance while driving.

Even if you have fog lamp on it is very difficult to judge the movement of the car in front in heavy rain or thick fog.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by amitk26

Actually rear fog is red colored light slightly stronger then tail light.
Purpose is that driver of the car tailing you can see it in thick fog and maintain safe distance while driving.

Even if you have fog lamp on it is very difficult to judge the movement of the car in front in heavy rain or thick fog.

Why not make the brake light itself stronger? Just found out that the European spec for a rear foglamp falls within the range of the rear stop light in American cars. And the Euro spec for stop light may not meet the US criteria, and so many European vehicles imported into US wire the rear fog lamps as stop lights.

[captain.torque]

Note from mod team: Back to back posts, please use Multi Quote (Quote +) instead. Thanks

Originally Posted by Jeroen

See: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/31/u...300-000-accid/

The correct term appears to be "dazzle". And has caused 300.000 accidents in the UK last year. So it bit more serious than just irritating!

Jeroen

First of all the report doesn't say that the rear fog lamps are culprits. Secondly, below in the comments box the 'GTS Guy' has actually wrote what I want to say. plz read that comment. Lastly, I think its all about how you want to look at things. the glass may be half full or half empty.

Originally Posted by amitoj

If all the cars were to have front fog lamps, wont rear fog lamps become unnecessary? Unless you consistently drive in reverse

The only use case i can think of for a rear fog light is when you are reversing in thick fog. In such cases, the rear fog light should be switched on automatically when you engage reverse gear. All other times it should be off.

LOL. are u kidding me mate? The rear fog lamps is there to protect your car from those following you. Its not a reversing light.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Why not make the brake light itself stronger? Just found out that the European spec for a rear foglamp falls within the range of the rear stop light in American cars. And the Euro spec for stop light may not meet the US criteria, and so many European vehicles imported into US wire the rear fog lamps as stop lights.

Because brake light gets activated while braking to tell speeding vehicles behind to slow down.
A dedicated light is required to avoid confusion.

BTW a 12 w auto bulb is less then 50 Rs.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by captain.torque

LOL. are u kidding me mate? The rear fog lamps is there to protect your car from those following you. Its not a reversing light.

I thought thats what brake lights are for.

Originally Posted by amitk26

Because brake light gets activated while braking to tell speeding vehicles behind to slow down.
A dedicated light is required to avoid confusion.

Avoid confusion or create confusion? If fog light is brighter than the brake light, it can cause more confusion. Just like its difficult to see the turn indicator of a car facing you with its high beam on. And before you throw wattage comparisons of turn indicator, high beam lamp, fog lamp and brake lights, all I want to say is that it may be nice to have fog lamps but sky won't fall down if they are not made mandatory.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by amitoj

I thought thats what brake lights are for.



Avoid confusion or create confusion? If fog light is brighter than the brake light, it can cause more confusion. Just like its difficult to see the turn indicator of a car facing you with its high beam on. And before you throw wattage comparisons of turn indicator, high beam lamp, fog lamp and brake lights, all I want to say is that it may be nice to have fog lamps but sky won't fall down if they are not made mandatory.

Fog light is always brighter then brake light.

Suggest you to drive in moderate traffic on a foggy rainy highway.
It does makes a difference . Most long distance truckers fit auxiliary lights for this purpose.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by amitk26

Suggest you to drive in moderate traffic on a foggy rainy highway.
It does makes a difference . Most long distance truckers fit auxiliary lights for this purpose.

I have done quite a bit of driving in dense fog in the northern parts of India. And will be driving in even more adverse conditions here in the north eastern part of US (in fact, i am about to drive in winds that are gusting at 70 kmph). However i never saw it to be rainy AND foggy at the same time. I think there is a very tiny overlap of weather conditions for rain and fog to coexist which is certainly not long enough to make a rear fog light compulsory. But rain and fog coexist or not is not really the issue.

Of course adding one more light will make some difference. Adding two lights will make even more difference. But the differences are negligible enough for them to remain a buyer's choice than a government mandate.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

As far as I remember (and it's been a while since I drove it), our Swift Zxi had a separate switch for the rear fogs. You had to switch them on separately and they will switch off as soon as you turn the headlights off. So the rear fogs are not on by mistake, they are on because someone turned them on!

I agree!! The Safari too comes with the rear fog lamps, which can be turned on only if the front fog lamps are turned on. So doing this is intentional.
OT I have found a good use for my fog lamps. Suppose I have to perform hard braking for some reason, I switch on my rear fog lamps in the process along with hazard lights. All this illumination along with the high mounted stop lamps and brake lights do warn tail gaiters to slow down...

[sgiitk]

Is not Rainy & Foggy nearly impossible. If it rains, it washes the fog away. I have lived for five years and done a lot of driving in the home of the fog - UK and never come across that combo. I have seen the real fog, where the front of the bonnet is barely visible about three times in my five years.

Of course being in the north I have faced it once in Kanpur! Had an 118NE and took me 1-1/2 hours to drive 8 km!

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Is not Rainy & Foggy nearly impossible. If it rains, it washes the fog away. I have lived for five years and done a lot of driving in the home of the fog - UK and never come across that combo. I have seen the real fog, where the front of the bonnet is barely visible about three times in my five years.

Of course being in the north I have faced it once in Kanpur! Had an 118NE and took me 1-1/2 hours to drive 8 km!

It was a case of simple missing conjunction or . I will proof read from next time

BTW only places where I have seen combination of fog and rain was in Kodikanal and Munnar it was like driving in middle of cloud but I did not mean to describe that scenario.

Last year while coming back from Pondicherry to Bangalore it was torrential rain for some 50KM kind of downpour where visibility reduces to 10-15 feet. On sunday evenings roads to Bangalore have this mad rush of people returning from weekend getaways. Though it is 4 lane highway but vehicles with blinkers or rear fogs were lot helpful.

I belive fog in north India is specially dangerous because it is actually brown colored smog.
Many times in winters I had to postpone return trip from my hometown because trains were running 6-8 hours late and almost zero visibility on road.

[sgiitk]

Yes @amit26. Now fog is an annual event earlier dense fog esp. at night was very rare. I have lived in these parts all my life, and do not remember any such fog till about 20 years ago.

On the highway smog is also an indicator of some township / village coming up!

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Yes @amit26. Now fog is an annual event earlier dense fog esp. at night was very rare. I have lived in these parts all my life, and do not remember any such fog till about 20 years ago.

On the highway smog is also an indicator of some township / village coming up!

Yes I clearly remember 1997 was first time there was 15 day complete fog cover in Gwalior that was the year when I got my first job in Mumbai and when I came for vacation around new year I wondered if this is still in M.P or moved to H.P.