![]() | #1 |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: New Delhi
Posts: 195
Thanked: 594 Times
| ![]() This is an issue that has been perturbing since a long time and sadly there have been no major developments that would calm my nerves in the past many years. It’s the issue of rear fog lamps. With the winters setting in, I think rear fog lamps are perhaps one of the most needed equipment in any vehicle be it a car, truck, scooter etc. Now my friends from south India may not share the same sentiment but at least in all of northern India like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand etc., the dense fog, year after year, wreaks havoc especially on the motorists. Be it early morning or night driving, fog is your worst enemy on the road in winters and every year several motorists, passengers and even pedestrians lose their lives because of this. Now what irritates me is that why can’t the government formulate a stringent policy on cars having rear fog lamps at least, those sold in north India, the way it was made mandatory for four-wheeler drivers to wear seatbelts or helmets for two-wheeler drivers. And why can’t car makers on their own do this? I know many cars have rear fog lamps but why can’t all of them have it? Moreover, there is an idiotic trend that I have observed the top variant of a model will have a fog lamp but not its poorer base variant. ![]() Now I wonder what the logic behind this is. Does a Swift Ldi/Lx has a Titanium boot covered with Kevlar??? Does it not deserve to be protected with a 100 rupees lamp because the owner won’t shell out that extra cash for some alloys or sunroof? I personally drive a Honda City that was launched in 2009. In its tail lamp assembly there was an enclosure for a fog lamp but no bulb in it. ![]() I am a Delhiite and I used to travel on the Delhi-Gurgaon and Delhi-Noida expressways often last year and trust me, driving in that thick fog was like hell. On top of it several drivers would have their blinkers on—another idiotic trend which is a nuisance but people are comfortable with it. Surprisingly, even the Delhi Traffic Police in one of its advisories on facebook last winter had written: “Thick fog, drive with blinkers on.” And so many people slammed them for their lack of knowledge and spreading wrong information. The advisory was removed from the site after a few hours. Finally, I would end this post with another IDIOTIC TREND – that of car makers putting those silly LED daytime running lamps which frankly speaking are there only for cosmetic purposes. DRL’s are required in Nordic countries where sometimes the afternoons are dark. But in an attempt to ape the west and just to look cool, these lights are becoming so popular that Philips has introduced DRL strips in the market. I just read on Autocar India’s website that the i20’s top versions would be getting these LED daytime running lights. Common sense is so uncommon. P.S. I got rear fog lamps retrofitted in my Honda City and Xing while the Swift Vdi already has one. Last edited by GTO : 26th October 2012 at 16:37. Reason: Do NOT refer to cars by acronyms (e.g. ANHC). Full make & model name only please |
![]() | ![]() |
|
![]() | #2 | |
Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 11,848
Thanked: 19,501 Times
| ![]() Quote:
Coming to your suggestion to car makers and Government to make rear fog lamps mandatory in North India at least is difficult buddy. I can understand the fog in northern parts but it would be difficult stocking different parts and maintaining inventories for north and south India would become tedious. The problem here I see is the awareness people lack. Fog lamps either front or rear are to be used when visibility is low or FOG is present. but the real time scenario is the moment it is night time front and rear fogs are switched ON. The oncoming vehicle and the tailgating vehicle driver suffers. Just my two cents! Anurag. | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | #3 | |
Senior - BHPian ![]() | ![]() Quote:
Try following any car (in heavy traffic) which has its running lights (sidelights) + brake lights (in traffic) + High mounted stop light + one penetrating rear fog! I guarantee that most people will have to look away from the sheer red intensity produced. | |
![]() |
![]() | #4 |
Senior - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Adelaide
Posts: 1,192
Thanked: 694 Times
| ![]() In a country filled with untrained and irresponsible drivers, rear fog lamps are more a bane than boon. On any cloudless evening, you'll notice that people unnecessarily keep the fog lamps on. People just want to show off that they have fog lamps (like sun roof, being discussed in another thread). Unfortunately, no car comes with separate switch for rear fog lamps. Last week, I had to follow a slowly driven Rapid with an L board in the night, since the oncoming traffic prohibited any overtaking. It was raining heavily too. Rapid's fog lamps were on, and the bright red rear fog lamp, which is on the right side, was shining right into my eyes. It was very difficult to drive. |
![]() |
![]() | #5 | |
Distinguished - BHPian ![]() | ![]() Quote:
Mandatory on all roads during day and night: Bosnië Herzegovina Danmakr Estland Finland Iceland Kroatië Litouwen Letland Macedonië Norway Polen Sweden Slovenië Slowakije Tsjech R Mandatory on all motorways and all rural road during day and night: Italy Roemenië Rusia Hongary Mandatory on all roads during day and night: Spain Advisable under all circumstances during day and night Germany France Switzerland Not sure of the above is completely accurate, if anything there might be more countries which require dipped lights during day time. It is not just a Nordic thing and it has nothing to do with sunsets being early! The main reason for having more and more countries making it obligatory to have dipped lights on is that is has been proven to reduce accidents. Even in daylight, during great visibility a car with its lights on, will get noticed better/earlier. In a number of these countries the lights come on automatically as soon as you start the engine, per default. On the matter of fog lights; Regulation varies in Europe from country to country. The biggest problems is that people turn them on way to early. Most Europea countries stipulate that you're not allowed to carry front fog lights unless visibillity is less than 200 meters and rear fog lights the visibility needs t o be less than 50 meters! So, you might wonder what they hell you're doing on the road under those conditions anyway. The biggest problem with turning on foglights to early is that you blind the cars coming towards you or behind you. Jeroen Last edited by Technocrat : 25th October 2012 at 23:25. Reason: fixed quotes :) | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | #6 |
Senior - BHPian | ![]() 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! |
![]() |
![]() | #7 |
Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: BLR
Posts: 1,026
Thanked: 429 Times
| ![]() India the usefulness of this feature is limited to just the northern states which has some fog during the winter months. However I think that overall the traffic speeds are way too low to warrant such feature. Moreover it can be quite irritating to a driver who is following a car with rear fog lights “on” as the light is quite bright and intense. Many manufacture’s due to obvious cost reasons have removed this feature in Indian version e.g. Figo. |
![]() |
![]() | #8 |
Distinguished - BHPian ![]() ![]() | ![]() I think the rear fog lights should be on the lower part of the rear bumper like in the Swift and the Punto. Having rear fog lights on the taillights (like the i20?) is not a good application |
![]() |
|
![]() | #9 | |||||
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: New Delhi
Posts: 195
Thanked: 594 Times
| ![]() Mod Note : Please use the EDIT or MULTI-QUOTE buttons instead of typing one post after another on the SAME THREAD! To know how to multi-quote, click here. Quote:
![]() Quote:
For Eg: Tata Nano, Chevrolet Spark/Beat, Maruti Alto, Ritz, Swift, Dzire, Honda Brio/City, Toyota Etios/Liva/ Altis/ Innova, Mahindra Quanto, Xylo, Scorpio and the list goes on and on. Coming to your second point, you are right that it will be a cumbersome process to differentiate cars sold in north and south India, but I suggest may be the fog lamps can be fitted at the dealer level in north India. If that is possible. Awareness about when to use fog lamps should be there for sure but what I have seen is that not many people even know what rear fog lamps are. Most of my friends/relatives thought that it was a fancy light until i told them that it is to be used only in foggy conditions. Quote:
I drive around 40 kms daily across the city and I am terrified every year during the winter months whenever there is heavy fog. I have seen terrible accidents. Moreover, I rarely see people driving with their rear fog lamps on in Delhi. Maybe I am lucky ![]() I agree a rear fog lamp switched on when the the skies are clear and there are no rains or fog can be IRRITATING but never dangerous. I mean you won't ram your car in the pavement or something because you were blinded by the glare. I hope you get me. But these lamps can be life savers. Trust me. Quote:
Quote:
This happened to me last year on the highway running parallel to CWG village towards Ghaziabad. I was driving at 40 kmph and the fog was dense. I was being trailed by an army truck. I was in the extreme left side of the road driving very cautiously and then I saw this car in front of me with its blinkers on. Seriously, I coudn't make out for quite sometime whether the car was moving or not and whether shod i overtake it, keep following it as I did not want to be sandwiched between the army truck and that car in case it was stationery. ![]() Last edited by GTO : 26th October 2012 at 16:38. Reason: Please use the EDIT or MULTI-QUOTE buttons instead of typing one post after another! | |||||
![]() |
![]() | #10 |
Senior - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gurugram
Posts: 7,917
Thanked: 4,590 Times
| ![]() Considering that many people drive with front fogs on at all times, I think the rear will meet the same fate. Same as many creative uses of the hazard warning. |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | #11 |
Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 2,090
Thanked: 654 Times
| ![]() IMHO rear fog lamp should be mandated atleast more then half of geographical area of India ( Except Penensular India) is covered by fog & Smog during winters. Also in South India receives both Southwest and North East Mansoon and fog lamp is quite useful in torrential rains. ARAI need to come up with regulation for maximum height of rear fogs. |
![]() |
![]() | #12 |
Senior - BHPian ![]() | ![]() In a country were every car does not even have front fog lamps expecting the same at the rear is probably asking for too much. And in my experience the white bulbs and the light is less visible in fog than the bright red lights. Most proper fog lamps need to be yellow in colour and not white as white does not pierce through the fog easily (yellow and bright reds are better in this area) |
![]() |
![]() | #13 | |
Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 2,090
Thanked: 654 Times
| ![]() Quote:
I think only way of making vehicles safe is through mandate. Front and rear fogs are not that costly either so all variants should have them. Last edited by GTO : 26th October 2012 at 16:40. Reason: Correcting typos. Please proof-read posts before submitting. Thanks | |
![]() |
![]() | #14 | |
Senior - BHPian ![]() Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chandigarh/Mohali/Ambala Cantt
Posts: 3,819
Thanked: 1,943 Times
| ![]() Quote:
My vehicle is also equipped with rear fog lamp,since they do not aid illumination,i use them Either in fog or extreme rains. Also Punto active is the only car that comes with OEM rear fog light and no front one's. Last edited by akshay4587 : 26th October 2012 at 16:07. | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | #15 | |
Distinguished - BHPian ![]() | ![]() Quote:
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 | |
![]() | ![]() |