[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by ACM

Rear fog lights are for this purpose NOT Hazzard lights. The car manufacturers have researched a lot before developing it.

We do not even have proper rear fog lights, except perhaps on expensive imports. For many, many years, rear fog lights, at least in my native place, GB, have been high intensity. Which creates yet another problem: the people who turn them on when they are not needed. They are bright enough to be very annoying.

Too many blinking lights in very heavy rains only hinders visibility fir those behind you.

Yes, I agree. Hazard lights are for warning about a hazard including entering a bank of rain or fog. They are absolutely not for use just because it's raining, or even when traffic is driving close enough to see you anyway.

Turn them on to warn... The turn them off.

When all cars have high-intensity rear fog lights, my advice will change.

[ACM]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

We do not even have proper rear fog lights, except perhaps on expensive imports. For many, many years, rear fog lights, at least in my native place, GB, have been high intensity. Which creates yet another problem: the people who turn them on when they are not needed. They are bright enough to be very annoying

My recent cars since 2007 have all had Rear High Intensity fog lights.
Skoda Laura and Superb, Tata Aria and Hexa, Ford Ecosport and Aspire. We are getting there. It is I guess a law to have them today.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by ACM

My recent cars since 2007 have all had Rear High Intensity fog lights...

Hmmm... I just checked my 2014 Polo in the drive at 6.45pm. The rear fog light is a lot brighter than I expected, but I don't think I'd find it uncomfortable if I were driving behind it, as I would have done in England 18 years ago, where they annoy even in daylight.

And I have never experienced this in India. Perhaps people just haven't found the switch yet!

Can someone who is used to present-day driving in Europe and India please update me on this comparison?

(Sorry: the thread is about Bull bars, and the whole foray into hazard/etc lights is off-topic <Blush>)

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

And I have never experienced this in India. Perhaps people just haven't found the switch yet!

Offtopic.

They have. Especially VAG cars. They pull the light knob the whole way and engage the rear fog light unknowingly. Especially Ventos and Rapids were a bother. Marutis of the previous decade too had it, from the WagonR to Ertiga, but they were not as harsh as they VAG ones.

Ofcourse it is less of a problem nowadays. Maybe people are happy with the show offy DRLs, they are not bothering to switch ON the old show offy fogs.

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by ACM

Rear fog lights are for this purpose NOT Hazzard lights. The car manufacturers have researched a lot before developing it.

Let's follow the official rules and not create our own ligic.

Too many blinking lights in very heavy rains only hinders visibility fir those behind you.

There are not "too many" because under conditions where you really need those brighter lights, nobody is able to see more than a few car lengths in front of them at all - any more than 10m and they get pretty faint/ inoffensive anyway.

And it is not exactly "creating one's own logic" if one's state/ national driver's manual mandates/ advises the use of hazard lights in certain conditions!

Rear fog lights existed only on European - market cars (particularly Scandinavian, in my time) in the U.S. earlier - no U.S.- built vehicle had them, I'm not sure about nowadays. Granted a bright red steady light may be as or more effective than flashing ones, great if your car has those, but as the poster below showed evidence of, there is little real consensus re: flashers, and I seriously doubt that scientific studies have been done under each and every possible condition proving one technology over the other.

Fact remains that in many parts of the world, rear fog lights are NOT fitted to vehicles, or were not when currently registered and running cars were built...

So for them, if it comes to running relatively faint rear taillamps vs. flashers in thick fog or all-out downpours, flashers are most definitely going to be safer than nothing. The visibility just isn't there with tail lamps alone, I'd bet you can see the car you're following at minimally twice the distance with flashers on, at which point it comes down more to common sense -especially for anyone driving a car not equipped with rear foglamps (which is me and probably most of us here in India).

-Eric.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Wait... Hazard lights are primarily about warning rather than visibility.

A bunch of cars driving together, all being able to see each other: nobody should be using hazards. Unless one driver, eg, suddenly sees a cow.

I am not in the camp that wants, for instance, to restrict hazards lights, eg, to stationary vehicles, but now do I want to turn the roads into festival displays, especially when the visibility is poor due to rain.

And remember... Hazards on? You can't indicate. And that is something one may need to do urgently.

[Indian2003]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

When all cars have high-intensity rear fog lights, my advice will change.

The first car I had with rear fog lights was a 1978 Ford Taunus. Then I could turn it on together with my headlight.
Today things are different. Fog lights should come on only with parking lights activated.
On my car today. the only lights I can turn on in front are the fog lights while the rear lights are activated. The rear fog lights only work if the front headlights are off.
If someone tailgates meg at night I just turn on my rear fog lights and it educates them to keep a safe distance.

[Aditya]

Mod Note: This thread is about government action against bull bars and crash guards. Kindly stick to the topic.

[ruzbehxyz]

Was going though the Jeep India website and saw this. Steel bumpers, auxiliary lights is banned in India as per M.V act. Wondering how are they selling it as an official accessory ?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz

.... Steel bumpers, auxiliary lights is banned in India as per M.V act. Wondering how are they selling it as an official accessory ?

Sun film is banned, but can be bought and installed easily, even at 3m-branded outlets.

(Just an example, not to start discussion of sun film. There is a thread for that)

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz

Was going though the Jeep India website and saw this. Steel bumpers, auxiliary lights is banned in India as per M.V act. Wondering how are they selling it as an official accessory ?

Well, they will all have a very fine print disclaimer somewhere stating that the above products have to be used strictly off the road or not on public roads, and one has to follow all the rules and regulations while driving.

[ardwivedi16]

In very crowded cities use of crash guards becomes somewhat necessary (I am not endorsing the use of it in any way, I'm against it). Many Motorcyclists and Bikers usually drive so carelessly that your bumper will become unrecognisable in less than a year (atleast that's what happened with my friend's Swift).

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by ardwivedi16

Many Motorcyclists and Bikers usually drive so carelessly that your bumper will become unrecognisable in less than a year

This is the price one has to pay for not rendering pedestrians unrecognisable.

Your friend's bumpers might last a little longer if he pays more attention to defensive driving.

Ahh... Your first post! Welcome to Team-BHP

[volkman10]

Delhi HC directs authorities to act against fitting of crash guards on vehicles.


Link

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

The Government of India's Ministry for Road Transport and Highways has issued a fresh notification deeming bull bars & crash guards as unauthorised fitments which are in contravention of Section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and thus attract penalties under Sections 190 & 191 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

Thus, the Ministry has instructed all States and Union Territories to take strict action against any/all vehicles fitted with crash guards and bull bars.

This opened the thread on 16th December 2017 and... here we still are