Driving in the fog:

[Dick]

This morning while driving, it was so foggy that I could only see about 3 car lengths in front of me, it was really socked in. I was amazed how many cars were driving without their headlights on. A car driving behind me, without headlights on, would appear and disappear in the fog. I would say 3/4 of the cars on the highway didn't have their headlights on. All I could think of was, what is with people nowadays. Just because they can see I guess that's all they're worried about. As I remember headlights were originally on cars so other oncoming traffic could see you, which is important, especially in the fog.
I drive with my headlights on all the time, and they don't come on when I start the pickup, I have to turn them on. My thinking is, anything that will help others to see my rig is helpful.
Either people are just not thinking or maybe they don't want to waste the power to run their headlights.
When it's foggy or pouring down rain or snow, let others know you're on the road, turn on your headlights.
Thank you.......
 

[Dick L]

If the truth was known those that drive without their head lights on in the fog are in fact driving in a fog when it is not foggy.
 

[Dave in GA]

I haven"t come across that problem. Instead, the number of people driving with their high beams on at night, fog or no fog, has become an epidemic. It"s prevalent even on divided highways where everyone"s going in the same direction and curves are mild, and there"s no need for high beams. And then headlights are much brighter than they"ve ever been. It"s great for people driving those vehicles, but very annoying for everyone else on the road.
 

[Zachary Hoyt]

We have a Subaru in which I leave the light switch on all the time but the lights are only on when the ignition is on. This is a handy system which also prevents the error of leaving the lights on when parking. I am sure it does take some extra energy but I do not think it is a huge difference, probably.
Zach
 

[JD Seller]

NOT THINKING!!! Is the problem. Many people today DON"T think about anything but their own little world/self. It is the way most are raised today.

They cause a problem and then whine that it is some else's fault. Then there are ten lawyers/judges that agree with them and hand out other peoples money to them.

Read all the safety decals on things these days and think about who is stupid enough to need to be told not to put their hands under a running lawn mower????

As far as the lights not turned on. I don't really like the driving lights that come on all of the time. They make some cars more dangerous. My wife's car has them. The front head lights come on automatically when you start the car but the tail lights do not. So she drives around half the time without any tail lights. She did not catch that the dash lights where off. That is the only way you can tell the tail lights are not on.

I also think that you should have your head lights on if it is raining. So why not make the head lights/driving lights come on when you turn on the wipers????
 

[rrlund]

That drives me nuts! I have to cross the road with the tractor to feed one herd of cattle and I'm taking my life in my hands every time I have to cross the road in the fog. Seems like nine out of ten cars coming out of the fog don't have their lights on. I generally shut the tractor off,listen for traffic,then start it and high tail it across while I pray my fool head off.
 

[ray hofstetter]

I especially love the white cars driving around in the snow or rain with no lights on - Ohio law now requires lights on whenever your wipers are on, now if it was only enforced......
 

[oj]

I know what you mean Dick, I"ve noticed the same thing u here in the great white north, both fog and snow reduce visibility, but lots of people can"t find the light switch. I put some of it down to the "automatic" lights feature on some modern cars, turns the lights on when ambient light drops, but in fog or snow during daylight hours has too much light to trip the sensor. I"ve also noticed that a great many drivers drive with the vehicles "fog" lights on at night time... i ask someone one day why and they replied because it looks cool...

what can you do about idiots????????
 

[RayP(MI)]

Bet a few of them have lost it on those curves down the road from you too, rr!
 

[Walt Davies]

Many moons ago when I was driving my little Saab Sonett that was on 46 " high I was coming back late at night from a Navy Reserve meeting I had about 10 miles of open road and it was real foggy you could barely see your hood ornament. I happened to look down beside the car and noticed it clear down there I scooted down just a bit in the seat and I was below the fog you could see for miles down there. So I kicked my speed up to 85 MPH and sat back flying past all the other cars who were up in the fog. I know they thought where does that idiot thinks he's going. Was real neat to just fly past all those cars that couldn't see past there nose when I could see for miles in the clearest night that I have ever been in. Went over a bridge at the railroad and zap couldn't find my hood ornament.
Walt
Ps in Oregon we mostly all drive with our head lights on even in the summer, just seems to be the thing to do here.
 

[john in la]

Take one day and do nothing but sit around a watch people go threw their daily life. You will find that most go around with no respect for others. If it does not affect them personally they could care less.

I like the lights on my truck and leave them on all the time because they go off and on with the key switch.

I think Canada has a law that all new cars MUST have day light driving lights. The U.S. has put off this law because some say it makes it harder to see motorcycles if all cars use headlights 24/7.

Our state has a wiper on lights on law but getting that inforced is a joke. What cop is going to stop a car in the rain for such a minor infraction; but it can be used against you in a accident.

We have one toll road they will not let you on if your head/tail lights are not on and or working when it is foggy.
 

[ss55]

I agree driving in fog without headlights on is dangerous for everyone on the road.

For the last 10 or 15 years, many cars have automatic headlights that automatically switch between daylight running lights and low beam headlights as it gets dark. Could the fog, or the headlight's reflection off the fog, have been bright enough that the automatic headlights wouldn't turn on the headlights? Regardlessly, the drivers should have used the manual headlight switch to over-ride the automatic switch to keep the headlights on.
 

[gmccool]

The law requires that headlites be on at all times the vehicle is being driven in Yukon Canada. Day or Night. It is just a habit for me now & I always have them on when I go back to the states. People look at me funny sometimes & even comment about it when I pull into the coffee shop or where ever during browd day lite but I think it is a great idea. When I used to ride motorcycles I had enough close calls where someone didn't see me that I got to where I ALWAYS had my headlite on. I think it only makes good sense. Gerald
 

[rrlund]

Ya,I've seen as many as 3 a day. Has to be the worst place in the county for wrecks. I know the cops have said that that stretch around those curves is the worst in the county for car/deer accidents. Wrecks in general in my opinion.
 

[fixerupper]

I was driving in blowing snow the other day and noticed the same thing. Most of the drivers without lights were on the cell phone and driving like it was a sunny day. Jim