fog and (ahem), "cornering lights"

[Roger M. Woodbury]

I am reluctant to get into the middle of another one of these foolish
lighting threads, simply because there is NO simple or "correct" answer,
because both Taka and anyone else having am opinion for that matter, is
correct.

I am one who is sick to death of Subaru's charging around with their
rediculous "fog" lights on, which are impossibly poorly designed, and not
aimed for fog or much of anything else, for that matter.  They are blinding
at best, and serve no purpose other than some marketing genius's pitch at
the ignorant and unintelligent who will spend money on "do-dads".  We have a
LOT of Subaru's here in eastern Maine.

I am also sick to death of Ford F-series pick-ups that have factory
headlights that are aimed normally, to blind on coming drivers while they
are on LOW beam.

I am sick to death of the headlights in my GMC pick-up that won't blind
anyone on either high OR low beam, and worse yet, won't light up anything of
importance at night, Bambi, his cousins or the road surface.

The real issue is what kind of driving is being done.  If most of the
driving is done in areas where there is good ambient light from street
lights, Taco Belle's and the like, then only DOT low beams are EVER
necessary.  I just came back from southest Florida, and 85% of the people
driving down there don't really NEED more than low beams at all, due to the
amount of ambient light in general, and the other 15% need European
headlights and all the driving lights that they can get to avoid the
alligators and other critters coming out of the wilderness in the middle of
the night.  (Of course, is CAN be argued that 85% of the drivers in Florida
probably shouldn't be allowed on the road at all, but that is for another
thread).

What I really don't like about "fog" lights that are mounted by the factory,
as well as those mounted "after market", is that they need a separate switch
function to turn off.  The European cars have their fog lights switched so
that when the circuit is armed, the lights come on with low beam, and off
with high beam.  Most after market installations just work directly off a
dash board switch, and I think that most drivers don't even know that their
fog lights are on.

Here in the US, driving with more than low beams in with any oncoming
traffic is dangerous.  It is also extremely rude, although I am not sure
that a lot of people even know what that word means anymore.

Fog lights should be "aimed":  WOW!! what a novel concept!  They should
flood the area right in front of the car with light, and show the edges of
the road.  Their maximum penetration distance down the road should be around
100 feet.  If you look at the Cibie website, you will see the "correct" beam
pattern and penetration distances that that manufacturer establishes for its
products.  Hence, fog lights should be used IN THE FOG, when driving with
regular low beams won't light the road in front of the car sufficiently to
be driving safely.

If driving at the speed limit is safe, THEN NO FOG LIGHTS ARE NEEDED.  True
here, AND in Europe.

In Europe the normal driving beam is what we here call "HIGH BEAM", and the
headlights are "dipped" for oncoming traffic and for urban driving.  Since
most Americans drive in mostly urban conditions, the normal headlight
position is low beams, and MOST of the time, fog lights serve no real
purpose.

I seldom use the fog lights one ither the V8 or the 100CS.  They are there,
and when it is really foggy, I use them all....and here along the coast we
do fog quite a bit.
But if I can drive safely at 40 miles per hour, then they aren't necessary
at all.

Roger

'93 V8 Quattro
'94 100CS Quattro (contemplating euro headlights)