Headlights on full beam in fog?

[PrincessBandit]

After reading this earlier,
Teens 'horsing around' before cop car crash
...Earlier that night, Wilson had been seen smoking cannabis and consuming alcohol.
Travelling in foggy conditions, the officer driving the police car that struck Wilson did not have his vehicle's lights on high beam.
The IPCA said while the officer's actions were not unlawful, it stated "his failure to have his headlights on high beam were unreasonable and undesirable pursuant to the Independent Police Conduct Authority Act 1988".
It added that driving in fog with lights on low beam were not the actions of a "reasonable and prudent driver''...


I was wondering what is going on here. I've always been under the impression that driving at night with headlights on full beam in fog isn't what you'd normally do (reflection and all that).

I guess that it probably depends on a raft of mitigating circumstances at the time, and this is no doubt high profile due to the fact that a death ensued in this case.

Nevertheless, what is the almighty KB opinion out there on this issue? Headlights on full beam in fog or not?

[Crasherfromwayback]

I was gonna post that! I say 100% fucking bullshit, the cop was doing the right thing. It does depend on how bad it is...but in HEAVY fog...headlights on high beam fucking blinds you!

[scumdog]

I was gonna post that! I say 100% fucking bullshit, the cop was doing the right thing. It does depend on how bad it is...but in HEAVY fog...headlights on high beam fucking blinds you!

Im with you on this.

The ONLY time high-beam possibly could give you an advantage is it can pick up things with reflectors more readily...

This generally does not include people though...

[Elysium]

From experience high-beam makes things worse in heavy fog.

[Pussy]

The cop was doing the RIGHT thing! Bugger riding/driving in fog with the headlights on high!

[FJRider]

The cop was doing the RIGHT thing! Bugger riding/driving in fog with the headlights on high!

Maybe ... the cop was travelling too fast for the conditions ...

[sinfull]

Walking on the road = fail

Family stating on national television that they are not happy with the report as and i quote " we didn't get anything out of it " = major fail

[Scuba_Steve]

The IPCA are morons!!! :yes:

[JimO]

bet he was wearing dark clothing, real hard to see on a good night, invisible on a bad night

[Oakie]

the cop was doing the right thing. It does depend on how bad it is...but in HEAVY fog...headlights on high beam fucking blinds you!

Thats what I thought too.

[98tls]

:facepalm:Amazing,The only people that could condone driving in heavy fog with high beam are people that have surely never driven in heavy fog.Utter bullshit.

[steve_t]

Maybe ... the cop was travelling too fast for the conditions ...

Exactly!!


:facepalm:Amazing,The only people that could condone driving in heavy fog with high beam are people that have surely never driven in heavy fog.Utter bullshit.

Being from Hamiltron, I am extremely experienced in driving in all sorts of fog. While the road code says you should always dip your lights in foggy conditions to prevent yourself from blinded, I always find that my high beam increases visibility. Of course, use of the high beam needs to be as if there was no fog ie never while following or with oncoming traffic. Sorry to disagree with you guys but that's just my experience. :innocent:

[scumdog]

bet he was wearing dark clothing, real hard to see on a good night, invisible on a bad night

Hmmm, drinking, tokin', walking along an unlit winding open road at night, appraoching car would have been heard approaching...didn't hear TOO much criticism of the dead guys actions...


And I've seen plenty of ding-a-lings around here who walk home from the pub pissed - and walk right out on the road to thumb a lift.

Even if the car's going in the opposite direction.:facepalm:

[98tls]

Exactly!!



Being from Hamiltron, I am extremely experienced in driving in all sorts of fog. While the road code says you should always dip your lights in foggy conditions to prevent yourself from blinded, I always find that my high beam increases visibility. Of course, use of the high beam needs to be as if there was no fog ie never while following or with oncoming traffic. Sorry to disagree with you guys but that's just my experience. :innocent:
Hamilton:facepalm:thats not fog thats smog:shutup:

[Crasherfromwayback]

:facepalm:Amazing,The only people that could condone driving in heavy fog with high beam are people that have surely never driven in heavy fog.Utter bullshit.

I think that particular 'coroner' is a dork anyway. I've seen more than enough of his 'expert opinions' to decide that. They are only judges after all. The same guy thinks rollcages on quads would save lives.

Years ago I got done for careless use of a motor vehicle after I'd been taken out by a silly bitch that didn't look, and u turned right into the side of me. Fucking lucky I didn't lose my left lower leg (ripped the radiator header tank and left footrest/gear lever assembly clean off) as I tried to accelerate past her. I got done for it, even though she admitted she didn't look properly, as Iused the motorcycle in a way in which a normal 'prudent road user wouldn't', by accelerating instead of braking.

This, despite me explaining how much easier it is on an FZR 1000 to accelerate at short notice than stop.

A lot of judges are really quite simple.

[FJRider]

Hmmm, drinking, tokin', walking along an unlit winding open road at night, appraoching car would have been heard approaching...didn't hear TOO much criticism of the dead guys actions...

And I've seen plenty of ding-a-lings around here who walk home from the pub pissed - and walk right out on the road to thumb a lift.

Even if the car's going in the opposite direction.:facepalm:

He should've worn his high vis' hoodie ...

[Gremlin]

Agree with the rest of you... and I've ridden in fog so thick its been down to 10m odd... high beam only bounces right back at you.

Yellow fog lights along the road (ie, lower down) are your best bet for showing the road under the fog.

[Scuba_Steve]

To the other side why don't the news media question them???
I don't know, maybee these things are copy & pasted from a press release email? but if the reporter is there in person why aren't they questioning?, I know if I was a reporter I'd have my own "catch phrase" question for these sort of things every-time... "I'm sorry?, are you retarded???"

[wysper]

Being from Hamiltron, I am extremely experienced in driving in all sorts of fog. While the road code says you should always dip your lights in foggy conditions to prevent yourself from blinded, I always find that my high beam increases visibility.

Wow, being from Hamilton also, I have the complete opposite experience. High beam in fog = much harder to see. Low beam I can see further and more clearly.

[steve_t]

Wow, being from Hamilton also, I have the complete opposite experience. High beam in fog = much harder to see. Low beam I can see further and more clearly.

Yeah, I can't explain it. Maybe my eyes are screwy :blink:
I just know that I'll intermittent flick between high and low beams to see which gives me the better vision and it's consistently high beam. Fog lights seem to have minimal effect either way but may be helpful for being seen - even my old car's yellow fog lights didn't seem to do much and supposedly the yellow pierces through the fog better. Meh, again, just my experience :sunny:

[spajohn]

I thought the exact same thing (then cursed stuff.co.nz for only allowing comments on trivial articles, and not ones like this!).

Just to confirm for my own sanity that they haven't changed the recommendation from when I learned to drive:
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/about-driving/driving-in-bad-weather.html

"Dip your headlamps in fog

If you drive with your lamps on full beam in fog, the light will just reflect back on you. Dip your lights – it will be much easier to see."

So the "official" recommendation is to drive as the officer was, yet the review found he should drive differently?!

[Crasherfromwayback]

So the "official" recommendation is to drive as the officer was, yet the review found he should drive differently?!

As I said...coroners are often totally full of shit.

[CookMySock]

I've played with it extensively, and I suggest that your visibility forward is no better with lights on fullbeam, and arguably worse in some circumstances, BUT it is FAR easier to see a vehicle coming from the OTHER direction in fog when their lights are on fullbeam.

For the magistrate to have made such a substantial statement is enough for me to consider doing it, but it has to be said theres no way I'd be on the wrong side of the road in fog - thats just russian roulette. :shutup:

[Banditbandit]

Hmmm, drinking, tokin', walking along an unlit winding open road at night, appraoching car would have been heard approaching...didn't hear TOO much criticism of the dead guys actions...


And I've seen plenty of ding-a-lings around here who walk home from the pub pissed - and walk right out on the road to thumb a lift.

Even if the car's going in the opposite direction.:facepalm:

Yes. If you read the whole report of the coroner's findings other drivers said the group of teen were acting erratically and the drivers had to take action to miss them. There's a suggestion that they were also walking on the centre line - in fog that's crazy shit ...

There's also a suggestion to cop MIGHT have been reading a text message at the time - but the coroner could find no evidence either yes or no ...

But yes - the teen's the one who caused his own death ..

[Crasherfromwayback]

I've played with it extensively,:

You're still doing it.

[007XX]

Could it possibly depend on the thickness of the fog at the time?

Because honestly, the last time I was caught in fog was on our way to the Cold Kiwi, on Desert Road at about 11pm, and I couldn't see any further than about a metre ahead of my front tyre!

No way was I going to put my lights on high beam :no: Tried it and it made things way worse obviously.

[neels]

Get quite a bit of fog morning and evening where I live, and have definately found that low beam is the best option to see the road, hit high beam all you can see is the fog in front of you.

[gijoe1313]

From my experience, I often flick between low and full in the fog to ascertain whichever will work best for me. Easy enough to use the flicker switch to see what works best in the conditions.

Sometimes it's the low beam that works the best, sometimes it's the high!:yes:

[oneofsix]

Low beam. High beam points more straight ahead and therefore the little beads of moister reflect it straight back at your eyes. Sometimes highbeam appears better because there is more light but it is not yet blinding however you are seeing less.

[DEATH_INC.]

I have big assed spotties on the front of my 4WD, you know, the 100w blind all those wanker other road user/opossum/light up half the north island type, and it is def worse with them and the highs on, than just low beam if the fog is heavy. The best thing I've found is the spotties on the roof.....but only off road of course :shutup:

[red mermaid]

Was this crash on Newlands Road just up the hill from the Ngauranga Gorge Road?


I think that particular 'coroner' is a dork anyway. I've seen more than enough of his 'expert opinions' to decide that. They are only judges after all. The same guy thinks rollcages on quads would save lives.

Years ago I got done for careless use of a motor vehicle after I'd been taken out by a silly bitch that didn't look, and u turned right into the side of me. Fucking lucky I didn't lose my left lower leg (ripped the radiator header tank and left footrest/gear lever assembly clean off) as I tried to accelerate past her. I got done for it, even though she admitted she didn't look properly, as Iused the motorcycle in a way in which a normal 'prudent road user wouldn't', by accelerating instead of braking.

This, despite me explaining how much easier it is on an FZR 1000 to accelerate at short notice than stop.

A lot of judges are really quite simple.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Was this crash on Newlands Road just up the hill from the Ngauranga Gorge Road?

Nah...was on Taranaki St around 17 years ago!

[ducatilover]

KB analysis (emphasis on the anal) has reached the conclusion that the IPCA are fuck tards.

I use my sonar in fog, I use the exhaust leak on the bike as the clicker.

[jonbuoy]

I've played with it extensively, and I suggest that your visibility forward is no better with lights on fullbeam, and arguably worse in some circumstances, BUT it is FAR easier to see a vehicle coming from the OTHER direction in fog when their lights are on fullbeam.

For the magistrate to have made such a substantial statement is enough for me to consider doing it, but it has to be said theres no way I'd be on the wrong side of the road in fog - thats just russian roulette. :shutup:

What is with that avatar?? :sick:

[pete376403]

True fog lights are mounted as low as possible, to shine under the fog - there's usually a bit of clear air between the road surface and the fog. The old yellow lenses have been found to be no more effective than white light

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_lighting#Front_fog_lamps

Front fog lamps provide a wide, bar-shaped beam of light with a sharp cutoff at the top, and are generally aimed and mounted low.[10][11][12] They may be either white or selective yellow. They are intended for use at low speed to increase the illumination directed towards the road surface and verges in conditions of poor visibility due to rain, fog, dust or snow. As such, they are often most effectively used in place of dipped-beam headlamps, reducing the glareback from fog or falling snow, although the legality varies by jurisdiction of using front fog lamps without low beam headlamps.

[Mad-V2]

I think it all depends on what your driving really. I prefer to drive with lights on full in my work truck as I'm quite high above the lights, so the glare back is no brighter on high than when on dip.
The paint on the road is reflective, it reflects better when your lights are on full and also you will illuminate more catseyes and marker pegs with your lights on full.
On the bike though your screwed either way as the fog sticks to your visor and any glare will blind you.
The guy who was hit really only had himself to blame, but if the cop was driving to the conditions, he would have been able to avoid him.