Have You Ever Been Flashed?
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 532
From: SE PA
RE: Have You Ever Been Flashed?
IMHO it doesn't have anything to do with brightness.
I think there are two reasons; 1) it's because the fogs are up with the headlights andthey're honestly mistaken for highs and 2) some people flasheverything out of"their" norm -cause theyhave to be in control. These are the same people that drive 5 mph under the limit, or have to back into parking spaces...everyone that they're holding upbe damned.
Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now- just venting - it was a rough commute this morning!
I think there are two reasons; 1) it's because the fogs are up with the headlights andthey're honestly mistaken for highs and 2) some people flasheverything out of"their" norm -cause theyhave to be in control. These are the same people that drive 5 mph under the limit, or have to back into parking spaces...everyone that they're holding upbe damned.
Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now- just venting - it was a rough commute this morning!
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 740
From: Ewing, NJ
RE: Have You Ever Been Flashed?
i must admit that for whatever reason, i very rarely get flashed and i used to ride with my fogs on all the time (it's a moot point now, though). anyway, here's some reading from wikipedia that i think y'all find interesting:
"Auxiliary lamps
Driving lamps
"Driving lamp" is a term deriving from the early days of nighttime driving, when it was relatively rare to encounter an opposing vehicle. Only on those rare occasions when one did briefly face opposing traffic would one use the dimmed or "passing beam". The full or "bright" beam was therefore known as the driving beam, and this terminology is still found in international ECE Regulations, which do not distinguish between a vehicle's primary (mandatory) and auxiliary (optional) upper/driving beam lamps. The "driving beam" term has been supplanted in North American regulations by the functionally descriptive term auxiliary high-beam lamp. They are most notably fitted on rallying cars, and are occasionally fitted to production vehicles derived from or imitating such cars. They are common in countries with large stretches of unlit roads, or in regions such as the Nordic countries where the period of daylight is short during winter. Some countries may pose limitations on usage of driving lamps or any auxiliary lamps. For example, in Russia it is allowed to install no more than three pairs of lights (including standard lights installed on factory) on a road-legal vehicle. There are limitations on location of the lights too.
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. 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.
Use of the front fog lamps when visibility is not seriously reduced is often prohibited (for example in the United Kingdom), as they can cause increased glare to other drivers, particularly in wet pavement conditions, as well as harming the driver's own vision due to excessive foreground illumination.
The respective purposes of front fog lamps and driving lamps are often confused, due in part to the misconception that fog lamps are necessarily selective yellow, while any auxiliary lamp that makes white light is a driving lamp. Automakers and aftermarket parts and accessories suppliers frequently refer interchangeably to "fog lamps" and "driving lamps" (or "fog/driving lamps"). In most countries, weather conditions rarely necessitate the use of fog lamps, and there is no legal requirement for them, so their primary purpose is frequently cosmetic. They are often available as optional extras or only on higher trim levels of many cars. Studies have shown that in North America more people inappropriately use their fog lamps in dry weather than use them properly in poor weather."
"Auxiliary lamps
Driving lamps
"Driving lamp" is a term deriving from the early days of nighttime driving, when it was relatively rare to encounter an opposing vehicle. Only on those rare occasions when one did briefly face opposing traffic would one use the dimmed or "passing beam". The full or "bright" beam was therefore known as the driving beam, and this terminology is still found in international ECE Regulations, which do not distinguish between a vehicle's primary (mandatory) and auxiliary (optional) upper/driving beam lamps. The "driving beam" term has been supplanted in North American regulations by the functionally descriptive term auxiliary high-beam lamp. They are most notably fitted on rallying cars, and are occasionally fitted to production vehicles derived from or imitating such cars. They are common in countries with large stretches of unlit roads, or in regions such as the Nordic countries where the period of daylight is short during winter. Some countries may pose limitations on usage of driving lamps or any auxiliary lamps. For example, in Russia it is allowed to install no more than three pairs of lights (including standard lights installed on factory) on a road-legal vehicle. There are limitations on location of the lights too.
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. 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.
Use of the front fog lamps when visibility is not seriously reduced is often prohibited (for example in the United Kingdom), as they can cause increased glare to other drivers, particularly in wet pavement conditions, as well as harming the driver's own vision due to excessive foreground illumination.
The respective purposes of front fog lamps and driving lamps are often confused, due in part to the misconception that fog lamps are necessarily selective yellow, while any auxiliary lamp that makes white light is a driving lamp. Automakers and aftermarket parts and accessories suppliers frequently refer interchangeably to "fog lamps" and "driving lamps" (or "fog/driving lamps"). In most countries, weather conditions rarely necessitate the use of fog lamps, and there is no legal requirement for them, so their primary purpose is frequently cosmetic. They are often available as optional extras or only on higher trim levels of many cars. Studies have shown that in North America more people inappropriately use their fog lamps in dry weather than use them properly in poor weather."
6th Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,635
From: state of confusion
RE: Have You Ever Been Flashed?
ORIGINAL: JoshyGT
Good most Norm and please don't take this as being a jerk but.... for those people that can't see properly and are getting older... they shouldn't be on the road anyways. I've had people stop before merging onto a major HWY or stop before making a turn off a major road or driving with their lights OFF at night and all that other good stuff. It isn't necessarly their fault as it is the States for not testing older drivers. Some may be completely capable of driving but there are some circumstances where people just need to not be driving, especially at night. I drive with all four because it makes me more visable to people like this who may not see even the two lights.... that and it looks cool!
Good most Norm and please don't take this as being a jerk but.... for those people that can't see properly and are getting older... they shouldn't be on the road anyways. I've had people stop before merging onto a major HWY or stop before making a turn off a major road or driving with their lights OFF at night and all that other good stuff. It isn't necessarly their fault as it is the States for not testing older drivers. Some may be completely capable of driving but there are some circumstances where people just need to not be driving, especially at night. I drive with all four because it makes me more visable to people like this who may not see even the two lights.... that and it looks cool!
Another post mentioned something I had thought about earlier but decided to hold off on - the idea that headlight aim is tied to whether you've lowered your car more in the rear in any way. Heavy trunk loads, rear seat passengers or cargo, springs that lower the rear more, etc.,will all tend to cause the lights to shine a little higher, and this may be at least partly to blame in some of the cases mentioned so far. Nobody re-aims headlights for temporary trunk or rear seat loads, but I'd be willing to bet that many of those who have installed stereo gear or lowering springs didn't bother to either.
I agree in principle with the notion of more frequent driver testing as you get older, though I'm not at all sure what the basis should include or the extent of the testing itself. Age itself is only one of many factors, with length of driving experience being its flip side.
I do request that we try to stay on topic - it's not just the older drivers who make driving errors such as stopping at the end of an on-ramp for no apparent reason(that one annoys me as well). For example, I suspect that running through STOP signs on surface streets is more common among younger drivers, actually.
I drive with fogs running for the better and more even overall illumination that can be had if you play around with the aim a little. That's purely and simply a [lighting] performance reason, as I'm long past the point where I might "need to look cool" (I probably never felt that sort of peer pressure in the first place, actually).
Norm
5th Gear Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4,204
From: Tampa
RE: Have You Ever Been Flashed?
ORIGINAL: FenderParrothead
+10000000....
Happens to me about once every few weeks, and yeah, I try to be quick enough to flash them back. Then I laugh because...well....it's funny!
And the thing is, I see other S197s on the road running with all four lights on, and it's not that bright or odd. I don't know why people freak out over it.
+10000000....
Happens to me about once every few weeks, and yeah, I try to be quick enough to flash them back. Then I laugh because...well....it's funny!
And the thing is, I see other S197s on the road running with all four lights on, and it's not that bright or odd. I don't know why people freak out over it.
I just ignore the idiots that flash me for my fogs. In fact I was driving in the day time with all lights on, and a guy pulls up next to me at a light and says, "Hey man, you have your high beams on." So it just goes to show you some people are just ignorant.
5th Gear Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,547
From: The High Country
RE: Have You Ever Been Flashed?
ORIGINAL: Boozshey
What is funny about your post is that you aren't really winning any sort of self battle. I say this because, when you do flash them back, your fogs TURN OFF!!! So they would naturally assume they were right and you were merely saying "Thanks for the heads up..." So really what is there to be happy about.
I just ignore the idiots that flash me for my fogs. In fact I was driving in the day time with all lights on, and a guy pulls up next to me at a light and says, "Hey man, you have your high beams on." So it just goes to show you some people are just ignorant.
ORIGINAL: FenderParrothead
+10000000....
Happens to me about once every few weeks, and yeah, I try to be quick enough to flash them back. Then I laugh because...well....it's funny!
And the thing is, I see other S197s on the road running with all four lights on, and it's not that bright or odd. I don't know why people freak out over it.
+10000000....
Happens to me about once every few weeks, and yeah, I try to be quick enough to flash them back. Then I laugh because...well....it's funny!
And the thing is, I see other S197s on the road running with all four lights on, and it's not that bright or odd. I don't know why people freak out over it.
I just ignore the idiots that flash me for my fogs. In fact I was driving in the day time with all lights on, and a guy pulls up next to me at a light and says, "Hey man, you have your high beams on." So it just goes to show you some people are just ignorant.
You don't seem to understand that when we hit the high beams they are way, WAY brighter than the lows and fogs together. When we flash on highs, they get the point I guarantee it! It probably burns out some retnas.
Thread Starter
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 506
From: Florida
RE: Have You Ever Been Flashed?
ORIGINAL: Norm Peterson
Not taken that way. But understand that visual acuity (what you need to demonstrate in order to hold a license) and sensitivity to glare (not tested for, as far as I know) are two different issues. The aging effect on those and other aspects of vision is a very gradual thing, so you do not notice the changes on a day to day basis, and it differs widely among individuals. Limited driving privileges do exist, with "restricted to daylight driving only" being one such limitation.
Another post mentioned something I had thought about earlier but decided to hold off on - the idea that headlight aim is tied to whether you've lowered your car more in the rear in any way. Heavy trunk loads, rear seat passengers or cargo, springs that lower the rear more, etc.,will all tend to cause the lights to shine a little higher, and this may be at least partly to blame in some of the cases mentioned so far. Nobody re-aims headlights for temporary trunk or rear seat loads, but I'd be willing to bet that many of those who have installed stereo gear or lowering springs didn't bother to either.
I agree in principle with the notion of more frequent driver testing as you get older, though I'm not at all sure what the basis should include or the extent of the testing itself. Age itself is only one of many factors, with length of driving experience being its flip side.
I do request that we try to stay on topic - it's not just the older drivers who make driving errors such as stopping at the end of an on-ramp for no apparent reason(that one annoys me as well). For example, I suspect that running through STOP signs on surface streets is more common among younger drivers, actually.
I drive with fogs running for the better and more even overall illumination that can be had if you play around with the aim a little. That's purely and simply a [lighting] performance reason, as I'm long past the point where I might "need to look cool" (I probably never felt that sort of peer pressure in the first place, actually).
Norm
ORIGINAL: JoshyGT
Good most Norm and please don't take this as being a jerk but.... for those people that can't see properly and are getting older... they shouldn't be on the road anyways. I've had people stop before merging onto a major HWY or stop before making a turn off a major road or driving with their lights OFF at night and all that other good stuff. It isn't necessarly their fault as it is the States for not testing older drivers. Some may be completely capable of driving but there are some circumstances where people just need to not be driving, especially at night. I drive with all four because it makes me more visable to people like this who may not see even the two lights.... that and it looks cool!
Good most Norm and please don't take this as being a jerk but.... for those people that can't see properly and are getting older... they shouldn't be on the road anyways. I've had people stop before merging onto a major HWY or stop before making a turn off a major road or driving with their lights OFF at night and all that other good stuff. It isn't necessarly their fault as it is the States for not testing older drivers. Some may be completely capable of driving but there are some circumstances where people just need to not be driving, especially at night. I drive with all four because it makes me more visable to people like this who may not see even the two lights.... that and it looks cool!
Another post mentioned something I had thought about earlier but decided to hold off on - the idea that headlight aim is tied to whether you've lowered your car more in the rear in any way. Heavy trunk loads, rear seat passengers or cargo, springs that lower the rear more, etc.,will all tend to cause the lights to shine a little higher, and this may be at least partly to blame in some of the cases mentioned so far. Nobody re-aims headlights for temporary trunk or rear seat loads, but I'd be willing to bet that many of those who have installed stereo gear or lowering springs didn't bother to either.
I agree in principle with the notion of more frequent driver testing as you get older, though I'm not at all sure what the basis should include or the extent of the testing itself. Age itself is only one of many factors, with length of driving experience being its flip side.
I do request that we try to stay on topic - it's not just the older drivers who make driving errors such as stopping at the end of an on-ramp for no apparent reason(that one annoys me as well). For example, I suspect that running through STOP signs on surface streets is more common among younger drivers, actually.
I drive with fogs running for the better and more even overall illumination that can be had if you play around with the aim a little. That's purely and simply a [lighting] performance reason, as I'm long past the point where I might "need to look cool" (I probably never felt that sort of peer pressure in the first place, actually).
Norm