Behind the Wheel - November 14, 2007 - Confusion

[skidmark]

Legislative Confusion

Remember the column I wrote last week on fog lamps? The one where I finished by saying that rear fog lamps were still illegal for use in BC? Well, one reader asked me the question "Why not?"

Why not indeed! I volunteered to find out and contacted the provincial government to ask.

"They're not illegal" was the response, which included a quotation from the regulations concerning front fog lights and an excerpt from the vehicle inspection manual telling facilities how to approve rear fog light installations.

I countered with two separate examples from the regulations that ruled lights not specifically identified in Division 4 are illegal for use on B.C.'s highways. Rear fog lights are not specified, consequently they must not be used.

The reply was that there were errors in the regulations and there was no promise of correction on the horizon. Add to that the epidemic of people using whatever lighting on their vehicle that they choose to and we have a rapidly growing problem.

Without a clear intent in the regulations, how is the public supposed to comply, how are the police going to enforce and how should the traffic court convict? From my point of view, how do I properly advise you when I write this column? Hopefully this can be resolved quickly!

[matt]

Mmmm bureaucracy. personally i dont care about tiny loopholes like this. it makes no sense that the car beside me can't have crazy lights everywhere when so many stores i'm driving by have strobe lights and crap

[steveo]

i would consider rear fog lights, unless they are extremely dim, 'not a great idea' for a few reasons..

- while navigating in thick fog, you assume bright white or orange lights are a vehicle coming towards you, and red lights are a vehicle you are approaching from the rear. vehicles may alter their direction or speed according to a false signal, especially if these rear fog lights are bright enough to interfere with the other (red) rear lights.

- in thick fog you often have to rely on the car in front of you as a navigational aid. you are not going to see the road as well as the first person in line, so you sometimes have to just follow their tail lights. red tail lights are actually really easy to follow in fog. rear fog lights would more likely screw with the driver behind you and not serve as a very functional navigational marker.

- seperate lights tend to blend in really well the fog, if you slammed on your brakes, chances are someone behind you wouldn't notice your brake lights come on if there were also fog lights in the same area.

- during very low speed manuevers (i.e. parking lot or whatever) it might appear to other drivers that your rear fog lights are actually reverse lights, and they would naturally assume you are preparing to back up (people would just assume they are reverse lights, as nobody else really has rear fog lights in canada)

in summary, as people in bc aren't used to everyone having rear fog lights, it will probably confuse and disorient people in certain situations..

[iroc22]

i would consider rear fog lights, unless they are extremely dim, 'not a great idea' for a few reasons..

- while navigating in thick fog, you assume bright white or orange lights are a vehicle coming towards you, and red lights are a vehicle you are approaching from the rear. vehicles may alter their direction or speed according to a false signal, especially if these rear fog lights are bright enough to interfere with the other (red) rear lights.

- in thick fog you often have to rely on the car in front of you as a navigational aid. you are not going to see the road as well as the first person in line, so you sometimes have to just follow their tail lights. red tail lights are actually really easy to follow in fog. rear fog lights would more likely screw with the driver behind you and not serve as a very functional navigational marker.

- seperate lights tend to blend in really well the fog, if you slammed on your brakes, chances are someone behind you wouldn't notice your brake lights come on if there were also fog lights in the same area.

- during very low speed manuevers (i.e. parking lot or whatever) it might appear to other drivers that your rear fog lights are actually reverse lights, and they would naturally assume you are preparing to back up (people would just assume they are reverse lights, as nobody else really has rear fog lights in canada)

in summary, as people in bc aren't used to everyone having rear fog lights, it will probably confuse and disorient people in certain situations..


You do realize that rear fog lamps are actually red in color