Brake lights & fog light

[mowogg]

I am planning to fit a high level brake light this weekend in the middle of the back screen on my 4 door saloon. I was wondering if i could use this as a duel purpose fog light, if i wired it so i could switch it on during the foggy conditions? I am sure there are some rulkes around the placement of aftermarket fog lamps -can anyone adivse if this would be legal to do this?

The standard lamps are not very bright after all and it would be an excellent safety device

Thanks

John

[MarkyB]

For it to be a fog light it should have a warning light on the dash in case you forget it's on when the fog clears.
No idea about what height you can mount them at.

[bmcecosse]

Would certainly be very blinding for those behind you - and yes there may be (should be) rules about how high. I would say the brake light is an essentail if you use your car every day - but I've never seen the point of these 'fog warning' lights. In a line of traffic they just create a blinding glare for anyone following behind. I never use mine on my modern cars.

[chrisryder]

i have a feeling there is a specific height, but i don't know what that height is, or where you'd find it!

i have only used the rear fog light (on modern cars) twice, in fog so thick you could barely see the bonnet!

i think having the high level rear brake light on as a rear fog light would confuse other motorists, they may think you're braking and have bulbs blown in the other two brake lights! though that would mean they see you and slow down!

[mike.perry]

Rear fog lights are only useful in dense daylight fog or heavy rain and spray on the motorway, they are a menace at night when they dazzle following drivers, ordinary tail lights are adequate in these conditions.
I would recomend that the supply should be taken from the sidelight or headlight switch terminals and the switch must have a warning light
The Indespension Manual gives the permissable range as between 250 & 1000mm above G/L and they should be mounted between the centre and offside of the vehicle or as an equally positioned pair

[Rob_Jennings]

fog lights should NOT be used in heavy rain/spray they are for use in fog when visibility is below 100m.

Heavy rain or spray may look like reduced visibility from the drivers perspective but a car many hundreds of meters behind and outside your spray WILL be dazzled by them.

Some police forces in the UK are now suggesting they may fine people 30quid for incorrect use (both front and rear lights)

[mike.perry]

In my many years of motorway driving I have frequently seen the tail lights of the car in front disappear in the spray of an HGV and the tail lights of an HGV become invisible in its own spray. I will continue to use rear fogs in conditions of reduced visiblilty and take the risk of having to argue my case with the police rather than get shunted up the rear by come idiot doing 70mph with no regard for the conditions

[MarkyB]

I'd vote for legislation that forced lorries to have Mud flaps fitted, including round the edges of the tyres as you see one the best ones.

[bmcecosse]

But if you are doing 70 - no one should run into you! Simples.......

[beero]

I am sure I have read that a foglight cannot be more than a metre high. (But I also believe that a lot of Construction and Use regs don't apply to re 71 cars.) Any lights you fit need to be E approved and the approval will differ between fog and stoplights. Wouldn't it be safer to fit a high level brake light and a rear foglight.