This is for Rain
The “quote of the day” I just got from logging into elfie:
Fog Lamps, n.: Excessively (often obnoxiously) bright lamps mounted on the fronts of automobiles; used on dry, clear nights to indicate that the
driver’s brain is in a fog. See also “Idiot Lights”.
Tags: humor, technology
Except that’s not quite valid in virginia. Legally, in our lovely commonwealth, if you *have* fog lamps, they *must* be on at all times when your normal headlamps are on. Weather doesn’t enter into it. They must be on the same switch – if they’re on a separate “turn the fog lamps on because it’s
foggy” switch, then you’ll fail inspection.
So the idiot driving down the clear, moonlight night with his fog lamps on had no choice about it.
Virginia law
Okay, I admit I did not know that. And aren’t you technically supposed to always have your headlights on now while the car is in motion? I think I heard that somewhere.
Re: Virginia law
New cars, as a safety feature, are being equipped with DRL’s, Daytime Running Lamps. It in theory puts the headlights on somewhat dimmer than nighttime use; enough to see by, but increases the life of the bulb. Earlier versions just turned the damn light on. Existing cars don’t have to do that.
There *is* however, a newish law in VA that says if you’re running your wipers, you have to turn your headlights on, which was their way of saying “If it’s raining, use your lights.” I.e. you don’t have to turn your headlights on if you’re washing your window…
Re: Virginia law
Though not all new cars come with DRLs.
And there are some weird ones out there (like my Saturn) that use the brights at half-power for DRLs. I guess because it’s assumed that those lamps aren’t used nearly as often as regular headlights, so it doesn’t wear down its lifetime.
Headlights must be on when fog lights are on? Ack! Lawmakers obviously haven’t driven Afton Mountain. I really wished I had foglights the one time I hit the THICK fog there… parking lights had to do. Headlights made the fog look more solid.