I think i was lucky the other night

[guy 27]

After a long day of watching people jump out of planes ( I manage a skydive centre ) I was driving back and saw some flash's in the sky. The others in the car thought i was weird but 4km down the road sure enough there was a speed camera.
Not long after once i was on the eastern fwy set cruise control to speedo setting of around 125 but the digital read out was saying 110 almost about to take the exit and i see about 500 meters ahead of me a cop with a radar gun pointing at me.
I didnt even bother with the brakes cause i knew i would of been caught but nothing.
Needless to say i was on the speed limit for the rest of the drive.

[btm]

i've had a few simialar stories...

i was once in Vic and doing probably around 130kmh in a 100 zone out in the countryside. I saw another car on the horizon coming my way and it was a glary day so i couldnt make out the car... they got a bit closer and then they flashed their high beems at me a few times. Automatically i assume 'cop ahead' so i slowed down.

the car finally drives past me and it a marked higway patrol car with a radar...

i go **** and start braking to pull over, but he just keeps driving.... sweet :)

nothing... strange (especially for Vic police!)

[daaaaavek]

Nah Vic Country police are generally pretty good ..

[btm]

Nah Vic Country police are generally pretty good ..

really...? i heard they were cock smacks and will bust you for doing 2k's over the limit... maybe thats the metro guys...

[low astra]

ive always found country cops are better than city cops, unless you have your fog lights on, they seem to hate them with a passion

[Vectracious]

the Vic country cops are real pricks, unless you know them or live in the town - then you can almost get away with anything....

[jerrypufflewell]

ive always found country cops are better than city cops, unless you have your fog lights on, they seem to hate them with a passion

Ah they are good people then :D

[bornwild]

I always have my fog-lights on....

[cbrmale]

I used to live in Bendigo Victoria, and I worked with the police on a joint project. There are two levels of police, the Traffic Operations Group and the normal police. The TOG are often pricks, and are disliked by the normal police for giving 'the police' a bad name! To some extent it isn't TOGs fault as they are given quotas of bookings to make.

As for foglights, it is illegal to have front foglights turned on except for conditions of low visibility. It is also illegal (and plain stupid) to have low beam and foglights at the same time. Stupid because in fog at night, low set fog lights are designed to illuminate without blinding the driver. Turn on low beam and - voila - the advantage of having lights just above road level is eliminated. Doubly stupid, foglights and low beam together is draining 220 watts of power which leaves precious little current to recharge the battery after starting the engine - eventually destroying the battery. The correct combination is parking lights and foglights together.

If you want to be seen in daytime, buy some LED running lights (Hella or PIAA), and get them wired in by an auto electrician. I have PIAA LEDs on my car, they are really tiny but quite visible without being dazzling, and only drain a few watts of current. Turned off, it's hard to notice they are there.

[btm]

As for foglights, it is illegal to have front foglights turned on except for conditions of low visibility.

but i'd classify rain as 'low visability' conditions

using foggies in the rain is illegal, is it not? creates glare??

could be wrong

[InsaneAsylum]

i wear a flanelette shirt and blundstones when i'm in the country so that the cops think i'm a local when they pull me over. i also speak a lot slower and they usually let me of

[bornwild]

Yeah I got lucky the other night too :D

[bornwild]

I used to live in Bendigo Victoria, and I worked with the police on a joint project. There are two levels of police, the Traffic Operations Group and the normal police. The TOG are often pricks, and are disliked by the normal police for giving 'the police' a bad name! To some extent it isn't TOGs fault as they are given quotas of bookings to make.

As for foglights, it is illegal to have front foglights turned on except for conditions of low visibility. It is also illegal (and plain stupid) to have low beam and foglights at the same time. Stupid because in fog at night, low set fog lights are designed to illuminate without blinding the driver. Turn on low beam and - voila - the advantage of having lights just above road level is eliminated. Doubly stupid, foglights and low beam together is draining 220 watts of power which leaves precious little current to recharge the battery after starting the engine - eventually destroying the battery. The correct combination is parking lights and foglights together.

If you want to be seen in daytime, buy some LED running lights (Hella or PIAA), and get them wired in by an auto electrician. I have PIAA LEDs on my car, they are really tiny but quite visible without being dazzling, and only drain a few watts of current. Turned off, it's hard to notice they are there.

I've never been told off by a copper for fog-lights...I know it's illegal but I have never been told off....funny thing that......

PS. Could you attach some pics of those running lights of yours? Thanks

[cbrmale]

but i'd classify rain as 'low visability' conditions

using foggies in the rain is illegal, is it not? creates glare??

could be wrong

Yes, it is illegal. Even if not illegal, because fog lights are mounted low on the car, they create a lot of glare against wet roads. It is more considerate to other road users to only use fog lights in fog. This means that unless you live in Canberra like me, you will only use your fog lights a couple of times a year (if that).

Given the extraordinary mis-use of foglights by many drivers, perhaps it would be better that foglights not be included as standard equipment on so many car and SUV models. If they are fitted, I would like them to be interwired with low beam, to make sure that drivers do not drive with fog lights and low beam at the same time.

At least with the AH Astra, the driver has to manually push the front fog light button every time they turn the lights on, which prevents drivers leaving fog lights 'on' all of the time and having them light up every time they switch on their main lights in the rain or at night.

This reminds me of interesting incident from my time in Bendigo. I lived in a farm about 15km out of town and used to drive down the McIvor highway to work. One morning, it was wet with a very low cloud cover: really grey and murky. I was driving at about 110 in my Nissan of the time, and then I suddenly realised I'd come across a dark grey car with no lights on driving at about 90 in the those wet and near-dark conditions! It was amazing I didn't run into the back of it, it was all but impossible to see. This just goes to show just how stupid some drivers can be.

[coyotte]

Thats news to me, when I last checked IT IS NOT ILLEGAL to drive with fog lights on, at least in Victoria.
What is illegal however are replacement "coloured" parking lights.
I have "blue" ones fitted that match the colour Arden Blue of the car, and often drive with them on in conjunction with fog lights (to date I have not been stopped by police). Maybe I am just lucky.

I cannot tell you how many times driving with fogs lights on have saved me from some one changing lanes in front of me. It makes you more visible.

I am a strong believer that it is safer to drive with them ON in general especially on country roads.

If factory fog lights dazzle on coming drivers, I would suggest they look away momentarily, & get their eyes checked.
The only exception in my opinion are 4WD's, where fog lights are usually positioned higher on the bumper.

As for draining the battery while driving, thats got to be a joke right ?

[btm]

i've even seen NSW police driving in normal situations with foggies on

[cbrmale]

I have seen the Australian Federal Police in Canberra doing the same thing. I have also seen the AFP turning at intersections without using indicators many times, I have seen AFP patrol cars without working tail lights and I was almost run off the road by a AFP van getting out of control on a roundabout (in fine weather).

All of which goes to show the police forces of our respective States are absolutely pathetic in terms of enforcing road laws that count. As long as you don't speed more than 10% over the speed limit, you can drive as badly as you bloody well like.

[jerrypufflewell]

Yes using front or rear fog lights is illegal except in heavy rain, fog or smoke (If you can't find it in state law it's in the ADRs). Yes some Police use them inappropriately but that is no excuse for anyone else (unfortunately their training doesn't seem to take in lights and signalling). I have heard people claim that they don't create glare but give them more "light volume". More light coming from your car = more glare (especially when the road is wet).

/rant