This will raise a few hackles. I'm sure

As you know the FL2's dipped beam is crap and the front 'fogs' have a very low wide spread beam, so why is everyone against there use in a 'dipped' beam, non fog situation where they help light up the road immediately in front of you and also the verge. As a driving aid it can only be a good thing, can't it?

There is no glare to oncoming traffic because of there downward projection so I can only assume other drivers take umbrage for no better reason than it looks 'chavvy' and not the done thing old boy.

Bring on your points of view, I'll tell you what camp I'm in later

It's illegal! Relevant law states:

You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves.

The clue is in the name - FOG lights.

If you don't think your headlights are good enough, upgrade them.  Ours - 2008 Stornoway Grey HSE Auto
Tricia's - 2006 Royal Blue Beetle Cabriolet Auto
Mine - 2014 Vespa GTS 300 Super Sport Matt Black
Ours - 2007 White Bailey Pageant Champagne

I have non-HID, old school halogens on my FL2 and I think they are brill. Even dipped although I have adjusted them to their highest position. I've only had one car with HIDs/xenons and I thought they were pants.
I hate them even more for the fact that they blind oncoming drivers whether they're on dipped or not.
Grr.
As far as fog lights, I use them sometimes as a driving aid on back roads to light up the verges. It's about the only use fog lights are in my opinion. I've never found any of them to be much use for anything else.
I always switch them off when I'm back on a main road where they are not giving me any benefit.
I don't get upset by others having them on except where it's obvious that some people think they look cool.
Eg. in broad daylight. The same people are obsessed by LED DRLs as well which I think are the saddest fashion disaster after air dams and wings.

Then there's this idea that bikes have to have 1 and only 1 DRL despite having twin headlights. The number of old codgers that have told me that one of my headlights is out....grr.

I don't have an issue with the dipped beam, not the main beam. This is since I upgraded with the Halfords Extreme Brilliance lamps.

AS far as I am concerned if one looks at the regs for lamp alignment, front fog lamps have to be aligned downwards at a greater angle than the dipped beam. See Vehicle lighting Regs.

for info on alignment regs

Headlamps
1.3% below horizontal if less than 850mm above road
2% below horizontal if more than 850mm above road

Fogs
3% below horizontal

As the lights are mounted lower than the headlights, simple geometry can calculate how far the beam can shine forwards and sideways, and this is much less than the dipped beam.

Therefore if one finds benefit from having the front fogs on, I would suggest that the driver is not looking at the view correctly, they need to lift their vision, OR be travelling very slowly.

Now it is accepted that front fogs have a much better sideways spread than dipped headlights, therefore an argument exists, in my opinion, that they could be of use if travelling at slow speed and looking for a field entrance, or a tight turning. Otherwise, then only fog / falling snow.

Referencing the alignment regs above, this means that any fog lights which dazzle oncoming traffic are clearly misaligned and thus not legal.


Edited as the preview looked oK but the forum didn't like the less than , greater than mathematical signs

They also use a different lense to the headlights and so they are much brighter.

I certainly know when a vehicle has them on. So annoying.

I even mentioned, on my local neighbourhood Facebook page, that people can be fined having them on illegally and, worryingly, a lot of people didn't know that it was illegal when visability was good.

Quote:

Therefore if one finds benefit from having the front fogs on, I would suggest that the driver is not looking at the view correctly, they need to lift their vision, OR be travelling very slowly.

If one has to use fog lights together with headlights in normal conditions then one shouldn't be driving and should go see an optician instead.

Realspeed Ex 2010 Freelander2 GS-e Diesel manual Silver owner

Ah right, so all these threads about the Freelanders having a poor dipped beam is not true, also people upgrading their bulbs are not true.

Perhaps FL2 cars attract poor sighted drivers.

The best headlights on a car I ever had were standard lights on a G reg 1.4 Astra Merit......

Stuart

Only way you know what effect your fogs have is to drive towards your own car, not many try that , I'm sure.

I personally think DRL's look stupid, especially the fairy light LED's (apart from the Discovery). If someone want's to drive with their fogs on it doesn't bother me but if I get dazzled by fogs when its not foggy, they get full beams in the face.

My own personal rules for using fogs are; if I'm having trouble seeing the rear lights of cars in front of me then I need my rear fogs on, if I'm having problems seeing headlights coming towards me or in the rear view mirror then I need my front fogs on too. I find you need the rears sooner and more often than the fronts, fronts hardly at all to be honest.

I like the way the lanrdrover front and rears are independently selectable, on my previous car there was one switch for the pair and you had to switch the fronts on before the rears. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

@ Stooby
This is more like the discussion was meant for

Why some cars lights are better than others on a standard bulb/lamp, and why some people might feel the need to supplement their dipped beam by turning on additional lights

Can you blame them for turning on all they can if the headlighting is inadequate as bought
Unless as 'realspeed' says, FL2 drivers have poor eyesight judging by the upgrades.

EYorkshire wrote:

Can you blame them for turning on all they can if the headlighting is inadequate as bought

Regardless of wether or not it dazzles oncoming drivers? 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

Does it
I can't say fog lights have dazzled me but illegal wattage lamps have, 'blue' lamps have, brighter than white ones have, poorly adjusted ones have and late dippers have.

Perhaps they have the wrong name applied to them, would they be more acceptable if they were called auxiliary driving lights

Dont have a problem with drivers who have the Front Fogs on, they rarely seem to dazzle, Rear Fogs, I hate with a vengeance, they cause more problems than they solve, they need to be switched on via a speed switch, if the vehicle is doing over 45 then the visibilty is not bad enough to need Rear Fogs, also why do people have them on in Town, they then sit at the Traffic Lights with normal Tail Lights on, Rear Fogs on and if thats not enough they have their foot on the brake also.
As for Rear Fogs on a busy Motorway, they cause confusion, if your in a line of traffic at 60mph the vehicle three of four vehicles in front with the Rear Fogs ablaze moves slightly out of line the vehicles behind then see the Rear Fogs and think they are Brake Lights, so everyone satrts to brake causing a chain reaction, I find now that if I have a in front with Rear Fogs ablaze on the Motorway and they are to bright you then tend to not keep an eye on that vehicle as it dazzles you so then you dont notice so quick when they are actually braking.

Half of my daily commute is down unlit country lanes, I can see my side of the road and hedge if the oncoming car has dipped lights, if they have their fog lights on ( or to give them their proper name, High Intensity Lights ) then my view of the road becomes a jet black hole which can only be illuminated via high beams.

I'd say if your fog lights are improving your headlights then your headlights are probably not set correctly. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.