Fog light misuse causes 300,000 accidents in 2011

January 27th, 2012

Reckless drivers who misuse their fog lights caused over 300,000 car accidents in 2011, according recent research by car insurance provider swiftcover.com.

With 1 in 10 motorists admitting to using high intensity lights when visibility is normal, and two million ‘near misses’ caused in the same period, there is clearly a problem with the misuse of fog lights and it seems to be taking its toll on the safety of Britain’s roads.

In a surprising discovery 14% percent of drivers said they over use their fog lights simply “because they look good”. This reasoning seems to come from predominantly younger drivers with 22% of 18-34 year olds who admit to misusing fog lights saying coolness was the motivation.

London drivers seem to be the main culprits as Swiftcover reported more accidents caused by use the of fog lights in the capital than any other region. 50% of these reported they had been dazzled by another drivers fog lights and gone on to make a claim.

“Young drivers trying to look ‘cool’ by using their fog lights at all times are recklessly and thoughtlessly endangering other motorists”, commented Robin Reames, chief claims officer at swiftcover.com. “Fog lights are designed for a very specific purpose – helping drivers to see and be seen when visibility is severely reduced. Misusing these lights has the effect of dazzling and distracting other motorists and causes a staggering number of crashes, as evidenced by our research. If you can see further than 100m (roughly the length of a football pitch) then your fog lights should remain off, and if they are not then you are breaking the law and could face a £30 fixed penalty notice.”

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