ThE sPaCeCoWbOy

for those who have heard of the accident that happened on I-68, here are some pictures...

<a href="http://www.cresaptownvfd.org/accident/" target="_blank">http://www.cresaptownvfd.org/accident/</a>

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Jonas Goldsmith

That will ruin your day.... what state was that in?

ThE sPaCeCoWbOy

this happened in Finzel, MD. About 15-20 min from Cumberland, MD

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Jeff Lamb

Those mass pile-ups in foggy conditions scare the %&@#! out of me. It looks like a couple of large semi trucks just plowed into a large number of slow moving or parked cars. Major carnage.

This should make us all think through this scenario and plan what we would do if we end up stuck in stopped traffic in the fog. What are your thoughts on the best defensive precautions? I am thinking that if the side of the road (or median or whatever) is clear, I am going to keep driving to bypass as much of the stopped traffic as possible. I sure don't want to be stuck at (or near) the back end of stopped traffic on a highway in foggy conditions . . .

Jeff

Sami951

Wow, sick pictures. Can't imagine something like that happening..!

Do US cars have rear fog lights? I just had this idea of having read somewhere that they don't... so there's one good trick to increase safety in such situations, add a damn bright red light somewhere in the back of the car and use it when you think those coming from behind can't see you very well...

And of course, if at all possible, don't stop! Of course there's the chance of hitting something in front, but at least you might have a small chance to react to something happening suddenly (car stopped in front of you, truck coming from behind too fast).

(just my ideas, don't take them too seriously, I'm not a safety expert)

DerSchlechtSpecht

I have never seen a car here in the US with rear fog lights.

Christian

PeteL

I hate being the last car in a line of traffic, I see the cars coming up behind me and the "what ifs" start. ... Always look for an exit strategy. By the same token, I always try to leave room in front of me. If someone is following too close, I leave even more room in front.

924Superwagen

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Sami951:
<strong>Wow, sick pictures. Can't imagine something like that happening..!

Do US cars have rear fog lights? I just had this idea of having read somewhere that they don't... so there's one good trick to increase safety in such situations, add a damn bright red light somewhere in the back of the car and use it when you think those coming from behind can't see you very well...</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">No rear fog lights required in the US or Canada, but most of the German companies (Audi, MB, BMW...)have it wired in anyways, at least in Canada. And you wonder why mostly silver coloured cars are rear-ended in fog... hmmmmm! First mod I will ever do to any car is to add a rear fog if not already equipped.

Geo

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Sami951:
<strong>Do US cars have rear fog lights?</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Unfortunately no.

My E46 328i has them built into the tail lights, yet there is are no bulbs or bulb sockets. I doubt the wiring is there either. Strangely, the instrument cluster has the little icon, lens, whatever you want to call it for the rear fogs. To me it's strange we don't get them.

Chris_924s

There was one last year- Fog related just North of Milwaukee.. Very frightening. It's the ones that happen in tunnels that are real killers. literally.

Skip

They are coming to the US, but it's a little too late in my opinion. Add Volvo and Saab to the list of Euro cars that already have them standard. The new Mini will receive a factory retrofit (switch and bulb are added to existing housing).

The problem is that folks leave them on because there is no glaring evidence that they are on within the cockpit... this can be equally dangerous and annoying to other drivers.

The DOT/NTSB (and SAE) are adding this to the 2008 large-scale schedule of upgraded safety requirements - it still has to pass committee... hopefully the bean-counters will be absent from that vote!

Please, if you have them, use them only when needed... but, use them.

It's not too hard to fit them into the spare housings on the 944 and run a separate switch... maybe even in series with the fog lights.

Skip

Rich Sandor

You see, this is why I am going to move to Germany someday.

They have electronic signal boards in areas where fog banks are common, and the signal boards are placed 1-2km ahead, and they post an electic display of the current speed limit in each lane.

When it's foggy or if there is traffic, the speed limit signs change values.

You'd think someone would be smart enough to use such equipment in places where fog banks commonly form - or even when traffic is often heavy.

Skip

It's in the works here in the US, and maybe even the Northern Territorial US (NoT US) <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

There are many areas in the US that use older versions of fog warnings - such as flashing lights or overhead "slow the f*ck down" signs. What it really takes for any of this to work is responsible *groups* of drivers.... drivers cause accidents, not fog. How about an awareness campaign to teach folks how valuable life is... it's done on a very small scale in the beginning (student driver education), but it's never reinforced. If those who have suffered loss were really concerned with making a statement and helping others, they'd take their millions in damages and form prevention groups... their money could buy other's happiness through safety education.

There are fancier systems in the works, but they all cost heaps of money. The single largest threat on the highways today is from commercial trucking (in terms of fatalities, based on NTSB reporting). That is where the money is spent first, and where the tip of the technology is being developed. Almost all new trucks (commercial) now have optionally available avoidance systems and smart cruise controls. European technology (from Bosch and Siemens and Visteon and Infineon) are leading the front, but still suffer from the limitations of economy. Even though life is a popular option, some still lack the funds to pay the premiums. While we complain of outrageous inflation busting car prices, these raises can be tracked somewhat back to increased safety measures - and, to all the frivolous and unreasonable law suits placed on the industry by bottom-feeding lawyers... sorry, it's an unfortunate truth. The current leader in safety inovation is Daimler-Benz - no surprise there - however, even they have to pass everything by the bean-counters - and, are limited by the economy. In the end, safety costs money... lots of it.

S

Ag951

What exactly are rear fog lights? Are they something more than the tail lights that come on when you turn the light dial once?
I haven't seen fog in a decade, but when it rains around here (both times), I turn on all the lights. Nobody around here knows how to drive in the rain, because they've forgotten how since the last time it rained.

Carrera51

I used to drive that stretch of road regularly when I was in college (WVU). Fog was quite common, even more so on the other side of Cumberland, between Cumberland and the WV border.

Both my parents' Mercedes have functioning rear fog lights. My 911 is wired for one but I haven't installed it (I will after seeing these photos). My 944 has a space next to the swtich for the front fog lights that I assume would be for a rear fog light in the ROW cars.

One of my friends used to have an Audi 90 with a rear fog light. He got pulled over in the rain by a NY State Trooper and was told it was illegal to have the thing on. That was several years ago.