Using Fog Lights In Clear Weather Conditions

[chrisb]

ok so i was out last night and happened to pass Dairy Farmers Stadium as the Fury were finishing their soccer game, and there were three police cars pulled up on the side of the road. One of the Coppers ran onto the road and flagged me down with his hands. another started filming me and my car. he was like you have any reason why your flood lights are on? i replied it's night and i'm heading out to my girlfriends house and she lives out in the bush. It is pitch black on the highway and the floodlights help spot kangaroo on the side of the road. He said that wasn't good enough reason and fined me $40. i asked him afterwards that i had see a police toyota Aurian with it's flood lights on and he was like "we are excluded from that rule". is this true??? happy paying the fine but i don't think he followed the correct procedures.
3 questions:
1). should have he had on his high visibility vest on and used a light to signal me over since it was like 9pm and very dark??
2). Do they need my permition to film the offense??
3). are police cars an exception to this role??

[Blakey]

1) yes he should of had his vest on as its a health and safety offense for them not to have it on if they are on a road.

2) yes they do unless they blank out your face in the film, they can only not show your face/identity with out your permision.

3) No they are not exempt police do not make the rules and they have to abide by the rules just as you do.

[The X]

happy paying the fine but i don't think he followed the correct procedures.
3 questions:
1). should have he had on his high visibility vest on and used a light to signal me over since it was like 9pm and very dark??
2). Do they need my permition to film the offense??
3). are police cars an exception to this role??

1. AFAIK he should comply with OH&S. Hi visibility vest and/or flashy light thing or given chase in his car
2. No, we live in a police state, citizens don't complain so the govt gives the po-po more powers - it standard practice these days. Cops with camcorders at protests in NSW are the norm. The fight against terror has trampled on civil liberties. I'm sure it's similar in other states, just not as draconian as NSW.
3. AFAIK police also need to comply with the road rules - with exception during "lights on" - then they need to drive with due care but can speed, cut across the wrong side of the road, run reds, etc.

[SIR-VRX]

This is a new law in QLD, however they must follow it too.

I have seen a lot of them in my area with fog lights on previously, but since the new rule has come in, not one has had them on...

[chrisb]

well the police car i saw didn't have it's flashing lights going and definatley had it's flood lights on so they should get in trouble aswell. thought that rule sounded dodgy, didn't think there was one rule for them and one for us. i did sort of put him on the spot when i asked him about it but still.

[SIR-VRX]

The rule applies to them as well, but he should not have his on.

Sometimes they are wired to flash in sequence (like the highbeams are) and that would be allowed, as it is part of the emergency lighting.

[Blakey]

This is a new law in QLD, however they must follow it too.

I have seen a lot of them in my area with fog lights on previously, but since the new rule has come in, not one has had them on...

I have seen about 6 in my area that still have theirs on, cops that is.

[tadz0rz]

There was a cop that got done on FyLife.com i think.

He pulled over a guy for speeding or something, gave him a ticket for 'x' amount, and the driver ended up being some road saftey officer and slapped the cop with a fine that was twice the amount of the speeding fine because he wasnt wearing a high visibility jacket...

EDIT: http://www.fmylife.com/work/5309221 <<-- Thats the thing...lol

[scraverX]

Not sure if it's a rule here in the ACT but I see SO many people driving with their fogs on on perfectly clear nights it's crazy.

And here's something really funny. After I swapped out my stock bulbs for the 4000k Arctic Blues I was driving along with just my lows on - it was a relatively well lit street - and someone going the other way with their fogs on flashed me 'as though I had my highs on'.

In any case... people driving with their fogs on like they're regular lights torque me off big time.

Oh yeah... I also see Fogs and parkers on just approaching dusk regularly (when it's not dark enough to 'need' your lights but is good too for safety)

[aspir3]

Dont start another forum on damn drivers with fog lamps on. They drive me mad when they think their vision is more importants then everyones elses. They blind other drivers when it is not necessary.
Count yourself lucky as in England they must be wired so they can not come on with your normal driving lights. If you are caught your car is impounded until repaired and if caught a second time the car is crushed..

[Graham]

If I'm in any hilly areas or remote highways (south western hwy, great northern hwy, brookton hwy in WA for example) out of suburban areas I will put the fog lights on but once I get back to areas that have street lights or lots of cars I'll turn 'em off.

1). As far as I'm aware they need to use high visibility clothing if they are on the road, all traffic cops in marked cars wear this as standard clothing I beleive.
If they didn't put the red/blues on I would not of stopped, I don't accept a hand gesture a good enough way of being pulled over by the police.

A friend of mine ran into a similar incident one day, he was coming back from somewhere, a cop car going the other way high beamed him my mate thought nothing of it but 5 minutes later the cop car was behind him and pulled him over, the first words out of his mouth
"WHY DIDN'T YOU PULL OVER WHEN I FLASHED YOU EARLIER?!"


2). Not sure on this one, but it could be the same as most companies when you call up
"This call may be monitored or recorded for verification or coaching purposes, if you do not wish for this call to be monitered please advise the consultant".

3). Not too sure, I see a lot of police cars with fog lights on, I'd imagine they follow the same rules as we do but if they need to do something out of the ordinary such as run a red light or change lanes to oncoming traffic they use their emergency lights.

[Speedie]

1) No police do not have to wear a reflective jacket while on the road. If they can prove they have sufficient safety equipment in place that is all that is required.
2) No they don't need your permission to film the offence but you can request a copy.
3)No police aren't exempt from the rules. The road rules apply to them as much as they do to you, only in an emergency situation are they allowed to break the rules.

[Josh_Emerton]

A friend of mine ran into a similar incident one day, he was coming back from somewhere, a cop car going the other way high beamed him my mate thought nothing of it but 5 minutes later the cop car was behind him and pulled him over, the first words out of his mouth
"WHY DIDN'T YOU PULL OVER WHEN I FLASHED YOU EARLIER?!"

Thats pure BS (not what you said, the fact the copper did it) > any copper should know a high beam 'flash' does not have a known definition in terms of signalling anyone to do anything. People use it as a warning, a 'turn ur hibeams off', a 'copper ahead'. The Police, AFAIK, FROWN on usage of the 'flash' feature.

[tadz0rz]

From what ive actually heard, its illegal to flash your high beams to warn other drivers of a speed camera. Had to listen to some cop on the radio talking about it when i was in the passenger seat of the fiesta listening to AM talk back radio =\

[Blakey]

1) No police do not have to wear a reflective jacket while on the road. If they can prove they have sufficient safety equipment in place that is all that is required.
2) No they don't need your permission to film the offence but you can request a copy.
3)No police aren't exempt from the rules. The road rules apply to them as much as they do to you, only in an emergency situation are they allowed to break the rules.

speedie they actually have to wear it its not a cop rule its a Workplace health and safety rule. that any worker doing work on or near a road MUST have a hi vis jacket or High vis clothing on, if you in your own job have to work on or next to a road you also must wear a hi vis clothing or you will cop an on the spot fine from OHS.(if caught) that can be up to and over $200