Driving in thick fog is challenging and dangerous because it can be like driving blind. You should always drive cautiously whenever your visibility is reduced because you’ll have less time to react if an object or vehicle appears. There are over 30,000 accidents and 500 fatalities related to fog each year, so what specific precautions should you take if you’re driving in fog?
The primary things that drivers should continuously look for are road markings, the edges of the road, and other vehicles. Sometimes, there might be an occasional road hazard. Fog will obscure your line of sight to these primary objects. Other drivers will also have trouble seeing you. Luckily, there are methods that you can use to make traveling in fog safer.
If you enter the fog and your visibility decreases, that also means that vehicles in the oncoming lane will have less visibility. No matter the time of day, you need to turn on your headlights. The light can cut through the fog and make the lights visible. Other drivers might not see your vehicle or its outline, but they’ll be able to see the light.
You might be wondering “When driving in fog, is it best to drive with high beams or low beams?” You should always keep the headlights in low beam mode. Switching to high beams will severely decrease your visibility because the light will reflect off the water particles in the fog and make the fog look thicker.
Rain often accompanies fog and rain droplets can further obscure your vision. In a worst-case scenario, the rain droplets might cause you to see an object on the road or a vehicle too late. If you’re driving in fog, remember to activate your windshield wipers. Since windshield condensation also often occurs in foggy conditions, you should also activate your vehicle’s windshield defroster to keep your glass dry and clear from condensation.
Driving at a fast speed significantly reduces your time to react to obstacles or vehicles. Coupled with fog, driving fast can cause you to see objects in front of you much later than you normally would. Simply slowing down gives you more time to react and allows your vehicle to brake and turn more easily.
Remember that driving in fog can be disorienting and it can be difficult to tell the speed at which you’re traveling. When you drive in heavy fog, keep an eye on your speedometer so you can accurately track your speed.
In very foggy conditions, you might rely on the lights of the car ahead as a guide. This can help you have a sense of the road ahead, but this method is dangerous because you might rely on the lights too much and miss other objects. When driving in fog a driver should always try to make out lane markings and look out for other obstacles.
If you’re driving on a straight highway, remember that there’s a vehicle behind you that can rear-end you if you slam on the brakes. If you’re driving in foggy conditions, remember that you shouldn’t tailgate or slam on the brakes.
If you’re riding on mountainous roads, there’s a high likelihood that you’ll come across wet roads with a lot of blind corners. If you press on the brakes too hard while turning a corner, then it might cause too much lateral load on the tires and cause you to skid off the road. When you see a vehicle suddenly appear, gently tap the brakes and calmly adjust your vehicle’s line to avoid obstacles.
If you find yourself in a thick fog that prevents you from seeing a few meters ahead of you, then you should probably pull over and wait for the fog to clear. If there isn’t a gas station or establishment nearby, then you can stop on the shoulder. Keep in mind that you should position your vehicle as far as possible to the side of the road. The last thing you want to do is make your vehicle an obstacle for other road users. Then, turn on your vehicle’s hazard lights to keep your vehicle visible to other drivers.
If you’re driving through fog, you should be mindful of your headlights, speed, and road markings. It can be easy to stray from your line because of the limited visibility. As long as you practice good driving habits and remember to use your windshield wiper and defroster, you should be able to traverse foggy roads safely.
Driving under extremely foggy conditions can be dangerous, as you and other drivers around you will have limited visibility on the road. In most cases, pulling over to a safe area is recommended.
To safely pull over when driving in fog, follow the steps below:
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