Foggy Conditions Guide to Driving Safely
Care should be taken when driving in foggy weather. The potential for accidents is greater because no one can see with any clarity and some drivers may not change their driving habits for the inclement conditions.
When there is thick fog about, the best advice is to delay your journey until the weather improves, but if you have to travel what are the best tips and advice to help you make safe progress.
Having a vehicle that is in good working order will be invaluable to your journey. The windscreen should be clean and the lights must be functioning properly. This should include the fog lights on your car. If you have less than 100 metres visibility you will want to engage your fog lights. This not only enables you to see better, but other vehicles will be aware of your presence as well. The use of your regular lights will be of no benefit to you at this time. They actually reflect the fog and limit your visibility even more.
One of the main hazards that occurs when there is foggy weather is that cars tend to follow each other a little too close. It may be from a sense of security that they arent the only car on the road or they may just be driving too fast for the conditions. There is also the possibility that they think they can escape the fog sooner if they go faster. Any of these scenarios can contribute to major accidents. It is very important that you keep your speed under control so that in the event of a sudden stop you are able to have enough space between your car and the one in front of you.
Fog is a phenomenon that occurs due to a cooling of the air during its dew point. The depth of the fog and its height is determined by the environment and geography it appears in.
Typical times and places to expect fog are normally on cold winter mornings in low lying ground, valleys or significant dips. Because the fog can change thickness and in turn reduce visibility very quickly, you will constantly need to reassess the conditions and tailor your driving accordingly.
Once you have achieved more than 100 metres of visibility you must turn off your fog lights. The law states that this is a requirement and it is also unpleasant for oncoming cars. Dont forget to turn off the fog lights on the back of your car as they can disguise your brake lights which can be a hazard.
Driving in fog can be highly rough, yet you are capable of remaining safe while driving. You will need to drive in a style that meets the conditions you experience and afford space to others on the road.