Handy Tips for Driving In the Fog

Fog chooses the most ridiculous times to appear… in the morning when you are in a rush to get to work and in the evening when you are dead beat and you just want to go home and unwind. Not every area experiences fog, but again, with the global warming phenomena et al… who knows? If you live in low lying areas, near rivers and lakes, you could experience fog more often than, say, a person who lives in low humidity areas.

Mildly foggy conditions on the road
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fog

Driving in the fog is dangerous. In fact, you are advised to let the fog dissipate rather than drive in it, but then, there is that job to attend to. With caution, you can drive in the fog and arrive alive. How?

Tips for driving in the fog

Be alert and check the speedometer regularly. Dense fog creates an optical illusion in most drivers and in any case you cannot be able to judge the distance between you and the vehicle ahead, since you can’t see far enough. It is better to drive at a crawl and arrive safely. Be safe!

Ensure that you are visible. In the fog, visibility goes down. It is difficult to detect a vehicle that is a few meters behind or in front of you. Most vehicles from BEFOWARD come with factory installed fog lights that give a yellow or clear light. They are set low down and their beam is directed to illuminate the distance but as low as possible. This enables you to see a couple of meters ahead of you even in the thickest of fogs.

Check the Highway Code in your country. There must be something to this effect, that headlights must be kept on at all times when visibility is less than 100 meters.

Do not use high beams. High beam headlights reflect on the water vapor, eventually decreasing your visibility or playing tricks on your eyes. Keep your beams low so that other road users can see you.

Always stay on your lane. It is almost difficult to do so, when there is fog, but it is not as if you have a choice. Preferably, keep your eyes on the lines to ensure you do not veer off the lane and cause an accident.

Keep a safe distance. Most likely, it will be wet, and so the usual stopping distance will not be enough. Keep as long a distance as you can because. If you can only see a few meters ahead, driver slowly, even at a crawl if you must drive. It is also important to switch off the radio or music so that you can listen out for other vehicles, especially at junctions.

Rear fog lights will keep you visible to other drivers behind you
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_lighting

Don’t follow the taillights of the car ahead of you. This is one way for you to clobber their rear bumper nice and clear. If visibility is very poor and you are following the taillights ahead of you, tailgating is inevitable and eventually, there will be no distance between you and the car ahead. This is a recipe for a pile up.

We could go on and on about this, but the best advice is… if the fog is too dense and you don’t feel confident, don’t drive. It won’t last forever. You can wait or hog a bus or train. If you have to drive, ensure you have enough fuel, your car is in excellent condition and that your defrosters are working. When it is foggy, you don’t want your car to die on you on the road.