Driving in fog can be a scary experience sometimes, especially if it is exceptionally dense fog or combined with other adverse weather conditions. Foggy conditions are the number one cause of large multi-car pile-ups all over the world.
Technically, fog is a dense wet mist that has descended like a cloud close to ground level. Usually, dense fog lifts by late morning or early afternoon. In such situations, it's safer to postpone your journey until it has cleared. But sometimes postponing your journey might not be an option or you could get caught in fog midway.
Here are a few tips to help you stay safe when driving in foggy conditions:
1. Turn on your blinkers
Turning on your blinkers allows other approaching motorists to see you from a distance. Despite having you headlights and fog-lamps on, blinking lights are able to attract attention, however faint they might be. In foggy conditions, its imperative to not only observe as much of the road that lies ahead of you, but its also very important to make yourself as visible as possible to other motorists.
2. Use your car's lights properly
Turn on your fog lights if your vehicle is equipped with them, and keep your head-lamps on low beam especially when driving through dense fog at night. High beams light up the fog that lies in your line-of-sight and depending on the fog's density, can reflect the light right back at you which further reduces visibility and can blind the driver temporarily. Low beams direct light onto the patch of road ahead of the car, which in foggy situations, allows for better visibility.
3. Maintain a safe distance
Invariably in foggy conditions, you will find yourself joining a convoy as it helps guide you along the road. This can be dangerous as you may find yourself sticking too close to the person in front of you in fear of losing them in the fog. Hence, keep a safe distance from the car in front and avoid hanging on to its rear lights. If it brakes suddenly, you will be too close for comfort. Instead, if you are unable to see much, try finding the lane separating lines painted on the road as a point of reference. The lines tend to follow the direction of the road and hence give you a fair understanding of where the road curves, etc.
4. Turn on the defogger and wipers
Use your windshield wipers and defogger to keep your front and rear windscreens as clear as possible. In foggy situations, where you can barely see anything outside the vehicle, its imperative that you at least have a clear view of the portion of road that lies directly in front of you.
Give other motorists plenty of time to notice you before you decide to make a turn or change lanes. Brake gently, not suddenly, so drivers behind you have time to react.
6. Drive slow and watch your speed
When you encounter fog, reduce your speed rather than panicking and trying to speed out of it. Maintain a slow speed, remain calm, and focus on the road. Drive defensively and at a speed that will allow you to stop within the distance that you can see clearly through the fog. Additionally, watch your speedometer to make sure your speed doesn't creep up. It's harder to judge distances and speed in the fog. Also, studies show that most drivers tend to unconsciously increase their speed after getting used to the foggy conditions.
Stay in your lane, as drivers tend to drift towards the middle of the road in foggy conditions. Also stay attentive as other motorists may not be following any particular lane.
In fog, dogs, cows, etc. are obviously harder to spot on the road. Hence, to avoid such obstacles, drive slowly, use your fog lamps (which improve your peripheral vision when driving) and stay alert for any sudden movements.
9. Rely on yourself
Focus on the road, not the car ahead. Don't follow other drivers, who may drift into other lanes or off the road. As stated before, following a convoy gives a driver a false sense of comfort. Yes, it is easier to follow a car rather than having to drive alone in dense fog. However all it takes is for the lead car to make a mistake and a pile-up can occur. Additionally, when driving in fog, turnings are very difficult to spot. Hence, in the process of sticking to the car in front of you, you may miss a turn that you were supposed to take as it's not necessary that the car ahead is going in the same direction as you.
10. Pull off the road if you have to
If the fog is too thick, there is no shame in pulling onto the shoulder of the road and waiting for its to lift. If you do leave the road, be sure to pull off completely and not be parked in the way of moving traffic. Turn off your head-lamps and only keep your emergency lights (blinkers) on to alert other drivers of you're presence.
