Winters bring thick fog and low visibility that causes a lot of fatal accidents. Hence, every driver should be more careful in high-density foggy conditions.
Here are a few precautions which you must while driving during dense fog.
1. Drive Slower than Normal
During dense fog, it is difficult to gauge the speed of traffic ahead and the distance between other vehicles. Maintaining slow speed also helps in better control during abrupt braking conditions as you get more time to apply brakes. There are several events where multiple vehicles have collided together due to high speed.
2. Drive on Low Beam
It is a common logic among drivers to set the lights to the high beam during fog for greater visibility. But it is one of the biggest myths. In fact, high beam lights reflect back to the driver in fog diminishing visibility further. Hence, to have clearer visibility, keep headlights on low beam along with fog lamps.
3. Keep your Ears Open
When you can’t see anything clearly in front or the rear of your car then it becomes even more important to listen to the traffic. For instance, listening to the horn of an overtaking vehicle can make you more alert.
4. Use Blinker/Parking Lights
Apart from keeping the lights on, you can consider turning on the blinkers or the parking lights of the vehicle as well to improve the visibility of your car. Also, always use indicators while changing lanes or taking a turn to warn traffic behind your car.
5. Keep The Windows and Windshield Clear
During fog conditions, frost tends to accumulate on window glasses and windshield which reduces the visibility of surroundings significantly. Use vipers and windshield washer to clear the front glass and switch on the heater to evaporate mist accumulated on window glasses of the car.
6. Avoid Overtaking
Overtaking in heavy fog conditions could be dangerous. Low visibility often reduces our ability to judge the gap between vehicles. Also, drivers of other vehicles are unaware of the vehicle attempting to overtake. All this makes the situation worse to overtake during foggy weather. Hence, the rule is to always stick to your lane in fog.
7. Use Horn More Often
Due to low visibility, drivers listen and react more to horns of other vehicles. So, if you feel that any vehicle is approaching closer or even if you are slowing down, it is advisable to blow the horn repeatedly to catch the attention of other vehicles.
8. Maintain Safe Distance
Maintain healthy distance between the vehicle in front of you to ensure you have an ample amount of time in the event of sudden braking or crash.
