As dense fog has draped over parts of our region this week, morning commuters have had to adjust their driving behaviors to avoid dangerous situations. In dense fog, it’s more difficult to see vehicles and to judge their speed. AAA East Central advises motorists to drive defensively and to take extra caution when driving in foggy conditions.
“This week’s fog has intensely limited visibility on the road,” says Terri Rae Anthony, safety advisor, AAA East Central. “Morning commutes are already challenging in several ways, so motorists need to take precautions to avoid preventable crashes.”
To avoid poor visibility crashes, AAA recommends:
- Delay leaving. If possible, motorists should delay leaving for work until the fog dissipates.
- Lights on. It is important to turn on the headlights, not just the daytime running lights. In many vehicles, the daytime running light setting does not illuminate the tail lights of a vehicle, making a vehicle harder to see from behind.
- Stick to low beam. High beams will reflect off the fog, creating a “white wall” effect. If a car has fog lights (amber lens or bulb), they should be used with low beams.
- Slow down. Fog creates visual conditions that can fool the driver into driving faster or slower, and multi-vehicle collisions can occur when motorists go too fast in fog.
- Park in a closed garage. This reduces condensation and moisture on vehicle windows.
- Clear the windows. Motorists should defrost all windows of the vehicle before leaving. Windows should also be cleaned from the inside.
- Keep a safe distance. In fog, motorists should increase following distance between vehicles.
- Drive cautiously. Motorists should avoid passing other vehicles and changing lanes, if possible.
- If stalled or a crash occurs, motorists should attempt to exit the highway or pull well onto the shoulder and turn off lights, except for hazard lights, so other vehicles don’t crash into them.
Car maintenance is important to safe driving in foggy weather. Motorists are advised to:
- Check the wiper blades. Streaks or skipping on the vehicle’s windshield are signs of worn wiper blades. Many crashes occur because motorists can’t see out of smeared windshields.
- Keep headlights and taillights working and lenses clean. This vehicle equipment is critical for high visibility.
AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 71 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members. News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.