Driving in fog is an activity fraught with great risk and often results in hundreds of deaths every year, all around the world. Low-slung sedans & hatchbacks tend to be the most vulnerable, though being in a higher class of vehicle is no absolute guarantee.
Given below are a few key tips to drive a car safely in foggy conditions which should be prove helpful to file away for times when you find yourself in a similar situation:
Ø The first rule of driving safely in fog is to not drive at all. Unless absolutely necessary, it is best to stay off the road, watching the fog float away with a warm cuppa in the hand and a small bon-fire by the side.
Ø That said, if heading into the outdoors is inevitable, then it is absolutely critical that you make sure your lights are working all around the car and switch on your low-beams. This doesn’t just light up the road for you, but more importantly, it lets the others on the road know that you’re out there, just like them.
Ø These days, most sedans & higher class of cars come equipped with automatic headlamps. If your car has such a feature, then double-check that the system is indeed functioning as necessary. It may sometimes happen in adverse conditions that they sensors on these gadgets may fail to trigger, thereby leaving you vulnerable.
Ø People falsely assume that switching on all the lights to the brightest setting helps in improving visibility, when, in-fact, the adverse is true. You see, fog reflects light and using headlamps at their brightest setting will only drive down visibility, thereby risking the chances of an incident.
Ø Fog-lamps, in our part of the world do not have any rules governing their usage, but they can in certain occasions (especially, at the rear) dazzle the vehicles following you. So use them only when visibility is reduced to the sub-100 metre range.
Ø Knowing how to operate the heater/demisting function on the Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning unit is one of the most crucial of tips to drive a car safely in foggy conditions, if the seasoned drivers are to be believed. This can often make the difference between a misted up screen & a clear screen under adverse driving conditions.
Ø Keep safe distance, and remember that it is to allow you the additional reaction space & time, should the need arise. Similarly, drive at a lower speed than usual. It is better to arrive late in foggy conditions than to not arrive at all.
Common-sense and the ability to put a lid on reckless driving moves can often make the difference between arriving safely or risking damage to car & limb.
