Hustead's Collision Center

Tips for Safe Driving in Heavy Fog

You don't have to live in San Francisco, CA to encounter thick fog while driving. From LA to NYC and everywhere in between, fog is a reality at any time. Although most fog is predictable. It also has a tendency to creep up on you when you don't expect it. So, here are some helpful tips about how to safely and successfully navigate through heavy fog.

At Hustead's Collision Center, we see fog all the time here in Berkeley and throughout the state of CA. Driving in heavy fog is like driving with your windows completely blacked out. AAA said that it is undoubtedly the most dangerous thing you can ever encounter on the road.

If you ever run into serious fog, the safest thing to do is get off the road and sit tight until the fog eventually clears. Unfortunately, that isn't always practical, so here are some directives about how to drive in fog, because we know many of you will regardless of the conditions.

Tip For Driving In the Fog

• When driving in fog, immediately slow down. 80% of all fog-related traffic fatalities happen because someone was driving too fast and couldn't stop in time to avoid a collision.

• Make sure that you are visible to other motorists. Turn on your fog lights and make certain that your high beams aren't on. High beams direct light up into the fog, cutting down on visibility. Low beams direct light downward and will help other drivers to see you.

• Don't rely on your parking lights alone, because they do very little to increase your visibility in the fog. In addition, refrain from using your emergency flasher, because they could also confuse other drivers who are also straining to see. 

• In any scenario, do not turn off your headlights in heavy fog, even if they seem to hamper your visibility.

• Utilize the right edge of the road as a reference point instead of the center line, to prevent you from running into oncoming traffic or becoming distracted by other drivers' headlights.

•  Consider what your fellow drivers see when they are directly behind you. If you drive while using your emergency flashers or continually hit your brake pedal, you'll make other drivers nervous. This could cause them to try and pass you, which is obviously a dangerous move in fog.

• Always call upon your defroster and windshield wipers in foggy conditions and always be cognizant of the simple fact that the problems of fog driving become greater at night.

• Keep your minimum safety gap to three seconds in good conditions. With the decreased visibility that fog can cause, this gap should be increased considerably

• If you exit the road for whatever reason, always be sure to pull off entirely. Turn off your headlights and turn on your flashers so that other drivers will know that you're there.

So, the next time you encounter some serious fog here in Berkeley or anywhere else in the beautiful state of CA, hopefully you will mentally refer back to these tips and be safe during those foggy days and nights.

Sources: Smart Driver, AAA and Wikipedia