Driving in fog is regarded as by far the most harmful weather hazard, especially when it is really dense fog or accompanied by other unfavorable weather conditions. Foggy conditions are the leading reason for big multi-car pile ups. Nevertheless, there are some things you can do to lower your chance of a crash. These guidelines, offered by Car Craft Auto Body, will help you to be safer on foggy St. Louis streets.
Slow It Down
In heavy fog, an extremely terrifying thing happens to people when they are driving. They unintentionally accelerate! Needless to say, we are all aware that accelerating in fog is the worst thing to do, but fog produces an optical illusion. Whenever you look out your car window, your body perceives that you are going very slow. Since the majority of people get nervous in fog, they don’t look down at their speedometer. Eventually, they begin going faster and faster. This is definitely the most dangerous aspect of traveling in fog. Make a conscious effort to look at your speedometer from time to time. There is a high probability you keep speeding up, without knowing it!
Keep It Straight
When driving any vehicle in fog in the St. Louis area, it is a great idea to follow the lines on the road with your eyes. This is the best way to ensure you remain in your lane. Motorists are generally attracted to lights, and unconsciously, will steer toward lights. So it’s better to watch the lines to ensure you are driving in your lane. Just make sure you are not fixating. Keep your eyes moving.
Follow Them Far
A secure following distance is essential in fog. Many drivers tend to “bunch up” during foggy conditions since they feel it’s easier to see. Traveling in fog is scary, but now is not the time to follow too close. That’s one of several big reasons massive pile-up’s take place.
Keep Them On
Always keep your headlights on when driving in foggy conditions to avoid an awful auto body repair bill. Your daytime running lights aren’t enough. Many individuals turn their lights off because they feel their headlights are blinding them from reflecting off the fog, but you essentially become a “ghost car” when this occurs. Your headlights are not so you can see better, it’s so other people can see you! If your car features fog lights, utilize those as well. When traveling in fog, it is extremely important to stay visible to others.
Keep Them Low
Don’t ever utilize your high beam headlights in foggy environments. Your high beam headlights reflect off of the water vapor and actually lessen your field of vision. You might feel that your low beam headlights are doing the exact same thing, but again, keep them on. It is the very best way for you to be noticed.
When It’s Time To Stop
On occasion, foggy conditions become too thick to drive safely. If you’re exceeding your comfort zone, it could be best to stop until the fog lifts. Bear in mind – this is definitely a dangerous situation! If you cannot see, neither can anybody else. Try to get as far off of the road as possible. Pull in a driveway, car park, rest area, side street, or some other place where you can avoid heavy traffic flow. But if the roadway shoulder is your only choice, pull way over. Go into the grass when necessary. If there’s a curb, drive on it and park on the opposite side of the curb. Stay buckled up and turn your lights off! If you leave your lights on, people may believe you are driving on the roadway and rear-end you. Ensure that your foot is off of the brake pedal, and do not use your flashers. Keep all your lights off. If there is shelter nearby, try to get there quickly. Otherwise, stay inside your car and remain buckled up.
Dense fog usually doesn’t last a long time. The fog might not totally subside, but stopping for a while should buy you some time and allow the fog to lift a little. Dense fog has a tendency to migrate from area to area, unless you are in a valley where fog has a tendency to settle. If the fog just worsens while you are parked, stay put. It is not worth jeopardizing your life to carry on. But always keep in mind, when traveling in fog, stopping on the shoulder of the road needs to be a last resort!
Heavy Fog Doesn’t Last Long
Under most “normal” weather conditions, dense fog is short-lived. Normally, you will encounter small patches of dense fog on mountain valleys, peaks, near moist open fields, and near bodies of water like streams, rivers, and lakes. When the atmosphere is specifically humid, you might even get areas of fog that appear to roam from place to place. In the worst conditions, typically taking place at night or during early morning hours, the fog could be very dense and cover a span of many miles. This is the most dangerous condition and is normally alerted by fog advisories or warnings from the National Weather Service. When fog warnings or advisories are released, simply don’t drive (this is particularly true during fog warnings). It doesn’t matter how great you and the other drivers on the roadway are, if you can’t see, you can’t possibly drive safely.
If you do end up having an auto accident in foggy conditions, think about taking your vehicle to Car Craft Auto Body. They serve men and women all around Bridgeton, Chesterfield, and Oakville, Missouri with premium auto body repairs.