Fog is an enemy to drive with low visibility , especially when it is so thick that you can barely see the car in front of you. Despite knowing the correct use of the vehicle’s lights, especially the fog lights, to cope with driving through a bank of fog, there are another series of tricks to be able to get out of the situation.
Fog is dangerous on the road
Fog is one of the atmospheric phenomena that most reduce visibility on the road. Like a heavy downpour, it can leave the driver with virtually no effective field of vision, with the obvious risks that the situation entails.
But with these keys, the risk will be kept at least to the minimum possible. Although there are times when, due to the high density of the fog, it is better to stop and wait for it to open up a bit. And autumn is one of the most prone seasons.
However, the fog, an accumulation of water droplets suspended in the air that does not allow us to see beyond a few tens or hundreds of meters, depending on its density, makes it one of the greatest dangers that appears on the road. . We went from having good visibility to seeing practically nothing, with the consequent danger when it comes to locating other cars. Therefore, it is essential to remain calm and follow some basic advice.
What we have to know
One of those pieces of advice has to do, especially, with the trick of the three Vs , courtesy of the Civil Guard, and which lends itself as a very easy rule to follow that combines speed, safety distance and visibility on the road.
For example, if visibility is reduced to 50 meters, the maximum speed must be 50 km/h and the safety distance 50 meters. In this way we will be able to react safely to unforeseen braking, avoiding a rear-end collision.
Thus, one of the basic recommendations to successfully overcome this meteorological phenomenon is to have the car in perfect condition . With the fog, the pavement is wet and very slippery, so it is essential to have the tires in good condition to get them to grip well. But there are other important considerations.
Fog lights are essential
In this regard, we must know that to drive with low visibility, whether in fog, rain or at night, we must have fog lights on. Thus, in a car we can find fog lights both in the front and in the rear. While front fog lights are not required, the rear fog light is.
The light intensity of the fog lights is greater than those of position, crossing or highway, hence they are specially designed for this climate. We should only turn them on in very specific cases , otherwise they can dazzle other drivers on the road. In fact, wearing the fog lights when you don’t have to or not wearing them is a serious offense that can entail a penalty of up to 200 euros .
You can look at the lights of the car in front
Likewise, another additional trick is to always pay attention to the lines painted on the road and the lane lines, since being reflective they can be seen even in low visibility conditions.
This is also done because they allow us to anticipate the layout of the road so that we are not surprised by curves or other unevenness. Given this, we can also choose to follow the lights of the car that precedes us, but never use the long ones.
Adapt speed to available visibility
Another important consideration, and one that will make us gain a lot on the road, is to adapt to what we are seeing. Or to put it another way: adapt the speed to the available visibility .
And it is that, if the fog is light and the driver still has sufficient perspective, it will be enough to reduce the pace and increase the safety distance in proportion to the loss of vision, in order to have reaction time and, if necessary, be able to stop in the event of an unforeseen event.
If the mist is denser, on the other hand, extreme precautions must be taken and speed drastically reduced, because the moisture in suspension can behave like a solid wall and we will barely see a few meters.
Make sure you leave space with the car behind you
When it comes to low visibility situations, it is essential to leave enough space to react . The more space you have to react to a hazard on the road, the better you can think of an action plan to avoid it.
Reaction times vary based on speed, distance, physical condition, and distractions. To avoid hitting the brakes and making sudden steering maneuvers, you must leave enough space between you and the vehicle in front of you.
A good rule of thumb is to leave a space of two to three vehicles between you and the vehicle in front of you. This will give you enough time to react in case something happens. Another good rule to follow is the three second rule. Even as speed increases, the distance between you and the vehicle in front also remains.
