Fog is a different entity that can provide many driving challenges. It often appears without warning and can disappear just as fast. It can reduce your visibility down to almost nothing without warning, so be prepared and follow these steps if you come across a foggy area while driving.
- Turn on your headlights. This ensures oncoming cars, as well as those behind you, can see your vehicle.
- Use low-beam headlights. You may reach for the high-beam switch out of habit, but they actually make it harder to see since the light reflecting off the moisture in the air. If you have fog lights, use them in conjunction with your low beams.
- Slow down. Give yourself time to see a vehicle in front of you or a curve in the road before you’re right on top of it. Keep an eye on your speedometer, as the inability to see landmarks makes it difficult to monitor your speed and you may be going faster than you think.
- Turn on your defrost setting even if you don’t need it yet. Your windows will eventually start to cloud up, so turning it on as a preventative measure will ensure you don’t have even less visibility from foggy windows in addition to the weather condition.
- Use the pavement line on the right side as a guide. The white line is usually easier to see in fog, and if you’re trying to use the center line and lose sight of it, you could easily cross into the oncoming lane.
- If you feel like you need to pull over, try to find someplace completely away from traffic, such as a parking lot. If you pull off on the shoulder of the road, you are at risk for a collision.
Fog often isn’t respected as a safety hazard for drivers, but any time your visibility is compromised, it’s important to know how to react. The next time you find yourself on a foggy drive, follow these steps to stay safe.
We’ve got you covered. Call Loftis & Wetzel Corporation at (580) 363-3434 for more information on Oklahoma City auto insurance.
