The Safe Driver

Are you in a fog?

Sometimes I feel like I’m in a fog. My thoughts don’t always come across in a clear manner. Last night I was also in a fog, but this time it was weather related. We should all be used to driving in the fog, especially because we’ve experienced this since we can remember. I was a little annoyed by what I saw though. Drivers were driving as if their visibility was normal. Why would they do this? Do you wonder if they were thinking about what could have been in front of them?

Since the fog was very thick, I had to reduce my speed. I couldn’t risk driving fast since I couldn’t see too far ahead of my vehicle. I even changed my route because of the fog. I would have normally taken the freeway, but decided to drive through the city. Driving through the city allowed me to drive at a much slower speed without putting myself or my passengers at risk. How risky would it have been to drive at 50 km/h on a 90 km/h zone? Logic was playing this time.

I remember hearing in the media how there have been what’s been called a “fatal fog crash”. There were multiple of vehicles involved in these crashes. Part of the problem is having drivers waiting until they see brake lights before they hit their brakes. This can be far too late and won’t give your enough time to stop. Since the fog has reduced your visibility, driving at those high speeds can’t happen. There are times that you just can’t drive at freeway speeds. If you can’t drive at freeway speeds, you can’t drive on the freeway.

The vehicle I have also has fog lights. My wife and I chose this vehicle for a few reasons and fog lights was one of them. Using fog lights will make it easier for me to see the road surface since the fog sits just above the road. I don’t want to see the fog; I want to see the road. I need to see debris on the road and lane markings. I also want to see the traffic ahead of me, so any advantage I can get is to my favour.

For years we’ve been told about not using high beam headlights when driving in the fog. There are a variety of problems with this, if the driver was paying attention. First; all they would see with their high beams on is a blanket of white in front of them. The lights reflect off the fog; which are droplets of water. Just what were they expecting to see with their high beams on? The other problem is that their high beams would distract the oncoming drivers. This is an added problem and also illegal. If these drivers drove with common sense, they would use low beam headlights in the fog.

The bottom line is to think clearly when you drive. Oh, and seeing clearly is also helpful!

**Have a quick listen to this short episode of the “Speed Bumps” podcast as driving to the road conditions is discussed further!