There are many road and weather conditions that drivers in the Midwest have to deal with. Of those, fog is often the most frustrating because it reduces visibility significantly and is very unpredictable. You may have a clear forecast for your commute to work and wake up to dense fog.
Fog is especially dangerous because it impairs everyoneโs vision, increasing the chances that you cannot see other vehicles and they cannot see you. It may be incredibly thick in places and reduce visibility to just feet in front of your vehicle. While you cannot control how other people drive in the fog, there are things you can do to stay safe and avoid accidents.
Use fog lights
If you have or can add fog lights to your vehicle, it can help to increase visibility in fog. These specialized lights work differently than standard headlights, which can reflect off the fog and make visibility worse. They are lower to the ground, which illuminates under the fog and lets you see the road better.
Reduce speed
Whenever driving conditions are less than ideal, your first move should be to reduce your speed. You want to slow down to allow yourself to have more reaction time if something suddenly emerges from the fog, such as another vehicle or an animal. However, you do not want to slow down so much that you could risk someone running into you from behind.
Keep moving
Never stop on the road during foggy conditions. Remember that you are hard to see, and another vehicle may not see you stopped on the road in time to avoid an accident. If you feel you need to stop, make sure you do so at a place where you can get off the road completely. When you do get off the road, turn off your lights so they do not make someone think you are still on the road.
