How to keep safe on the road in foggy conditions

© PicJumbo via Master Drive

Over one million road accidents happen each day. Earlier this week, havoc broke out on Johannesburg roads when at least 50 people were injured in crashes on the N12.

According to Weather.com, from 2002-2012, roughly 1.3 million weather-related vehicle crashes occurred each year in the US. Of those, fog-related accidents had some staggering annual averages:

• 31,385 crashes
  
• 511 deaths
  
• 11,812 injuries

Are you and/or your drivers equipped for driving in misty conditions?

Here are some tips for keeping safe on the road:

• Keep up to date with weather reports warning about misty and dangerous conditions.
• Ensure windows are always clean on the inside and out as dirty windows reduce visibility.
• Check if the windscreen wipers or demister can increase your visibility. 
• Open a window so that you can hear what is going on outside. It will aid your reactions and also speeds up demisting.
• Light reflects off the mist making it even more difficult to see so do not put your lights on bright. Use regular headlights or the fog lights.
• Avoid using your emergency lights unnecessarily as they are often more distracting to other drivers.
• Adjust your speed for the conditions and drive slower.
• Keep a larger following distance between yourself and the vehicle in front.
• Use the sides of the road as a guide to avoid cars which may be too close to the centre line or whose headlights might be distracting.
• Avoid sudden lane changes or erratic driving - especially if you're driving a large truck or delivery vehicle.
• Avoid aggressive driving. Remain patient and calm.
• Avoid stopping or pulling over at all costs as drivers may not see that you are stationary.
• Keep an extra eye out for drivers that may not have any lights on.
• Signal early and start braking well before time.
• It's always a good idea to put your hazards on so that vehicles behind and in front of you can see you more clearly.
• Avoid any form of distracted driving such as eating, texting, or talking on the phone. 

Sources:

• Master Drive
  
• Arrive Alive
  
• Weather.com