Advice For Driving in Fog

Driving in fog is perhaps the worst driving condition there is. If the road you are driving along is covered in ice, snow, or you are driving on a clear night on a dark road, at least you can see where you are going. When the weather is foggy that situation changes. To help you to drive in reduced visibility we have put together a series of helpful hints that might just make driving in fog a whole lot easier.

Advanced Driver’s Know How To Deal Well With Fog

Lights to Use When Driving in Fog — Unless you happened to have been taking part in a learner driving lesson on a foggy day you probably haven’t had much in the way of training in how to cope with driving in fog.

However, you should know that in fog (and in other situations of seriously reduced visibility) you need to display lights, and the absolute minimum should be dipped beam headlights — every time.

The whole point of switching on your lights during daylight fog is so your car to be seen, and not for you to see any better where you are going. Isn’t it a shame that most of the rest of the world have not been told of this?

Next time you are out in daytime fog, have a look at the numpty’s who are driving on side–lights. Notice how you can see their car before you see their lights, and how that will be at close range too. Too close for comfort, that’s for sure, as when driving on those candles, they might as well have not bothered with lights at all!

Advanced Driving Tips For You For Using Lights.

When driving at night you would naturally drive on a minimum of dipped headlights, but when there is fog at night, have you ever tried switching your headlights onto high–beam? Terrible isn’t it, as you can’t see a flippin’ thing! This is because the water droplets that make up the fog reflect the light back at you, causing dazzle. However, have you realised this doesn’t happen in daylight?

To really be seen in daylight fog, flick between your full–beam and dipped beam headlights, just as you would on a clear night, and complying with the same rules concerning dazzle to other drivers. By this advanced driving method your car will be seen from a huge distance away, as compared to when driving on ordinary dipped headlights. Not only will you be a lot safer, but others will be too, as they will be aware of you very much earlier.

However, there is something you need to be wary of. If you are using your rear fog light, you will find on most cars that when you switch to high–beam headlights, that light on the back of your car will go out, and then come back on again as you dip your headlights. Not a problem for you as such, but this will be extremely annoying for a driver following.

More Information on Rear Fog Lights

Rear fog lights, day or night, when driving with a vehicle behind you, you don’t need to have it switched on, as that driver will already know you are there. If you can see an unlit part of the vehicle following when looking in your mirror, that driver can already see your ordinary tail lights. Think also that if you have your rear fog light switched on, the glare can be such as to mask your brake lights, therefore making you more likely to be hit from behind.

More Information About Driving in Fog

This advice does not just apply to driving in foggy conditions, but at any time and in any weather.

Make sure that all windows are spotlessly clean and smudge–free. As the interior of a car is made up largely of oil–based plastics, when subjected to the heat of strong sunlight, the plastic surfaces give off an oily vapour, which then coats the inside of the car windows. This creates a foggy haze on the glass, which impairs visibility, especially at night or in bad weather.

NEVER wipe mist off the inside of windows with yours hands. This causes smearing and frustrates the ability to see clearly at night or in bad weather. Use a clean, damp chamois leather or special window cleaning cloth instead. To stop the inside of the windscreen misting up, direct your heater control to the screen vents and open your drivers door window just a crack to allow for greater air flow.

If you are driving in feezing fog, do not use your screen washers, as the fluid may freeze on the screen and obscure your vision. If you need to clean the windscreen, find somewhere to pull over safely and use a clean glass cleaning cloth.

The Law Concerning Use of Lights

It is an offence to drive a motor car during the hours of darkenss on a road without steet lighting, where the speed limit is greater than 30 miles per hour without displaying dipped headlights.

It is an offence to drive a motor car on a road without displaying obligitory lights in circumstances of seriously reduced visibility, such as fog, rain or falling snow (Obligitory lights means side lights, but anyone who doesn’t use dipped headlights is at a high risk of being hit).

A driver can be prosecuted if driving a motor vehicle on a road whilst displaying either front or rear fog lamps when the weather conditions at the time make it unnecessary.

It is an offence to park a motor car on a road during the hours of darkness without displaying obligitory lights (side lights) unless that road has a system of street lighting and us subject to a speed limit of 30 miles per hour.

All lighting equipment fitted to a motor vehicle whilst in use on a road must be maintained in godd efficient working order, even when used during the hours of daylight.

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Drive faster than you can see in fog and you will crash

This page was last updated
Thursday, 03-Feb-2011

Driving in Fog – Advanced Driver Traning