| Home | About Us| News| Contact Us | Help | Site Map | ||||
|
||||
| Safe & Responsible Driving | Traffic Signs & Markings | Test Yourself | Rules & Regulations | Accidents & First Aid |
| Tips for driving in fog |
| Fog is made up of tiny water droplets
suspended in the air that reduces visibility to less than 200 metres.
Fog has been statistically established to be the most dangerous driving
hazard in existence. U.T. Chandigarh, like the rest of northern India,
generally experiences fog in the cold winter months of December and
January. The motorists are advised to follow the tips listed out below
for driving in foggy conditions: 1. The safest thing to do is to not to drive. Call off the trip or delay it until the fog lifts. Inform that you shall be late. 2. If you run into fog while driving, it is safest to move to the left shoulder of the road and try to get your vehicle completely off the road. Use your parking lights and hazard lights to indicate to other drivers that you are parked on the side of the road. Do not stop in the middle of the road. 3. If you choose to drive through the fog then reduce your speed. As you enter fog, check your rear view for following vehicles and slow down. The foot brake should be used lightly to let the brake lights warn the following drivers. High intensity rear fog lights (if installed) should be switched on. 4. A constant slow speed should be followed and the unconscious tendency to speed up with apparent acclimatization to fog conditions should be avoided. Also, fog creates a visual illusion of slow motion when you may actually be driving fast. The driver must remember that fog can be patchy and can change from a light mist to a thick blanket in seconds. The faster your speed the less time available to react to the danger. 5. Switch on your headlights even if it is day time and drive on low beam. The high beam gets reflected off the fog and creates a ‘white wall’ effect totally blinding the driver. The low beam shall direct the light onto the road and help other drivers to see you. 6. Do not use your hazard lights while driving. Flashing lights distract other drivers and they are known to drive into these lights on some occasions. Don’t keep tapping on your brake pedals as the brake lights will make the following drivers nervous and they may try overtaking you. This would be a potential risk to all. 7. Use the left edge of the road as a guide rather than the center line to avoid being dazzled by the headlights of the oncoming traffic or getting involved in head-on collisions due to poor visibility. 8. Do not overtake vehicles. It is safer to follow other vehicles while maintaining a safe distance. Avoid unnecessary lane changing. 9. Travel with the driver’s window partially open. Turn off the car stereo and listen for traffic especially at intersections. There may be other drivers who are not using their headlights. 10. Use your defroster and windshield wipers to keep the windscreen and car windows clear. Do not hesitate to pull your car off the road and to manually wipe the windows with a cloth if the wiper or defroster is not working properly. Preparing for Foggy Weather: 1. Make sure that all your lights are working properly and that
the head-lights are properly aimed. Clean the lights and replace
any fused bulbs.
|
|