Foggy Encounters and How to Stay Safe

Fog can often lead to disaster very quickly, especially when you are driving.  This is because you can lose visibility almost immediately when entering foggy areas. This is extremely dangerous at higher speeds and it is important to know how to navigate through the fog safely.

Fog is commonly present when driving over or near bodies of water, but can be encountered just about anywhere. Fog is thick pockets of tiny water droplets, suspended near the earth’s surface. While many people might describe fog simply as low-lying clouds, fog actually forms through a specific set of conditions. Before you can understand how to stay safe during dense fog coverage, it is helpful to understand how it is formed and what it actually is.

How Fog Forms

Fog is usually formed when warm, moist air is cooled close to the earth’s surface. This can happen in any number of ways and depends on the region you live or area you are driving through. Fog is often encountered in the early mornings because of how the air cools and settles overnight. Once fog has had a chance to form going into the morning hours, the “cloud” can lead to a number of effects, with the most significant one being reduced visibility.

Because fog is a factor mostly in the morning, it’s important to understand how to handle the reduced visibility it creates while on your morning commute. Following these safety precautions while driving can prevent disaster for you, as well as, other travelers.

The best advice is to avoid driving through fog if at all possible; however we know that it can happen at any time, so follow these driving tips to ensure you make it to your destination safely.

Tips for Driving through Fog

  • Drive cautiously, which may involve driving more slowly
  • Give yourself more time to reach your destination
  • Don’t use high-beam lights; they create glare and make it harder to see
  • Leave extra space between yourself and other vehicles
  • If the fog becomes too difficult to see through, pull off the road