It is often foggy, especially in the spring and autumn, especially in the morning or in the evening. Very beautiful, but it can also be very treacherous. What should you be aware of when driving in fog?
Fog is created when warm, moist air flows over a colder surface. The warm air mixes with the cold air and cools down. If the temperature falls below the dew point, small dew droplets are formed in the saturated air. This condensation creates fog. You often see this in the spring and autumn, for example when the ground is colder than the air above it. If you are going to drive in fog, you have to take a few things into account.
Good lighting
Make sure you have good lighting in fog. Therefore, be sure to check your front dipped beam and the rear lights. If visibility is less than 50 meters, you can use the rear fog light. Remember to turn it off again when visibility is better.
Automatic low beams? Extra attention when driving in fog during the day
If you drive in fog during the day, pay extra attention to your lighting if you have automatic low beams. You may have to turn it on manually. You then have the daytime running lights at the front which is fairly bright, but that is not enough. And more importantly: your taillights don’t work. And they should work in fog.
Use front fog lights
If you have fog lights at the front, you can also use them in bad weather. Keep in mind that if you only put them on when visibility is less than 100 meters. You will then be seen better. Because the fog lights provide a wide light image, you can better see what is happening in the dark close to the car. If visibility is better, you should take them off again.
If you use the front fog lights, you don’t have to turn on the low beams. It is even possible that the low beams and fog lights together dazzle yourself.
Keep the windows clear
Make sure that your car windows are also clean on the inside and do not have condensation. You may not be aware of that because of the fog. Therefore, switch on the windscreen and rear window heating when you drive away. And turn on the air conditioning.
Adjust your speed when driving in fog
Are you on the road with fog? Then prepare well. After all, it is possible that visibility suddenly becomes much less, to less than 50 m in front of the car. Or even less. Be prepared for that: adjust your speed accordingly and try to look as far ahead as possible. Always keep enough distance. Your vehicles in front can brake unexpectedly.
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Be prepared for ice and slippery conditions
What we explained earlier: fog is partly because moist air condenses above a cold surface. The ground can be so cold that the moist air freezes. And then you have to take smoothness into account.
Better view? Fog lights out!
The fog won’t last forever. Once visibility improves, turn off the front and rear fog lights. You will probably have seen it in others who forget: those lights are quite bright and your oncoming traffic or traffic behind you can suffer from them when the fog has lifted again.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl