Some road hazards, such as black ice, make the surface of the road itself harder for motorists to drive on. In other cases, however, the street is perfectly fine, but with a dense fog in front of your windshield, you find it harder to see while driving on an Illinois road. A heavy fog can obscure approaching vehicles and land obstacles and increase the danger of a car accident. Still, there are ways motorists can decrease the dangers of getting into a fog-related auto accident.
An article posted on the Travelers.com website describes some important steps a motorist should take. As with any kind of bad weather, a driver should devote complete attention to the road. To this end, motorists should turn the radio down or switch it off completely. Additionally, phones should also be turned off or muted. Also, the article recommends not to carry on conversations with vehicle passengers. Multi-tasking in general can take a motorist’s crucial attention away from where it is most needed.
Sometimes the best option is not to continue driving at all. The National Weather Service section of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website recommends that in instances of extreme fog with almost no visibility, it is best to switch on the hazard lights and then pull into a parking lot or other safe spot and park there. If no parking lot is available, simply pull the automobile off the side of the road as far from the street as you can. From there, switch on the hazard lights and set your emergency brake. Also, keep your foot off the pedal so that your tail lights do not shine and draw the attention of motorists who might accidently hit you.
Finally, some people may choose to turn on their high beam lights to increase visibility. However, this would be a mistake. In fact, high beam lights creates glare, which actually makes it harder for you to make out what lies ahead of you. Stick with using low beam headlights and taillights to keep other motorists aware of you. If you have fog lights, use those.