Those of us in Toronto and the GTA woke up this morning to a thick layer of fog. After torrential downpours and snowstorms, fog is our least favourite condition to drive in, but according to DriversEd, it may actually be the most dangerous. Depending on its thickness, fog can severely impact road visibility, causing cars to drift across lanes or not see cars stopped ahead. Keep these next quick tips in mind when you're driving to and from work on foggy days like today. Use Fog Lights
Some cars have lights specifically built to help you see in fog. It may sound obvious to use to fog lights to drive in fog, but many drivers don't even know about this option. If you have them, use them. If you don't, follow the next tip.
Use Low-Beams
If your car doesn't have fog lights, DO NOT use your high-beams, which can actually worsen your visibility. High beams will reflect off the fog, causing the light to reflect into your eyes and the fog to become more visible instead of the road. Again, it may seem obvious, but Instead, put on your low beams which will allow you to see the road, but the less intense light won't highlight the fog and nearly blind you.
Use the Line on the Right Side of the Road as a Guide
It's way easier to spot the bright yellow lines in the middle of the road in poor weather than it is to spot the white lines to your right. One of the first things you learn when you start driving, however, is that your driving follows your eyes. In other words, wherever you look, your car will start to drift that way. It's much safer to drift to the shoulder of the road than it is to drift into the centre of the road towards oncoming traffic.
Slow Down and Be Aware of Your Surroundings
We know. At the end of the day you want to get home as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the most important thing to keep in mind when you're driving on a foggy day, is to slow down and be aware of your surroundings. Often, we zone out when we drive because it becomes second nature to us. We stop being aware of how fast we're going and of the other cars around us (a huge factor in most collisions). On foggy days, it's especially important to be aware. As we mentioned in the previous tip, the centre line may be easier to see in the fog, but you always drift where you're looking. And so do oncoming drivers. Keep an eye on the cars around you in case you notice one of them starting to drift toward you, so that you can react accordingly.
Fog is the least ideal climate to drive in (in our opinion), but if you keep these four tips in mind, you'll get home slowly but surely (and safely).
