Driving a vehicle in fog is considered to be the most dangerous weather hazard, especially if it is very dense fog or in combination with other unfavorable weather conditions. Foggy conditions are the leading cause of large multi-car pile ups. Nevertheless, there are certain things you can do to lower your risk of a crash.

1. Tips For Something You Might Be A Little Foggy On
Driving a vehicle in fog is considered to be the most dangerous weather hazard, especially if it is
very dense fog or in combination with other unfavorable weather conditions. Foggy conditions
are the leading cause of large multi-car pile ups. Nevertheless, there are certain things you can do
to lower your risk of a crash. These guidelines, offered by Stock Auto Body CARSTAR, will
help you be safer on foggy Wood River, Illinois streets.
Stay Slow
In dense fog, a very terrifying thing happens to people while they're driving. They
unintentionally speed up! Naturally, we are all aware that speeding up in fog is the worst thing
you can do, but fog produces an optical illusion. When you look out your car window, your body
perceives that you're going very slowly. Since the majority of people get nervous in fog, they
don’t look down at their speedometer. Over time, they start going faster and faster. This is
without a doubt the most dangerous aspect of driving in fog. Make a mindful effort to look at
your speedometer from time to time. There’s a high probability you keep speeding up, without
realizing it!
Keep The Headlights On
Always keep your headlights on when driving a vehicle in foggy conditions to avoid an awful
auto body repair bill. Your daytime running lights aren’t enough. Some people turn their lights
off as they feel their headlights are blinding them from reflecting off the fog, but you essentially
become a “ghost car” when this happens. Your headlights aren’t so you can see better, it is so
others can see you! If your car features fog lights, use those as well. When traveling in fog, it is
very important to stay visible to others.
Forget The High Beams
You shouldn't utilize your high beam
headlights in foggy conditions. Your high
beam headlights reflect off of the water
vapor and actually decrease your field of
vision. You may feel that your low beam
headlights are doing the same thing, but
again, keep them on. It is the most effective
way for you to be noticed.
Follow The Lines
When driving your car in fog in the St. Louis area, it’s a smart idea to follow the lines on the
road with your eyes. This is the ideal way to ensure you remain in your lane. Drivers are
typically attracted to lights, and subliminally, will steer toward lights. So it is better to watch the
lines to make certain you're driving within your lane. Just make sure you aren’t fixating. Keep
your eyes moving.

2. Increase Your Following Distance
A good following distance is crucial in fog. Most drivers will “bunch up” in foggy conditions
because they feel it is easier to see. Driving in fog is scary, but now isn't the time to follow too
close. That is one of several big reasons large pile-up’s take place.
When You Stop
At times, foggy conditions grow to be too thick to drive safely. If you are exceeding your
comfort zone, it could be best to stop until the fog lifts. Just don't forget – this is definitely a
dangerous situation! If you can’t see, neither can anybody else. Try to get as far off the road as
you can. Pull into a driveway, parking lot, rest area, side street, or some other place where you
can escape heavy traffic flow. But if the roadway shoulder is your only option, pull way over. Go
into the grass when necessary. If there is a curb, drive over it and park on the other side of the
curb. Stay buckled up and turn your lights off! If you leave your lights on, people might think
you're driving on the roadway and rear-end you. Ensure that your foot is off the brake pedal, and
don't use your flashers. Keep all of your lights off. If there is shelter nearby, try to get there
quickly. Otherwise, stay inside your car and stay buckled up.
Dense fog typically doesn’t last a very long time. The fog might not completely subside, but
stopping for a while should buy you some time and allow the fog to lift a little. Dense fog has a
tendency to migrate from area to area, unless you’re in a valley where fog has a tendency to
settle. If the fog just worsens while you are parked, stay put. It is not worth risking your life to
carry on. But always keep in mind, when traveling in fog, stopping on the shoulder of the road
ought to be a last resort!
Dense Fog Is Customarily Temporary
Under most “normal” weather conditions, dense fog is short-lived. In most cases, you will
encounter little patches of dense fog on mountain valleys, peaks, near wet open fields, and in the
vicinity of bodies of water including streams, rivers, and lakes. Whenever the atmosphere is
specifically humid, you may even get patches of fog that seem to roll from location to location.
During the worst conditions, normally occurring at night or during early morning hours, the fog
can be quite dense and cover a span of many miles. This is the most unsafe condition and is often
alerted by fog advisories or warnings from the National Weather Service. When fog warnings or
advisories are issued, simply don't drive (this is especially true during fog warnings). It doesn’t
matter how great you and the other drivers on the roadway are, if you can’t see, you can’t
possibly drive safely.
If you do find yourself having any sort of accident in foggy conditions, think about taking your
motor vehicle to Stock Auto Body CARSTAR. They serve people all around Wood River, Alton,
Bethalto, and Edwardsville, IL with premium auto body repairs.