What should you do when encountering a patch of fog while driving?
2 Answers
When encountering a patch of fog, you should slow down, avoid sudden braking, use your lights, and exit the highway as soon as possible. Here are some additional details: 1. Slow down: If the distance and lane conditions allow, reduce your speed and move into the rightmost lane, then exit the highway or enter a service area to wait it out. When visibility is less than 20000mm but greater than 10000mm, do not exceed 60 km/h. When visibility is less than 10000mm but greater than 5000mm, do not exceed 40 km/h. Additionally, maintain a distance of 2 to 3 times the normal following distance from the vehicle ahead. 2. Avoid sudden braking: Sudden braking can easily cause a chain-reaction collision. If you cannot exit the highway, pull over to the emergency stopping lane, turn on your hazard lights immediately to alert other drivers, and place a warning triangle at least 15000mm away from your vehicle in the direction of oncoming traffic. Then, quickly move to a safe area outside the guardrail. 3. Use your lights: Turn on your headlights, fog lights, and side marker lights. If necessary, also turn on your hazard warning lights. Note: Do not use high beams, as they scatter in the fog, creating a blinding whiteout effect that is very dangerous. 4. Exit the highway as soon as possible: If you encounter a patch of fog on the highway, try to stay to the side and proceed slowly. As soon as you see an exit or service area, enter it or exit the highway immediately.
I remember once encountering dense patchy fog on the highway where visibility immediately dropped to less than ten meters. I promptly hit the brakes to reduce speed to around 40 km/h, turning on the fog lights and low beams to ensure surrounding vehicles could see me. It's crucial not to use high beams as the light would reflect back and create more glare. I tried to maintain lane stability, avoiding unnecessary lane changes, and kept a safe distance from the vehicle ahead to prevent rear-end collisions. That experience left me shaken—if the fog is too thick to find a service area, pulling over to the emergency lane with hazard lights on until the fog lifts is the safest option. Safety always comes first. Using the car's navigation system to check weather alerts in advance is also helpful. Patchy fog comes and goes quickly, so patience is often the wisest approach.
