When visibility is less than 200 meters, what should the speed and distance between vehicles be maintained?
2 Answers
According to Article of the "Road Traffic Safety Law," when visibility is less than 200 meters, maintain a distance of more than 100 meters from the vehicle ahead in the same lane, and the speed should not exceed 60 kilometers per hour. Turn on the fog lights, low beams, clearance lights, and front and rear position lights. When motor vehicles are driving on highways and encounter low visibility weather conditions such as fog, rain, snow, dust, or hail, the highway management department should issue speed limits and distance-keeping reminders via display screens. A safe distance refers to the necessary gap that a following vehicle must maintain with the vehicle ahead to avoid accidental collisions. When driving on highways and encountering low visibility weather conditions such as fog, rain, snow, dust, or hail, the following regulations must be observed: When visibility is less than 500 meters but greater than 200 meters, low beams, width indicators, and rear fog lights must be turned on; the speed should not exceed 80 km/h; maintain a driving distance of more than 150 meters; When visibility is less than 100 meters, turn on fog lights, low beams, clearance lights, front and rear position lights, and hazard warning flashers; the speed should not exceed 40 kilometers per hour, and maintain a distance of more than 50 meters from the vehicle ahead in the same lane; When visibility is less than 50 meters, turn on fog lights, low beams, clearance lights, front and rear position lights, and hazard warning flashers; the speed should not exceed 20 kilometers per hour, and exit the highway from the nearest exit as soon as possible. Precautions for driving in foggy conditions: Make good use of lights. When driving in fog, visibility is low, so fog lights and clearance lights must be turned on, and high beams are prohibited. High beams shine upward, and the light is diffusely reflected by the fog, turning into a white light in front of the vehicle, which is not conducive to driving. Fog lights have high light penetration, and turning them on allows other vehicles to clearly identify your position. Maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, do not follow too closely, and avoid overtaking casually. This prevents insufficient reaction time in case of an accident, which could lead to a rear-end collision; Frequently honk the horn to indicate your position.
When driving with visibility less than 200 meters, I always reduce my speed to below half of the visibility value. For example, with 200 meters visibility, I keep it under 100 km/h, preferably even lower to around 80 km/h or less. Maintaining a sufficient distance is crucial—I follow the four-second rule: pick a roadside landmark, count four seconds when the car ahead passes it, and check if my car passes the same point after that time to ensure no sudden braking or rear-end collision occurs. Especially in heavy fog or rain, the road surface becomes slippery, doubling the braking distance, so extra caution is necessary. Once on the highway during foggy conditions, I witnessed a high-speed chain collision caused by someone driving too fast. Since then, I only use low-speed mode, turning on fog lights and hazard lights to alert other drivers. Remember, safety comes first—driving too slow is better than risking your life. If conditions worsen, find a safe area to park and wait for the weather to improve.
