Safety Tips For Driving in Foggy Weather Conditions
Weather can be very dangerous at times, especially when you happen to be behind the wheel of a car and find yourself surrounded by fog. Many drivers underestimate the dangers of driving in fog because it may seem harmless when compared to other adverse weather conditions such as rainstorms or heavy snow. However, when fog sets in and leaves drivers with low visibility, an accident is bound to occur. This is a real concern for residents here in the Sunshine State – the National Weather Service recently issued a special weather advisory warning drivers about the possible hazardous driving conditions they might experience during the early morning rush hour in response to patchy, dense fog that developed across parts of South Florida.
How Dangerous Can Driving in Fog Be?
According to data published by the Federal Highway Administration, there is an average of more than 31,000 fog-related accidents every single year. These crashes reportedly result in over 11,000 injuries and more than 500 road fatalities in fog-related car crashes on an annual basis.
How Can Drivers Help Avoid a Collision in Foggy Weather Conditions?
Prepare in advance.
- Maintenance. Ensure that you keep up with your vehicle maintenance and that your car is properly serviced.
- Timing. If possible, delay your trip until the fog breaks up. If you must leave while you see it’s foggy outside, make sure you plan for extra time to get to your destination without having to rush.
Understand how to react on the road.
- Slow down. Regardless of the posted speed limit, you should adjust your speed to make sure you are consistent with driving conditions. This also gives you more time to react to changing road conditions and hazards that may not be immediately apparent due to the low visibility.
- Consider other drivers. While you should always be conscious of other drivers, take extra steps while it’s foggy to avoid sudden stops, leave more space than usual between your car and the car ahead of yours, and otherwise drive defensively in case other drivers are less aware than they should be.
- Know what to do if you end up in a collision. Unfortunately, we only have control over our own actions on the road and that means that any of us can find ourselves in a collision and seriously injured at the blink of an eye, especially in poor weather conditions. If you find yourself in a collision in foggy conditions, you should undertake the same steps that you normally would in other weather conditions. Do not admit fault, call authorities and have police make a report, take photographs of the accident scene and of both cars, and obtain medical attention as soon as possible. Then reach out to an experienced personal injury attorney.
Allow Us to Make Your Options Clear.
If you were injured in a car accident during inclement weather that you believe occurred as the result of someone else’s negligence, we can help. As the South Florida car accident attorneys at Leifer & Ramirez, we can investigate the circumstances of your accident and help you prove that your injuries occurred because of the fault of another driver. We have helped many others in your situation and we look forward to helping you as soon as you contact us.
Resource:
miamiherald.com/news/weather-news/article239709033.html
