We received a safety message this morning from a concerned citizen within one of our communities.
He noticed people are not using their headlights properly in the fog.
Headlights need to be on (low beam) in the fog so the taillights are activated. Driving lights or fog lights alone do not activate the tail lights. Thick fog is a driving hazard anytime you encounter it.
When cool air mixes with warm moist air over a damp surface, the moist air cools until it forms fog.
Just like there are different types of snow, there are many types of fog.
Alberta has freezing fog that can coat the road like black ice. Fog usually forms in low-lying areas and can stretch for several kilometres while reducing visibility on a stretch of highway to a very short distance, while other areas are nearly clear.
ECA Review / Submitted
Drive safely in the fog
Make your vehicle visible to others both ahead of you and behind you by using your low-beam headlights because this means your taillights will also be on.
Slow down and turn off your cruise control. Most crashes happen because the driver’s going too fast for weather conditions.
Drive with enough stopping space so you can stop in the distance you can see.
Don’t use high-beam headlights. They won’t shine through the fog – they reflect the light back in your eyes, making it worse for you and other drivers. Use low-beams.
In really dense fog, use front fog lights in addition to your low-beams if you have them.
NEVER drive using only your parking or fog lights when visibility is less than 100 metres.
Sgt. Brian Herrick,
Alberta RCMP Traffic
