Watch for dense fog while driving this fall season

Dense fog, wet leaves and the first black ice – this is autumn, and motorists are required to be extremely careful in traffic now. Especially in fog, when there is bad visibility, a lot of accidents occur due to driving too fast and not keeping enough distance.

Officials with the German automobile club, ADAC, recommend adjusting driving habits and the vehicle’s lights to the circumstances to avoid accidents. Many drivers judge visibility incorrectly and cause accidents through excessive speed. If foggy, motorists should plan on more time if they need to get somewhere on time.
In fall, drivers must expect sudden fog at any time, especially near rivers, lakes, wooded areas and moorland.

The following tips can help with driving through fog safely:
• Turn on the headlights at the first indication of fog. The vehicle will be seen more easily.
• Expect poor visibility when vehicles with lights approach from the opposite direction.
• Turn on the windshield wipers. Fog settles on the windshield and limits visibility.
• Keep the windows, headlights and tail lights clean. Hazard lights should be on for a sudden stop.
• In thick fog, keep the radio’s volume low to avoid distraction.
• Adjust speed to the range of sight.
• Always count on vehicles to appear suddenly and the need to brake immediately.
• Don’t rely on the back light of the car in front. Keep enough distance, especially when the other car is moving slowly.
• Focus on the safety poles, not the center stripes. The poles on the right side always have rectangular reflectors, and those on the left have two round reflectors. The density of fog can be estimated by the distance of those safety poles. On regular roads, the distance between two poles is 25 meters and on the autobahn it’s 50 meters.
• Don’t trust normal ability to estimate distance since fog causes blurriness and simulates greater distances.
• Obey all warning signals.
• Driving in fog requires full concentration. Motorists should take more breaks during long rides.
• When stopping at a parking lot near the autobahn, leave lights on so approaching drivers can see the vehicle.

(Courtesy of German automobile club, ADAC)