Fog Weather Incident: Wisdom and Tips

Lately we have been seeing a lot of fog on the roads. Foggy conditions can be tricky for industry drivers because although the environment has potential to be extremely dangerous, on the surface it can seem unchallenging and manageable.

We wanted to remind everyone to be wise about deciding when to drive in foggy weather and provide tips on how to safely venture into the thickest of fog if driving under these conditions is absolutely necessary.

Last week we had a driver take his chances against the fog, but unfortunately had an incident that we wanted to avoid. This driver shared his story of the incident with us with the hope of warning other drives to take extra caution if choosing to drive in thick fog.

The driver looked out their window at 3:00 AM while parked at a truck stop and decided it was too foggy to drive. At 5:00 AM, the driver noticed that other trucks around his truck were starting to move. They thought the fog had receded quite a bit so they decided it would be safe to proceed with caution.

The driver decided to take the back roads, which would allow them to drive at a slower and safer speed than the vehicles on the interstate. All was well until the driver arrived at a railroad crossing at Highway 133 in Arcola. Although the driver was going at a safe speed, the fog prevented them from seeing a detour sign that indicated that the railroad crossing was under construction.

Upon arriving at the railroad, the driver noticed the construction, but did not have the time to set up the truck into a proper right hand turning position. They attempted the turn but the fog prevented them from seeing a telephone pole. The driver ended up denting the trailer rim. If they had seen the detour sign they would have had time to set up their truck correctly for a proper right hand turn.

We wanted to remind everyone about the risk of driving in foggy conditions, but also wanted to provide safety tips if you happen to find yourself driving in thick fog.

Tip 1: Avoid using your high beams because it can further decrease visibility.

Tip 2: Do not over drive your headlights. Maintain a low enough speed that your stopping distance is not greater than the range of your lights.

Yet even if you keep these safety techniques, driving in fog is still extremely risky. Take caution and stay safe.