Driving in Fog

With cars gaining more and more automated safety systems, it’s easy to forget the simple steps you should take to SEE and BE SEEN in fog. Check your lights and wipers before your journey.  We stock a great range of wipers and bulbs, so if you need anything just shout!

Follow our top tips to protect you and your car in fog:

Slow down

When visibility is limited you’ll have less time to react to other vehicles and when approaching bends on the road, so slowing down to a sensible speed will give you more time to avoid any potential risks. Reduce speed gently though; don’t slam on the brakes if you hit a thick patch of fog, because that won’t give traffic behind you time to react and they could run into the back of you.

Use your Fog Lights

  All cars are fitted with at least one rear fog light as     standard, and many also have front fog lights. It’s   important to make sure you know where the switch     for your car’s fog lights is before setting off on a   journey.   Turn them on as soon as you encounter   fog, because they will make your car more visible than just with its ordinary lights. Although technically fog lights should only be used when visibility drops below 100 metres, if you don’t use them in fog and have an accident, your insurance could be invalidated.

Turn on your headlights

It may sound obvious, but with more cars fitted with automatic headlights, you may simply leave the lights switch on automatic. However, this means the lights will only come on when the outside light dips below a set level, so they may not come on if you hit a patch of fog during the day.

Use dipped beam headlights

This is particularly important in thicker fog because if your headlights are on main beam, the light from them will be bounced back towards you by the fog.

Keep your distance

Instead of leaving the usual two-second gap between your car and the one in front, leave at least a three-second gap to give yourself more time to react if they suddenly slow down or make a surprise manoeuvre.

Keep your windows clear

Foggy weather causes condensation and that can build up on the inside and outside of your car’s windows, so use your windscreen wipers and set the car’s heater to demist to keep the inside of the windscreen clear. Keep the heater on a warm setting too, because it’ll help the demist function work better.

Listen for traffic

If visibility is very limited, open your side window and listen for other traffic before pulling away at junctions. It may also help with concentration as well as hearing other vehicles if you drive with the stereo turned down on the motorway.

Once the fog has cleared, turn off your Fog Lights

Once the weather conditions improve, turn off your fog lights. It’s an offence to dazzle other drivers with fog lights if the weather isn’t bad or if your car is parked, and you could be fined for doing this.