Tips for driving in fog

In the UK, we seem to be getting used to extremes of weather; in the summer we had a long heatwave and we’ve recently had lots of rain, so it wouldn’t surprise us if we were in for some fog soon too! Dense fog makes for some pretty difficult driving conditions due to the very poor visibility it creates, so it’s important to know how to navigate fog when it arrives on the roads. 

Here are our tips for driving in fog…

Use your fog lights 

We don’t get to use them often, so make sure you know where they are. The main difference between normal headlights and foglights is that they’re designed to light the road immediately in front of the car as opposed to in the distance. Using headlights in dense fog will only see the light reflected unhelpfully back at you. 

Use your fog lights when visibility drops below around 100 metres - that’s around the length of a football pitch. 

Slow down 

This is probably the most obvious tip, but the less you can see, the less speed you should be using, as it could mean you see hazards too late. Speeding through fog could have catastrophic consequences, so for your own safety and for those around you, only drive as fast as conditions safely allow. 

Use your wipers and demisters if you need to 

The last thing you need in fog is for your windscreen to be obscured further by moisture. Keep your climate control, air conditioning or onboard fans at the appropriate setting to clear any mist that appears, and use your windscreen wipers to keep your view unobstructed. 

Listen

Fog seriously compromises our ability to see, so if you find yourself driving in fog, you may need to employ another one of your senses. Wind down your windows in order to hear cars approaching, particularly at junctions or if you’re pulling out of a parking space. When you find your eyes unreliable, get your ears to help out! 

Be aware of other road users who may not be using fog lights 

You’ve taken the appropriate precautions by switching on your foglights, but others might not be so quick to stay visible. Therefore, staying extra vigilant for other road users should be a priority when it’s foggy, particularly on fast roads. 

3-second rule 

You may already know to leave a 2-second gap between you and the car in front, but in foggy conditions, increase this to at least 3 seconds. This means that you pass a stationary roadside object 3 seconds after the car in front of you does. More time to react can only be a good thing when visibility is bad.