IT PAYS TO BE SAFE

No. 9, March, 2010
Random Drug and Alcohol Testing

As spring approaches, the chances increase for drivers to encounter foggy conditions. Fog on the highways can be extremely dangerous. It can come upon a driver unexpectedly, and visibility can deteriorate within moments. In order to make the best of a bad situation, the following tips should help keep you and your fellow motorist safe.

Every driver should watch for foggy conditions and be ready to reduce their speed. A driver cannot assume the fog will thin out after you enter it. While it is preferable to pull off the roadway into a rest area or truck stop, that's not always practical. If you must drive, be sure to consider the following items:

• Obey any and all fog-related warning signs;
• Slow down before you enter the fog;
• Use low-beam headlights and foglights for best visibility, even in daytime, and be alert for other drivers who may have forgotten to turn their lights on;
• Turn on your four-way flashers; this will give vehicles approaching you from behind a quicker opportunity to notice your vehicle;
• Watch for vehicles on the side of the roadway; seeing taillights or headlights in front of you can be very misleading, and may not be a true indication of where the road is ahead of you (the vehicle(s) may not be on the road at all);
• Use road-side highway reflectors as guides to determine how the road may curve ahead of you;
• Turn off the radio and listen for traffic you can't see;
• Avoid passing other vehicles;
• If possible, don't stop on the side of the road, unless absolutely necessary, because drivers behind you may mistakenly believe that your well-lighted tractor/trailer on the side of the road is simply another lane for them to drive on (and into you).

Rain, sleet, snow and fog all call for the first step of slowing down; but fog presents its own particular set of problems. Following the guidelines set forth above will help keep you and your fellow motorists safe.