5 top tips for driving in the fog

Written by Matthew Evans Posted 07 Oct 2021

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Use your fog lights to improve visibility

As standard, all cars are fitted with one rear fog light with many others also having fog lights at the front. Driving in poor visibility is not easy therefore it’s important to familiarise yourself with where the switch for your lights is.

As soon as you see fog ahead, turn on your lights, as this will ensure that your car is visible with more than just ordinary headlights. Although technically fog lights should only be used when visibility drops below 100 metres, if you don’t switch them on and are involved in an accident, your insurance could be void.

Avoid accidents by lowering your speed in poor weather

Speed limits are allocated to roads when they’re in a dry, clear, and well-lit condition. Remember that this speed limit will not apply in fog. Even if you’re a confident driver, you won’t be able to see other vehicles, pedestrians, and wildlife clearly, so lowering your speed could help avoid an accident on the road.

Another reason to lower your speed in poor conditions is black ice. Black ice can occur when the flash freeze from fog creates a slippery driving surface.

Keep your distance from other vehicles on the road

It’s usually recommended to leave a two-second gap between yourself and the vehicle in-front, however when driving through weather with low visibility such as fog, it’s good practice to add an extra second onto this.

Leaving at least a three-second gap to give yourself more time to react to a car slowing down or to avoid an animal can help change the outcome of an accident or help you avoid having one altogether.

Keep you windows clear of condensation and dirt

Inevitably, foggy weather can cause condensation that can build up on the inside and outside of your car’s windows. By using your car heater to demist the inside of your windscreen and wipers on the outside, you can improve your visibility. However, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on dirt building up on your windows and clean your car regularly.

Remember to use your headlights

Although it may sound obvious, turn on your headlights! More and more cars are now fitted with automatic headlights, which will activate when required in the dark. However, this function is only triggered when the light outside dips below a certain level, leaving you lightless in the fog.

By turning on your headlights manually during fog it will ensure that you improve visibility. If the fog is thicker than usual, switch your lights to ‘dipped beam’. If your headlights are on the main beam, the light could be bounced back towards you by the fog.