Fog affects your ability to see and can make it harder for other drivers to see you. Each year, fog causes car collisions in South Florida, including in Hialeah and other communities. While you cannot control the weather, there are several things you can do to reduce the risk of being in a crash in these types of conditions:4
- Check the weather before you drive. Use an app or an alert to let you know current weather conditions before you hop in the car. This is a good precaution not just for fog but for any weather condition. Being aware of bad weather allows you to be prepared.
- Slow down. Since visibility in fog is poor, you have less wiggle room in terms of response times. Slowing down ensures you don’t crash into an obstacle or car you can’t see.
- Don’t drive with cruise control. You need to be able to brake quickly.
- Stay alert. Keep in mind the fog can get worse suddenly. Make sure you can stop within the distance you can see in front of you.
- Don’t change lanes unless you must. If you need to turn or change lanes, turn on your signal early. Ideally, stay in the same lane, since you may not see cars driving up beside you.
- Make yourself visible by using your headlights and flashers. Avoid high beams, however. Headlights and flashers may make it easier for other drivers to see you. High beams, however, will reflect the droplets of the fog and may cause glare. They can make it harder to drive in the fog.
- Turn off all distractions. Turning off your radio and phone lets you listen for traffic, which is important if you can’t see that clearly. You will also need to keep scanning the fog in front of you as much as possible and any distractions can prevent you from noticing pedestrians and other cars emerging in the fog.
- Pay attention to the lines on the road to orient yourself where you are. They can help you ensure you stay in your lane and can help orient yourself if visibility conditions deteriorate.
- Consider pulling over before the fog gets bad. If you notice fog getting worse, consider pulling into a parking lot or rest area while you can still see well enough to do so. Rolling fog can get thick enough to obscure all visibility and it can get thicker in an instant. The safest place for you when the fog is very heavy is off the road.
- Turn on defrost and your wipers so you can see as much as possible. Fog creates precipitation on your windshield and this can make it even harder to see the road. Keep your windshield and rear window as clear as possible to give yourself every advantage when it comes to visibility.
Do you have a legal claim if you’re in a car collision in fog? Even though none of us control the fog, drivers are expected to take reasonable precautions and drive safely in the fog. If a driver has been reckless and has not adjusted their driving for the weather, you may have a claim. You may also have a claim if a municipality is negligent and does not provide a reasonably safe driving surface and road area for driving.
To determine whether you have a claim, contact Flaxman Law Group at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) for a free accident consultation. Our Hialeah car accident attorney can review your situation and can help you review your legal options.