The National Weather Service issued a weather alert at 3:51 a.m. on Wednesday for dense fog until 6:30 a.m. for Williams, Fulton, Defiance, Henry and Paulding counties.
“A region of dense fog will affect northeast Indiana, northwest Ohio, and southern Michigan through 9 a.m. Visibilities will be a half mile or less in this fog. Drivers, especially along the interstates, should be alert to rapidly changing visibilities. Slow down, allow extra time to reach your destination, and allow plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you,” says the weather service.
Fog safety: Tips from the weather service for safe travels
If you need to drive through fog, remember these safety guidelines:
Moderate your speed:
- Slow down and allow extra travel time to reach your destination safely.
Visibility matters:
- Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights. If you have fog lights, use them.
Avoid high-beams:
- Refrain from using high-beam headlights, as they create glare that impairs your visibility on the road.
Maintain safe gaps:
- Keep a considerable following distance to account for sudden stops or shifts in traffic patterns.
Stay in your lane:
- To ensure you are staying in the correct lane, use the road’s lane markings as a guide.
Visibility near zero:
- In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, initiate your hazard lights and locate a secure spot, such as a nearby business parking area, to pull over and come to a halt.
No parking options:
- If there is no parking lot or driveway to pull into, pull your vehicle off to the side of the road as far as possible. Once you come to a stop, turn off all lights except your hazard flashing lights, set the emergency brake, and take your foot off of the brake pedal to be sure the tail lights are not illuminated so that other drivers don’t mistakenly run into you.
By adhering to these weather service recommendations, you can navigate foggy conditions with greater safety, mitigating the risk of accidents and prioritizing your well-being.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
