In March 2008, 60 vehicles piled up in the Abu Dhabi highway, 25 of them caught fire following the pile up. Nearly 350 people were injured, with 6 of them seriously injured and the rest suffered minor injuries. Sadly, 3 people died from the horrific accident.
The reason: poor visibility due to heavy fog.
Although there's nobody to blame in this kind of accident, it's very unfortunate that most accidents result from heavy fogs. What's more alarming is that reckless drivers and careful drivers alike are at high risk of getting involved in this type of mishap. While careful drivers try to drive slowly in foggy roads, reckless drivers who are overconfident of their abilities drive at high speed despite the adverse weather condition. This puts everybody on the road in great danger.
Combined with the darkness of the road, heavy fog can result in an eerie driving experience if you don't drive carefully. Unfortunately though, there's no knowing when you will encounter fog on the road. So, the best thing you can do is prepare yourself and your car for any road eventuality.
Check the road worthiness of your car.
Are your tires ready to drive through rough roads? Is your brake system able to stop your car easily even when driving at high speed? Are the wheels ready to steer you away from danger even at the last minute? Well, if your answer to all questions is no, then maybe it's time to hitch a ride with your neighbor for a while and let your mechanic turn the pumpkin into a coach.
Waking up an hour early in the morning to hitch a ride is the least of your worries when you drive through foggy roads on your way to work every morning. After all, a fog crossing the road is much dangerous than a deer crossing.
Listen to weather conditions.
If you can't drive without music in your car, then maybe a few minutes of weather news won't hurt. What's a five minute sacrifice listening to the eerie voice of the weather man, when your safety depends on it?
But don't just solely depend on the weather man to give you the weather of the day. The weather can be very unpredictable. So, make your five senses work. Listen, watch, feel, smell, and taste the air around you. Listen to what you can't see and feel what you can't hear. There's nothing scarier than driving in utter silence on dark, foggy roads. So, let your senses help you through the drive.
Turn on your lights.
Let your auto lights be your guide-and your indicator. Every time you're driving through a foggy stretch, turn on your low beams, fog lights, and emergency lights. This will ensure motorists will see you. And never ever switch your headlight to high beam. If your drinking buddy told you it will let you see the road better, it's foolish of you to follow a drunken advice. Keep in mind that the stronger the light, the less you see on foggy roads. Instead of giving you greater visibility, the vapors will cause light to spring back and give you shorter field of vision. So, keep it low in foggy roads.
And if you think foggy roads are just a piece of cake to drive on, think again. You don't want to get caught in a messy pile-up like what happened in Dubai.
Francis Romaine, a journalism grad, is most adept in writing about cars which is among his interests. now, he's a freelance writer who's interests don't just concentrate on cars alone but also on other related topics such the how to's of a car, nifty info on different parts such as the aftermarket headlights, ac condenser, car mirror, and so on.
Article Source:EzineArticles.com
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