Fog can be every bit as treacherous as rain and snow. Here are some tips to make your drive in the fog as safe as possible.

Slow Down
No matter how careful you are, poor visibility is dangerous. If you must drive, reduce your speed according to how far ahead you can see. If you can see only 75 feet ahead, slow to 20-30 miles per hour. If visibility is reduced to 25 feet, slow to 10 miles per hour. Drive slowly enough so you can stop in whatever distance you can see ahead. If this means driving more than 15 miles per hour below the speed limit, turn on your emergency flashers.

If you can see a vehicle in front of you, increase your following distance to three or four seconds, depending on conditions. Distances are hard to judge in fog, so give yourself extra time to respond to any road hazards. Be on the lookout for pedestrians, animals or stopped cars. Remember that the road is wet, so it will take you longer to stop.

Make the most of limited visibility
Turn your low beams on in the fog. Light from your high beams tends to scatter on the water droplets in the air and make visibility more difficult.

Heavy fog causes mist on the windshield that you might not notice. Keep your wipers and defroster going, making sure there are no objects on the dashboard that might block the heat from the defroster.

Don’t take chances
Fog can get so dense that you can’t see the road. If this happens, pull over until the fog lifts. Signal your exit, flash your brake light several times to warn cars behind you that you’re going to stop and get off the road. Stay in your car with emergency flashers going and your safety belt on.