For the third consecutive day, parts of the UAE has been engulfed in fog and mist, with a thick blanket of white swallowing the roads and highways.
With visibility dropping to as low as 100 metres, driving has become a nightmare, especially in the night.
To counter the dense fog, many drivers are switching on their hazard lights – a practice experts warn would cause more harm than help on the roads.
Khaled Al Mansoori, CEO of Emirates Driving Company, Abu Dhabi, said using hazard lights in the fog will confuse the other road users as they can’t estimate your intention and therefore will cause accident.
Dear drivers, Leave enough distance between vehicles ahead and do not overtake the front vehicles.#TrafficAwareness #DubaiPolice pic.twitter.com/ItejtjHuAk
— Dubai Police???? ??? (@DubaiPoliceHQ) December 24, 2017
“When you drive in the fog, you have to consider the facts that you don’t have clear vision; it is difficult to judge the distance between cars and the driver’s ability to anticipate dangers is limited. So, the precautions one can take is always keeping a safe distance, never parking on the roadside during fog, using front and rear fog lights, using dipped lights and not changing lanes unnecessarily,” said Mansoori.
Jude Medard, the environment, health and safety director at William Hare, Abu Dhabi, said not using hazard lights during fog is among the primary safety instructions given to company drivers. “Most people do not know the proper use of hazard lights. It is designed to warn other motorists when you pull up suddenly due to an emergency or warn other motorists of an accident ahead,” said Medard.
“We have advised the drivers to stick to their lane and reduce speed when there is fog and mist. If the visibility is too poor, then the driver must pull up his vehicle at a safe place away from the main road.”
#YourSecurityOurHappiness #TrafficAwareness #DubaiPolice pic.twitter.com/hF7yIjTWRS
— Dubai Police???? ??? (@DubaiPoliceHQ) December 24, 2017
“You should dip your headlights, not drive with them on full beam as the fog reflects the light back towards you. Also, use a rear fog light, but only until the fog clears as it can dazzle other drivers,” read the latest ‘Driving in fog’ alert issued by his company.
The Abu Dhabi Police has also issued guidelines to motorists on safe driving. “Please avoid trespassing the other driver’s lane during foggy weather and poor road visibility conditions,” reads a social media post from the police. “Dear driver, keep safe distance while driving in foggy conditions,” read another post.
According to the National Centre for Meteorology, the weather will remain fair to partly cloudy and hazy on Monday.
Why is it dangerous to turn on hazard lights?
Using hazard lights in the fog will confuse the other road users as they can’t estimate a motorist’s intention and therefore, will cause accident. Driving in the fog means, one does not have clear vision and cannot judge the distance between cars and the driver’s ability to anticipate dangers is limited. Similarly, one should dip headlights, as fog reflects the light back towards you.
Tips for safe driving in bad weather
> When visibility is down, slow down, be attentive and up the distance
> Increase the distance between vehicles to a minimum of 5 seconds
> Consider longer breaking distances if road surface is wet or slippery
> Turn on the lights – low beam headlights, front and rear fog lights
> In rain, reduce your speed to avoid hydroplaning
> Use your windscreen wipers properly (and maintain them properly!)
> Concentrate and do not get distracted by your passengers, phone or other things
> Listen to radio for traffic updates
> Care for others, especially for ‘weaker’ traffic participants like motorcycle drivers, cyclists and pedestrians
> Ask your co-travellers to help keep an eye out for oncoming cars and obstacles on the road
> Stay in your lane and don’t drift – there’s a natural tendency to wander into the middle of the road when visibility gets bad
> Use the right edge of the road as a guide – this can help you avoid running into oncoming traffic or being blinded by oncoming headlights
> If you have no visibility, pull over to the side of the road or pull into petrol stations or rest areas
> Plan your trip properly and leave earlier or try not to be on the road at all, if possible
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