Having your own car brings you certain pleasures and luxuries in life. In light of having such luxuries, we felt it’s important to discuss a safe lifestyle as well. Fog conditions in the UAE can be among the worst in the world and driving in such conditions can be dangerous. Thankfully, we have compiled a list of things you can do when driving in such conditions to make sure you and your family stay safe.
1. Make sure you have your fog lights ON Most cars come with fog light in-built and getting a new, external pair attached doesn’t cost much either. You’ll find that fog lights unlike regular lights, use a high reflective light surface and being positioned closer to the ground enhance the road visibility. Keep these lights on for as long as you are in the foggy conditions, make sure to switch them off once you are clear of the fog, as they dazzle other motorists on the road.
2. Waiting could be good for you If you are surrounded by a really thick fog blanket, we suggest you find a spot, park your car and wait out the fog. Treading dangerously in the fog conditions may not be safe for you or your passengers. Waiting for little bit might ease the conditions and improve visibility for you to continue the drive to your destination.
3. Curb your speed Irrespective of where you are when you encounter fog like conditions, you must slow down. Several roadside disasters are avoided by simply curbing the speed when driving in such conditions. As the driver, you are unlikely to be able to spot any debris on the road, another car stopped, or worse people step out of their car on the road, until it’s too late but if you are driving at a slow speed, you’re most likely to have ample time to take corrective measure.
4. Low Beam Headlight is better than a full beam This one might seem like contrary thing to do but when you are driving in a fog like situation, it’s recommended to use Low Beam headlights instead of the full beam. This is mainly because the full beam of your headlight will have little effect against a fog but it will cause the light to spread and can dazzle oncoming traffic. A Low beam of light will be more effective in giving you visibility of the road in near distance.
5. Car insurance in UAE Having insurance on your car will only save you the trouble of incurring damage costs in the event that something goes wrong, which is quite likely in a foggy traffic condition. A sudden break or an inexperienced driver cutting lanes may result in dents and damage to your car. Having a good car insurance plan in UAE will help you avoid the hassles that are a usual part of such situations.
6. Hazard Lights Turning on hazard lights is a confusing one for most people. While many drivers tend to turn on their hazard lights to improve their visibility to other motorists, this is in fact a wrong practice. Using hazard lights is indicative of your car being stationary or that there is a road hazard up ahead. If a motorist behind you misreads your intention of having the hazard lights on, they may sharply break or steer of the road to avoid the hazard, which could in turn result in an accident.
7. Keeping your windshield glass clear Keep your heater on. This will help keep your windshield and mirror clear of fogging up. In poor visibility conditions, the least you will want is to reduce the visibility further due to condensation building up on interior of your car. With your heater on, it’ll counter the build-up of any condensation on the interior of your car.
8. Turn down the music Foggy conditions are period of time when you don’t want to put your favorite song and turn up the radio. Instead, it’s a good practice to roll down your window, turn off the radio and listen intently to your surrounding environment. Assuming you followed the advice earlier and are driving slowly, you’ll be able to hone in on sirens or stalled cars up ahead of you.
9. Keep distance While normally you may be comfortable driving at a hair length from the car up ahead you, in fog like conditions, keep your distance. This gives you more breathing space in the event that you need to steer away quickly or make a sudden stop without rear-ending the car ahead of you.
10. Follow the lanes Last but not the least, avoid the opportunity to change lanes and zip past a line of slow moving traffic. Often times in foggy situations, there may be provisions created by traffic authorities to ensure smooth movement. There may also be accidents on certain lanes due to which traffic would be slow and bound to only a specific lane. Changing the lane might give you the upper hand in overtaking a number of motorists, you most likely will run into a block up ahead. So it’s best to keep to your lane and ride through the flow with patience.
Again like we mentioned before, foggy conditions can be perilous and one way to be sure that you don’t pay for any consequences is keeping up-to-date on your insurance in UAE. You can always look through options that provide you with the best cover for a variety of situations and are affordable for you.
