At 6:21 a.m. on Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a weather notice for severe fog through 8:30 a.m. in the counties of Mercer, Venango, Forest, Lawrence, Butler, Clarion, Jefferson, Armstrong, and Indiana, as well as Westmoreland Ridges, Fayette Ridges, and Higher Elevations of Indiana.
This morning, patchy, dense fog has formed, making it difficult to see for more than a quarter of a mile in certain areas. Early this morning, drivers could expect variable and locally extremely bad visibility. The weather service predicts that visibility will improve after the sun rises and the fog starts to clear.
Navigating fog: Safety tips by the weather service
The following safety precautions should be kept in mind if you must drive through fog:
Slow down:
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Slow down and allocate extra travel time to reach your destination safely.
Priority for visibility:
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Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights. If you have fog lights, use them.
Steer clear of high beams:
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Refrain from using high-beam headlights, as they create glare that impairs your visibility on the road.
Remain at a safe distance:
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Leave a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.
Remain in your lane:
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To ensure you are staying in the correct lane, use the road’s lane markings as a guide.
Strategy for zero visibility:
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In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.
Absence of parking choices
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If no designated parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far off the road as possible. Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
Following these weather service guidelines will help you drive more safely in foggy circumstances, reducing the chance of accidents and putting your health first.
United Robots offers a service called Advance Local Weather Alerts that gathers the most recent information from the National Weather Service using machine learning.
