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Driving In Dense Fog: 15 Security Ideas For RVers
If you journey in an RV, it’s worthwhile to be ready to come across all types of highway circumstances. Whether or not you’re taking quick weekend journeys or lengthy cross-country adventures, you possibly can run into unhealthy climate at any time. Dense fog is likely one of the most harmful circumstances to drive in, and each RVer must know the right way to keep protected on this state of affairs.
Fog usually happens in patches, so that you would possibly encounter a misty stretch of highway with out warning. Don’t panic if you end up surrounded by a grey haze! It may be unnerving to drive an RV in these circumstances, however so long as you’re taking the correct precautions, it is best to have the ability to attain the opposite finish with out a problem.
There are many methods so that you can keep protected when you navigate dense fog. Generally you’ll solely have to drive for a couple of minutes till you’re out of the haze. However in different instances, you could be caught for a number of hours. No matter how lengthy or quick your drive is, there are many issues you are able to do to enhance your visibility and keep away from accidents.
1. Flip in your headlights
Earlier than you do anything, make sure you flip in your headlights once you enter a patch of dense fog. The lights will help you see a bit additional forward, plus they are going to sign your place to different drivers. Each these in entrance of you and people behind it would be best to know the place you might be.
2. Don’t use your excessive beams
Talking of headlights, it is best to all the time attempt to use your low beams when you’re driving via fog. Excessive beams or vivid lights can truly make it tougher to see in entrance of you! These lights are likely to replicate off of the fog, making a harsh glare that’s tough to see via.
Low beams are the higher choice for this example. As well as, it is best to flip in your fog lights when you’ve got them. These are low-mounted lights which might be designed to light up the highway in entrance of you. Not each car has these, however they positively come in useful when there’s poor visibility.
3. Flip off your cruise management
After getting your lights on, it’s time to modify over to guide driving. Cruise management is a incredible operate, nevertheless it’s higher so that you can have direct management of your car when it’s foggy. You want to have the ability to react shortly, so it’s a good suggestion to maintain your foot hovering over the brake.
4. Decelerate and enhance your following distance
It’s by no means sensible to hurry in an RV, nevertheless it’s particularly harmful once you’re driving via dense fog. It could be tough to see obstacles and autos in your path. You’ll want to provide your self as a lot response time as attainable, so it’s a good suggestion to decelerate.
Give the car in entrance of you a good following distance as effectively. They could immediately slam on their brakes if one thing emerges from the fog, so it’s worthwhile to give your self loads of time to cease.
The folks behind you would possibly develop into impatient and attempt to tailgate you, so that you’ll pace up. Nevertheless it’s vital to stay to the tempo that makes you comfy. It’s significantly better to be protected somewhat than speedy.
5. Scale back distractions
Driving may be tense at one of the best of instances, nevertheless it’s even worse when it’s worthwhile to take care of a thick blanket of fog. You’ll wish to dedicate your full consideration to the highway so you possibly can keep away from an accident. Flip off your music, ask your fellow passengers to calm down, and keep alert.
6. Roll your window down to listen to higher
Turning off your music, podcasts, or radio is an efficient begin to enhancing your consciousness. However your RV can nonetheless produce loads of noise by itself. This makes it tough to listen to outdoors noises. As a result of your visibility is proscribed, chances are you’ll wish to roll down your window a bit so you possibly can higher hear the sound of visitors. This fashion, you’ll have a heads up if there are any sirens, giant vans, or people who find themselves yelling outdoors.
7. Use windshield wipers and a heat defroster setting
Fog makes every part harder to see. Nevertheless it’s additionally a cloud of moisture, which might create a temperature/humidity distinction between your RV inside and your environment. In these circumstances, your home windows would possibly begin to fog up.
Your defroster will help with this. Flip it on and use the nice and cozy setting to evaporate condensation because it varieties. Then you should use your wipers to clear away moisture from the skin of your windshield.
8. Use stable proper lane markers somewhat than dashed center lanes
Lane drift is likely one of the greatest dangers when you’re driving within the fog. It’s onerous to see the highway and different markers, so that you would possibly drift into one other lane with out realizing it. To fight this, it is best to keep in the best lane and test the stable line marker on the best facet.
For those who’re going to float a bit to at least one facet or one other, it’s higher to hit the rumble strips as an alternative of veering into oncoming visitors. Use the unbroken white traces as a information.
9. Depend on speedometer, not visible cues
It’s additionally fairly simple to hurry accidentally throughout circumstances like this. When you possibly can’t see your environment, you possibly can’t visually inform how briskly you’re going. Cruise management can restrict the tendency to hurry, however you most likely have it turned off as you navigate the dense fog.
That’s why it’s worthwhile to pay extra-close consideration to your speedometer. Keep at or beneath the advisable pace restrict and commonly test your self.
10. Don’t cross except completely essential
Passing may be extraordinarily harmful on a foggy highway. The automobiles round you received’t have the ability to shortly react to surprising modifications. Plus, it’s simple to overshoot the lane and by chance go too far to at least one facet.
By no means try and cross if there’s oncoming visitors within the adjoining lane. You received’t have the ability to see far sufficient forward to clear the space. Highways with a number of lanes may be safer to navigate, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a danger. Except it’s completely essential, it is best to all the time attempt to keep within the far proper lane.
11. Activate hazards throughout harmful circumstances
For those who’re significantly nervous about driving via dense fog, chances are you’ll wish to flip in your blinking hazard lights. These will make you extra seen to close by autos, and they’re going to clearly talk that you’ll be touring slower than regular.
You need to use hazards as a private choice, however you might also wish to flip them on if there’s particles within the highway, wild animals attempting to cross, or stalled autos on the facet.
12. Look out for freezing fog and black ice
By itself, fog is already harmful sufficient. Nevertheless it’s even worse if the temperatures drop and ice accumulates from the droplets. You’ll have to crank the defroster into overdrive to soften ice earlier than it settles.
These freezing circumstances can even create black ice on the highway. That is extraordinarily slippery and onerous to drive on. It’s even worse as a result of you possibly can’t all the time inform that it’s there! If icy circumstances happen, decelerate much more so you possibly can forestall any drifting or sliding.
13. Pull over for those who really feel uncomfortable
For those who don’t really feel protected driving within the fog anymore, chances are you’ll wish to pull over and park. For those who’re near an exit or a relaxation space, that’s the perfect place to go. However typically chances are you’ll be compelled to drag onto the shoulder of the highway as an alternative.
On this case, flash your hazard lights and pull off the highway so far as you possibly can. When you’re safely parked, flip off all of your lights and anticipate the fog to clear. It’s best to flip off your lights since you don’t need folks to observe you off the highway. Some folks simply observe the lights in entrance of them and you might by chance lead folks off observe in the event that they see your lights.
14. Keep away from driving in fog each time attainable
Lastly, it is best to attempt to keep away from foggy circumstances as a lot as attainable. As you possibly can see, it’s a scary and harmful state of affairs to search out your self in. RVers are much more susceptible as a result of they want extra time to brake.
Use climate apps to test the climate on the roads. If the circumstances are significantly moist or foggy, chances are you’ll wish to take a unique route or postpone your journey for a day or two.
15. Plan an RV-safe route
RV LIFE Journey Wizard helps RV vacationers plan protected routes, particularly in tough circumstances like dense fog. It factors out key stops like campgrounds, relaxation areas, and dump stations, in addition to different factors of curiosity. For on-the-go instructions, pair it with the RV LIFE App to make sure a clean and RV-friendly journey.
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