Accidents can happen even in the best of weather, but driving becomes more hazardous when the weather takes a turn for the worse. One type of poor weather condition you are likely to experience in New Jersey is fog, especially during the fall and winter.
Fog is problematic for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike. Let’s look at a few reasons why.
It reduces visibility
Avoiding colliding with someone is much easier when you can see them clearly from some way off. Fog reduces how far you can see, meaning drivers can be surprised by someone or something that seems to appear out of nowhere. That could be a car they did not realize was in front of them or a pedestrian who thought it was clear to step onto a crossing.
Don’t be tempted to try and light things up by putting your headlights on full beam, though. The fog will spread the light out into a glare that makes it harder for you and others to see.
It distorts distance
Fog can make things seem further away than they are. A driver following you might believe you are 10 yards in front of them, but you might actually be closer. The safe braking distance they believe they’ve left themselves may not be enough. This is one of the reasons why you need to leave extra distance when following another vehicle in fog. It is also a good reason to calculate a safe following distance by counting seconds rather than trying to estimate distance.
You should be at least three seconds back in good conditions and increase this considerably when conditions deteriorate in any way. The worse the fog is, the further back you should be.
Slowing down is also important, as you have more time to react when driving at lower speeds than faster ones. Taking extra care in inclement weather is only part of the picture. You share the road with a lot of other motorists, some of whom might not be so cautious.
If you suffer injuries due to another driver’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Having appropriate legal guidance increases the chances that you get the compensation you should.