Page 10
ODOT Winter Road Guide
January 2016
Use fog lights correctly and safely
Tips for driving safely in fog
Thick fog is a common winter driving
hazard. When you are driving in fog, you
should slow down to adjust to the reduced
visibility. In the most severe situations,
a Dense Fog Advisory will be issued if
visibility is reduced to less than one-quarter
mile. Check www.TripCheck.com for more
information, and follow these safety tips:
• Slow down. Disengage your cruise
control. Most crashes occur because
the driver is going too fast for weather
conditions.
• Use your low beams. High beams will
reÀect back thick fog, making visibility
worse for you and other drivers.
• Keep your car headlights clean. Get
in the habit of wiping off your lights at
the gas station; that way you’re ready for
low-visibility conditions.
• Keep the view clear. Avoid fogged
windows by regularly using the defroster and
windshield wipers. Moisture can build up on
the windshield both inside and out; the air
conditioning setting will help keep moisture
from building up inside.
• Minimize distractions. Turn off the
music and don’t talk on your cell phone, so
you can listen for traf¿c you cannot see.
• Increase following distance to ensure
enough time to stop safely.
• Watch for emergency stops by other
vehicles; watch for slow-moving and parked
vehicles.
• Use the right edge of the road, white fog
line or roadside reÀectors as a guide. Do not
change lanes or pass other vehicles unless
necessary.
• If you pull off the road, pull over as far
as possible, turn off your headlights and turn
on your hazard lights.
With increasing numbers of vehicles on
the road with fog or auxiliary lights, state
transportation safety of¿cials are reminding
people to use vehicle lighting correctly and
safely.
“Fog lights are designed to be used
at low speeds in fog, heavy mist, snow
and other situations where visibility is
signi¿cantly reduced,´ said Michele
O’Leary, ODOT Vehicle Equipment
Standards Program Manager.
Front fog lights are generally aimed and
mounted low to increase the illumination
directed towards the road surface. However,
after sunset and during other low visibility
situations, fog lights are required to be
turned off when an oncoming vehicle
approaches. During normal visibility
conditions, fog or auxiliary lights should
be turned off. It is not
appropriate to drive with fog
or auxiliary lights left on all
the time.
“When a car is using
fog or auxiliary lights, it
is visually distracting for
oncoming drivers,” O’Leary
said.
According to Oregon law,
fog and/or auxiliary lights
must be used like the high
beam headlight system of your car. They
must be turned off when within 500 feet
of an oncoming vehicle and within 350
feet when following another vehicle. The
color of fog and/or auxiliary lights is also
regulated. Fog lights may be either white or
amber (yellow). Rules prohibit other colors
such as blue.
If your car is equipped with auxiliary
lighting, ODOT recommends knowing
where the switches are and how to use them.
If you plan to install fog and/or auxiliary
lights as an after market feature, it is
important to know that Oregon has adopted
federal rules that all manufacturers must
meet. Products must be labeled; anything
that is labeled “not for street use” cannot
be used on public roadways. Fog and other
auxiliary lights must have a separate switch.
Fog lights may not be used in
lieu of headlights.
For more information
on vehicle equipment and
standards, visit ODOT’s
Transportation Safety Web
site, www.oregon.gov/
ODOT/TS/Veh_Equipment.
shtml, or see the Oregon
Driver Manual on the DMV
Web site, www.oregondmv.
com.
Low visibility conditions require caution
Driving at night is more dif¿cult because
of reduced visibility. However, low visibility
conditions can also occur during the day,
caused by heavy rain, thick fog, snowfall, dust
or smoke. Follow these safety tips for driving
in low visibility conditions:
• Slow down. Disengage your cruise
control. Most crashes occur because the driver
is going too fast for the weather conditions.
• Use your low beams. High beam lights
will reÀect back off the thick fog or snow,
making visibility worse for you and other
drivers.
• Avoid entering an area if you cannot see a
safe distance ahead.
• If you suddenly encounter a severe
loss of visibility, pull off the pavement as
far as possible. Stop, turn off your lights,
set the emergency brake and take your foot
off the brake to be sure the taillights are not
illuminated.
• Turn on your emergency Àashers.
• If you can’t pull off the roadway, slow
down, turn on your low beam headlights and
sound the horn occasionally. Use the white
fog line or roadside reÀectors if necessary to
help guide you.
• Never stop in the travel lanes.
“Too fast” is too risky!
The third most common driver error
causing crashes is driving too fast for
conditions. More than 10 percent of crashes
had this error as the main reason for the
crash. Every year, in fact, “driving too fast
for conditions´ shows up in the top ¿ve most
common reasons for crashes. Slow down!
You must make adjustments in your driving
when road conditions have changed.
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