A report from the National Weather Service was issued on Friday at 5:08 a.m. for dense fog until 8 a.m. for Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable and Dukes counties.
“Patchy dense fog is impacting much of the south coast with visibilities reduced to as low as 1/4 SM in several locations. Visibilities are anticipated to rapidly improve as the fog burns off by 7 to 8 a.m. Motorists are urged to drive with caution and leave extra space between vehicles. Make sure to reduce speeds in low visibilities areas,” according to the weather service.
Fog safety: Tips from the weather service for safe travels
If you must venture out in foggy conditions, keep these safety tips from the weather service in mind:
Reduce speed:
- Slow down and allocate extra time for your trip to reach your destination safely.
Visibility matters:
- Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights. If available, employ your fog lights.
Avoid high-beams:
- Refrain from using high-beam headlights, as they create glare that impairs your visibility on the road.
Keep your distance:
- Keep a considerable following distance to account for sudden stops or shifts in traffic patterns.
Stay in your lane:
- To ensure you are staying in the correct lane, use the road’s lane markings as a guide.
Zero visibility protocol:
- In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a safe spot, like a nearby business parking lot, to pull over and stop.
Limited parking options:
- If there is no parking lot or driveway to pull into, pull your vehicle off to the side of the road as far as possible. Once you come to a stop, turn off all lights except your hazard flashing lights, set the emergency brake, and take your foot off of the brake pedal to be sure the tail lights are not illuminated so that other drivers don’t mistakenly run into you.
By adhering to these weather service precautions, you can navigate foggy conditions more safely, reducing the likelihood of accidents and ensuring your personal safety.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
