The National Weather Service issued a report at 12:13 a.m. on Monday for dense fog until 5 a.m. for Berkshire County.
“Areas of dense fog will continue to develop across portions of eastern New York and adjacent western New England through daybreak. Some visibilities may drop to one quarter of a mile or less. Motorists should be prepared to encounter significant reductions in visibility, and allow for extra braking distance and use low beam headlights if traveling through daybreak,” says the weather service.
Guidance from the weather service for navigating foggy conditions
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 priority:
- 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.
Maintain safe gaps:
- 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.
Visibility near zero:
- In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, initiate your hazard lights and locate a secure spot, such as a nearby business parking area, to pull over and come to a halt.
Limited parking options:
- If no parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far to the roadside as possible. Once stationary, turn off all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
By adhering to these weather service recommendations, you can navigate foggy conditions with greater safety, mitigating the risk of accidents and prioritizing your well-being.
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.
