UAE Guides: This is how to safely drive in Dubai fog

At the beginning of this weekday, the fog started taking over Dubai this past Tuesday. Monday marks the last day when the fog started making its presence noticeable but slightly so. Albeit throughout, Monday was a clear day. However, this Tuesday marks the beginning of Dubai getting blanketed by the fog.

With driver's visibility getting nearly cut down to a minimum, it has gotten difficult to drive in Dubai. Undoubtedly, foggy conditions are one of the most difficult situations that a driver can be put through. In such a challenging situation, it is important to safely drive. So in this post, we are going to tell you how to actually safely drive in Dubai apart from the news.

 

So without further ado, let's dive in.

Slow down gradually.

Use the low beam lights.

Keep monitoring your surrounding.

• Leave the cell phone aside.

• Use the pavement marking as your guide on road.

• Be attentive to the hazards.

• Ensure that your full lighting system is active.

• keep yourself updated with the latest weather updates before and during driving.

Driver's to-do in fog.

Drivers are heavily challenged when undergoing foggy situations. Not only is their life at stake, but it is also others too that are at risk. In order to cut down the risk from both sides, here are some safety tips on how safely drive in Dubai fog.

Keep your driving speed to a minimum in fog. Instead, drive at a speed that only suits the condition but gradually slows down as well.

It may be difficult to see, but low beam lights are necessary for keeping others and yourself on a safe side as well. When you use high beam lights, they reflect off the moisture droplets in the fog. 

Driving is much more difficult when the high beam lights are reflected off the moisture droplets. Not only low beam lights but you should also use fog lights. Hopefully, it will help you in seeing better.

Using low beams and fog lights will help you gain a clear vision near you. It may also help you in looking as far ahead as possible. Once you gain a clear look of what’s immediately near, then ensure a safe vision as far ahead and keep safely predicting what may lay in the approaching distance.

First of all, leave that cell phone aside. It can not only challenge your livelihood under such threatening weather conditions, but it's also a crime. You probably know that you can attract AED 400 fine plus 4 black points if you engage in "distracted driving". Here are traffic laws and fines that can land you in a world of trouble. So avoid them anyhow.

The next step in monitoring your surroundings is using the pavement markings as a guide. Seeing as these foggy conditions can cause difficulty in gaining a proper vision of the road, use something as a guide that you can see for sure. If there's one thing that you can see for sure in this catastrophic condition, that is the right edge of the road. Use that as a guide to keeping the risk rate minimum.

The third step in Monitoring your surroundings is to be attentive to the hazards that are coming up ahead. Currently, the government of Dubai is warning motorists of "dense fog ahead" through the signboards. So stay attentive, hear, and look out for any hazards that may come ahead. These hazards also include any electrically powered or driven hazards that inform, warn, or direct road users.

The fourth step that you need to pull off in "keep monitoring your surrounding" is to ensure that your full lighting system is active. This will help you monitor your surroundings.

Fifth and the last step is an important one. Keep yourself updated with the latest weather updates before you step into your vehicle, before you start driving, and while you are driving. This will only help you keep safe driving and perhaps even delay your meetings if you check the weather updates and road reports before you step into your vehicle and also before driving.

If you see that fog has left no way out, pull aside. There's no need to continue in such life-threatening circumstances. Instead, turn on the emergency flashers or hazard lights, pull-aside, and stop a long distance away from the traffic. When the intensity gets a little bit low, then continue using the following steps.

Keep the windows clean.

Use wipers and a defrost system.

Bear patience while driving in normal and in this catastrophic condition.

Keep minimal speed.

Please don't change lanes

Don't swerve suddenly.

Keep the lighting system on.

Maintain a safe distance between vehicles.

Stay away from passing.

Increase distance by slowing down when you see the opportunity.

Fog is one of the most difficult scenarios that a driver can be put in. When the fog is dense, just like it is right now in Dubai where the visibility is reduced down to a few meters. To avoid accidents in such an extreme scenario, make sure to use low beams and fog lights. Moreover, avoid swerving suddenly and changing lanes as well in addition to maintaining a safe distance.

What is the minimum visibility distance that is required when you are driving long distances in foggy conditions?

Ideally, you should make sure to see as far as you can by using fog and low beam lights. However, there is a measure that keeping a 4 seconds distance is a bare minimum for a driver undergoing foggy conditions. What you should also note is if you can't see and figure out the conditions then turn on those emergency flashers or hazard lights and pull-aside. Stop far away from the traffic and once you observe and feel that you can carry on, then slowly start moving ahead.

How do you drive in foggy weather?

Keep the windows clean.

Use wipers and a defrost system.

Bear patience while driving in normal and in this catastrophic condition.

Keep minimal speed.

Please don't change lanes

Don't swerve suddenly.

Keep the lighting system on.

Maintain a safe distance between vehicles.

Stay away from passing.

Increase distance by slowing down when you see the opportunity.

Fog is a gift that winter brings when Dubai welcomes the season with open arms and wholeheartedly.

The 4-second rule is a rule that encourages safe driving. The 4-second rule suggests that there should be a 4-second distance between 2 vehicles.

Fog is a dead-end for the drivers. Currently, the fog has taken over Dubai and blanketed the whole of the city. The foggy conditions started this past Tuesday and now the situation is headed towards tailbacks on roads. These conditions have made taking safety precautions a necessary choice for road users. If you are headed on the road, make sure to check the weather updates and postpone your meetings if possible.