Fog: The most Dangerous Driving Condition

Before I moved to Texas, I lived in West Virginia and I used to travel to Charlotte, North Carolina frequently.   Anyone who lives in Southwest Virginia or Northern North Carolina, knows Fancy Gap.   It is one the most breathtaking views on a clear day heading south on I-77 toward the North Carolina border.   Literally, you look right down in the valley and it is very similar to views I had grown accustom to in the Rockies.

But this pass can and does get inundated with fog.   I have driven several times up that pass at a crawl with my windows open and my fog lights on, just trying to see through the “fog” – which at Fancy Gap, is the thickest I have ever driven in.

As DefensiveDriving.com discusses in its approved courses, fog is the most dangerous driving condition and the safest way to drive in fog is to not drive.  DefensiveDriving.com has a sample of our award winning film in this online driver safety video which illustrates the hazards associated with driving in fog with the recommendation simply to not do it.   Unlike rain, snow or ice, fog directly impacts your ability to see and if you cannot see, you should not drive.

Unfortunately, there was a terrible accident on I-77 this week, which resulted in the highway, which is the main north-south route between Pennsylvania and North Carolina, along with connecting to I-81, being closed for almost 10 hours and 2 people died as a result of this massive accident caused by fog.   If it is foggy, find a safe place to exit the freeway and don’t drive, it is simply not worth it.