The dangers of driving in foggy conditions

 Posted on October 02, 2015 in Car Accidents

California drivers who find themselves in situations where visibility has dropped due to fog might be unaware of the dangers posed by these conditions. Because visibility can drop rapidly and because drivers often do not have enough time to react correctly, fog has been a factor in a number of serious crashes around the country over the years.

While research focusing on the role that foggy weather can play in a motor vehicle accident is limited, there have been studies that have addressed the issue. One found that drivers tend to approach foggy conditions in two ways. The study labeled drivers 'laggers" and 'non-laggers" and suggested that the majority of drivers fall into the non-lagger category, which posed its own set of dangers as non-laggers attempt to stay within view of lead cars ahead of them, which sometimes cause them to drive at unsafe speeds. Additionally, another study found that fog can make drivers underestimate just how closely they are following another vehicle, which means that in the event they have to brake to avoid a collision, they might not have enough time to do so.

One study also focused on identifying the location and time when accidents involving foggy weather were more likely to take place. The study found that incidents under these conditions tended to happen in the early hours of the day, in rural areas and during the winter months from December to February. These accidents also tended to be multi-vehicle accidents resulting in more serious injuries than crashes where visibility was not an issue.

Motorists who are following a vehicle too closely in foggy weather or who are travelling too fast for the weather conditions may be held financially responsible their negligent actions if they cause an accident as a result of their negligent actions. A person who is injured in such an accident may want to have the assistance of an attorney in pursuing compensation from the negligent driver for the losses that have been sustained.