Driving in the Fog .....

[cegerer]

Some unseasonably high temperatures and snowcover created some heavy fog this afternoon around here. I'm driving at 60MPH. Even that was maybe a tad fast - I would have had to absolutely jam the brakes on if an obstacle appeared. But of course, I'm getting passed like I'm standing still by these totally oblivious skill-challenged drivers, some without even any lights on! The trophy winner in the idiot department was some guy in an Olds 88 - no lights, cigarette in one hand, windows half down, driver slumped over against the door and doing about 85MPH!

So I get home and find this on the news:

http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=2801314

2 dead so far. This is near my local Porsche-BMW dealership.

[Tishabet]

Damn! Hope the toll doesn't climb....

[Milu]

Worldwide problem.

I don't underrstand how people can drive so fast in fog.

In conditions when I have trouble seeing more than a few yards in front of my car (With glasses I have excellent eyesight and nightvision, proper lights and some experience in fog) some people pass me at speeds suitable for clear conditions. These people have to be driving from their memories of the road.

And then we wonder about pileups in fog.

[concentric]

Paint me in the "I feel VERY uncomfortable when I'm driving and can't see where I'm going" camp. I seriously don't know how people can be comfortable driving 80 mph with 20 ft. visability. Deathwish?

[cegerer]

I remember seeing a program on TV about driving in the fog. There was a demonstration that showed some people have a defect in their ability to judge speed in fog. Many thought they were doing 20-30MPH slower than they actually were! Whatever ..... I always look at objects appearing out of the fog like road signs, figure out if I could stop before hitting the object, and adjust speed accordingly. Seems pretty simple??

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by cegerer
I remember seeing a program on TV about driving in the fog. There was a demonstration that showed some people have a defect in their ability to judge speed in fog. Many thought they were doing 20-30MPH slower than they actually were!

I think I saw the same show... and shortly thereafter noticed that I WAS driving faster than I realized in the fog. Spooky. There was a horrific accident outside of Toronto a few years ago, at least a dozen died in a HUGE pileup. MAny burned to death inside their cars.

Edit: 8 died

[Oh Haha]

Hey Curt,
As it figured today. I ended having to cover quite a few miles from Flint to Bay City. I guess the fog must have been down your way because it wasn't bad where I was. My boss lives over by where that accident happened. Terrible news. He said you couldn't see sh#$ this afternoon.

Wayne

[SLO-BOB]

I have a keen awareness of driving in the fog. I live a mile off lake Michigan. The highway I take to work is at it's closest point to the lake and therefore, the foggiest portion of highway in the state. It can be sunny by me and foggy on the road. Today was pea soup too. I drove from Arkansas north back to Wisconsin yesterday-much of it through fog. I too, saw my share of idiots. None that stood out from the rest really, but all equally scary.

Here's a link about an accident that happened on the one day I didn't commute to work-I was closing on my house. Many of my neighbors that I used to commute along side on the highway died in that one. Tons of people called me to see if I was okay because they new that's right were I normally would be. Everyday I go to work I see the cross put up in memorium and the patch of road they had to replace because it was destroyed by the heat. My nextdoor neighbor, the first emt responder, is still undergoing therapy.

fog accident

[cegerer]

Actually, my office is in Bay City - you should've stopped in! Anyway, the fog didn't really hit until around 4-4:30. By 6 it was pea soup - 10-20 feet of visibility. I think the fog was bad down around Lansing all day.

[bryanthompson]

We've had a lot of fog, sleet, and foggy sleet lately. I'm not very comfortable driving when I can't see, but especially when I can't see and the windshield keeps icing over! Add that to the anemic 944 stock headlights, and it's not a good time.

[Oh Haha]

Curt, nokidding.
I have an office inFlint and BC plus I have an area at Delphi Steering Gear that we use, right off M46 and I75.

If a nut in a white Cavalier honks at your M3 someday, it's just me
Wayne