Driving In Fog

[TWR]

After reading about the accident in Oxford, does driving in fog frighten you?

[naomi24]

Any situation where visibility is limited, whether it be fog or blindingly bright winter sunshine when the sun is low on the horizon, makes driving more difficult. It doesn’t frighten me – I do it - but I don’t like it.

[Baldric]

I find it safer to drive in Fog after dark at least then, most of the idiots have got their lights on.

[Ninefingers]

If you can't drive in all conditions confidently and safely perhaps you shouldn't be driving, there's a raft of stuff on the internet about fear and lack of confidence when driving in poor conditions. A little care goes a long way but still be confident in what you are doing

[sunny-dave]

I was told to drive cautiously in fog

"as if you have no seatbelt and there's a great big spike on the steering wheel, with its point about 2 inches from your chest"


What really gets me (in fog and snow), when I'm on a country road, is the prat who hovers a few feet behind you dancing around and seemingly urging you to go a bit faster.

I have been known to pull over & let them do the route finding whilst I drop back and follow at a safe distance. It's surprising how much less enthusiastic they become about beetling along.

[mikey4444]

How can we be confident, when we see, on a daily basis, the kinds of things other drivers do ?

Not using lights when driving on the Motorway is one of my main pet hates. Some people drive on sidelights, when dipped main beam is the order of the day ( not really sure why cars have sidelights these days ? )

All modern cars now have DRLs....daytime running lamps, but how many people realise that there are no lights showing at the rear of the vehicle ?

[naomi24]

When I was learning to drive my instructor told me never to trust another driver to do the right thing, but to assume that every other road user is an idiot. Good advice that I’ve never forgotten.

[New Judge]

“///the accident in Oxford///

What accident in Oxford?”

There were two recently, Balders. Not actually in Oxford but thereabouts.

The first was on the A40 last Wednesday which unfortunately led to one fatality:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-38449991

The second was on Friday when a bus overturned on the slip road from J7 on the M40:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-38466010

Seventeen injured but fortunately no fatalities. I passed the site of this second incident on New Year’s Eve (I know the junction well). The bus should not have been on the slip road. It was heading for Oxford centre and he came off one junction too early (J7 and J8 are very adjacent). It was clear to me that the bus driver had become disorientated, believing he was still on the M40 and lost control on the very snakey, narrow slip road.

[bhg481]

NJ - my thoughts on the bus accident vary from yours. Apparently that stretch of motorway is known for its patchy fog. If you are driving along and the fog suddenly thickens you have two options; stand on your brakes or slow down gradually, hoping the vehicle in front is doing the same. I'd like to think the bus driver was slowing gradually, the car in front didn't so the bus swerved to the left to avoid it. They just happened to be by the exit slip road and the bus ended up turning on to the slip road more sharply than it wuld normally, so toppled over.

[Baldric]

Thanks for that NJ, I thought it was a fair question, given the information, or at least lack of information in the OP. Difficult to comment if you don't know which incident you're talking about.

[New Judge]

Not quite the way I see it, bhg.

It is true that the area is prone to patchy fog (often mainly due to considerable elevation changes). However that stretch, whilst on a rising gradient, is not so severely affected by that phenomenon as some stretches a little to the south. Furthermore, the slip road where the accident occurred is reasonably straight for about 250 yards until it bends quite sharply to the right to a T-junction with the A329. The bus overturned on this bend just short of the junction (the “dent” it made in the surrounding foliage and land is clearly visible). If the bus had been forced onto the slip road as you describe it would have had more than ample time to slow down or come to a halt before the slip road bears to the right. It’s only conjecture I know, but the only explanation I can put on it is that the driver believed he was on the J8 slip road (which is only about half a mile further north). This is not really a slip road at all and can be taken at full speed since it is really just a continuation of the M40 as it leads on to the dual carriageway A40.

[RATTER15]

No, no fear, I just drive cautiously and keep an eye out for idiots.

[mikey4444]

ratter....much more to the point, would you like to have to land a Jumbo Jet at
Llandegley International Airport in the fog ?

[RATTER15]

Mikey, I think it would be quite difficult to ride a bike on that runway lol.

[naomi24]

Mikey, would you like to have to land a Jumbo Jet at
Llandegley International Airport in the fog ? //

I'd trust the control tower co-ordinators rather more than I'd trust my satnav in the fog, that's for sure!

[mikey4444]

ratter....lol !

[Mamyalynne]

A wing and a prayer might be more useful there.

[Tilly2]

Two wings, preferably. :-0

[Mamyalynne]

Not necessarily.

[Tilly2]

I just know I'd prefer to be in a plane with a wing on each side. :-)

[Mamyalynne]

Me too at a real airport ;-)