Our family spent the past week visiting friends in the beautiful Ladera Ranch in Orange County, CA with some friends and we all enjoyed a couple of days of this crazy wonderment called fog.  We returned last night and imagine our surprise to wake to fog again.  The picture above was taken this morning in Mesa’s Las Sendas Golf Course Community.  

The National Transportation and Safety Board indicates that there are more than 700 fog related fatalities each year.  As fog doesn’t occur very often here in (mostly) sunny AZ I thought that a few safety tips were warranted.  

• Drive with lights on LOW beam. High beams will reflect off the fog, creating a “white wall” effect that will actually impair vision more.
• Reduce your speed – and watch your speedometer. Fog creates a visual illusion of slow motion when you may actually be speeding.
• Use wipers and defrosters as necessary for maximum visibility.
• Use the right edge of the road or painted road markings as a guide.
• Avoid crossing traffic lanes.
• Travel with the driver’s window partially open. Listen for traffic you can’t see.
• Do not stop on a freeway or heavily traveled road. If your car stalls or becomes disabled, turn your vehicle’s lights off, and take your foot off of the brake pedal. People tend to follow tail lights when driving in fog. Move away from the vehicle to avoid injury.
• Consider postponing your trip until the fog lifts.

Enjoy the change in scenery and be careful out there!

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