Around this time of the year, the Eastern Region, Ghana, is the chilliest place you could find yourself in, accompanied by a fog formation. During the rainy season, the fog formation is primarily due to moist air cooling and condensing into tiny water droplets as it rises over the Akwapim mountains. The process is intensified by the area’s relatively high altitude and the presence of warm, moist air during the rainy season. This fog significantly impairs visibility, making driving hazardous and increasing the risk of accidents. Reduced visibility makes it difficult to spot hazards, judge distances, and react in time, potentially leading to collisions, especially in dense fog.
Driving on the Aburi road and experiencing fog is something drivers face regularly in this season. While fog lights are there to keep yourself and other road users safe, you risk breaking the law and putting lives in danger if you use them incorrectly. The fog light symbol is a sideways lamp with three diagonal lines and a wavy vertical line through them.
The fog light symbol can usually be found on a button on the dashboard, on a steering wheel stalk or next to the dial you use to control your regular lights. Where they are located depends on the car you have. The symbol needed to activate front fog lights is the lamp pointing to the left, while the symbol you need to activate your rear fog lights is the lamp pointing to the right. To navigate these foggy conditions, here are outlined steps to guide you:
- Before entering the fog, check your mirror and slow down.
- Maintain a greater distance between you and the car in front.
- Use your wipers to keep your windscreen demisted to help with visibility.
- Make sure you know where your light switch is before you set off.
- Do not use full beam because the fog reflects the light.
- If your visibility is very limited, wind down your windows at junctions and crossroads to allow you to listen out for approaching vehicles
Fog lights are mounted low on the bumper and have a wide, short beam aimed at the road surface. This minimizes light reflection and helps drivers see the road edges, lane markings and obstacles. With these specialized vehicle lights designed to improve visibility, eye strain is reduced, preventing driver fatigue.
Fog lights also enable drivers to see and react to hazards more quickly, especially in poor conditions. Their wide beam pattern helps illuminate road shoulders or sides, which is especially helpful in rural or unlit areas. In many regions, vehicles must have fog lights if they’re frequently driven in mountainous, coastal or fog-prone areas. Some newer vehicles have adaptive fog lights that turn with the steering, offering even more precise visibility.
Fog lights can only be used in low visibility conditions; turn them off in clear conditions so as to not dazzle other drivers on the road.
