Careers: Police/Driving in fog

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Expert: - 1/17/2008


Question
I was near the back of that big accident on I-4. We were already driving slow, because of the increasing fog, stopped when everyone else ahead of us, also stopped. The next day I read about all the trucks and vehicles that actually crashed into each other! We were so far back, we saw nothing, heard nothing...

When it is THAT foggy, i.e. visibility was like 1 ft. in front of you, how do the rescue people drive to the accidents? I read that people at the accidents could not even see vehicles on fire, unless they were less than 3 ft. away! They said they could feel the heat, but saw NOTHING.

Never had them, but have you ever heard or read if those "fog lights" (front and/or back) really work?  

Answer
Hi Richard,

Yes that was a real mess on I4. Living only a couple of hours away it was the main news story here and we get channel 2 out of Orlando. I am very glad you and your family are safe and were not involved.

As for fog lights, they do not help in that type of heavy fog. They work in regular fog because they are down low on the vehicle and do not reflect the light back at the driver as much as headlights, that is all.

As for the emergency responders. We have to follow the fog lines and drive really really slow and careful. Even so you run the risk of being involved yourself. What they did there (from talking to one of the troopers on scene) was respond to one end and walk the rest of the way, using the road as the area of search. It was a real nightmare.

I worked a 73 car pile-up in Germany on the autobahn back in 1986. It was just like the I4 wreck, fog was the cause, only we had a lot more fatalities due to the speeds involved. We responded and simply got out and walked into the fog to find everything. It was like something out of a Stephen King Novel. (The Mist). I will never forget it.

When driving in fog the white line along the edge of the road can be used to stay in your lane. But if the fog gets so bad you don't feel safe driving in it, pull as far off the road as you can, I mean way off, like 2-30 feet into the grass off the road (farther if you can), put on your emergency flashers and wait for it to clear to where you feel you can move safely. DO NOT use your emergency flashers while driving (I see this all the time in heavy rain and fog) it is against the law and they are supposed to tell drivers your stopped or broken down and to avoid you.

Hope this helps explain it a bit.

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Chris Wagoner

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I have been a police officer for 30+ years! I am the Police Academy Commander at the Santa Fe College, Institute of Public Safety in Gainesville Florida It is a full service Law Enforcement and Corrections training facility. I can answer most questions concerning law enforcement procedures, law enforcement training and general questions about law enforcment. I can also answer questions about becoming a law enfocement officer. I have a booklet and web page I have written that answers many questions about how to become a police officer called "So you want to be a cop (police Officer) in Florida?", which is free, Google it.. All you have to do is ask. I teach the following subjects: RADAR/LASER, Law Enforcement Driving, Law Enforcement Firearms and Patrol Techniques, Officer Safety, WMD's for Patrol Officers, Application of Law, Communications skills, Dealing with the Mentally and physically handicapped, and many more subjects. I have worked as a subject matter expert for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and helped to write the police curriculum for the State of Florida. I like answering questions about how to become a police officer, and questions about why did an officer do this or that type questions. I also like answering any questions you may have about police work in general. I do not mind helping with homework questions or trying to answer your questions about legal subjects that I have knowledge of. You will never know the answer until you ask! If you do ask a question, PLEASE take the time to at least rate the answer. I do not get paid to answer these questions and do it on my own time. If you ask, please rate it when I answer. Thanks!!! If its a question about becoming a police officer, it may be answered here: http://sites.google.com/site/flaleohelp/ My "hobby" website - http://www.youtube.com/user/3rdID8487 Military Videos on YouTube and Facebook!!

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