Dense fog with almost zero visibility led to two chain-reaction crashes on the „Trakia“ motorway between the „Kabile“ and „Zimnitsa“ interchanges. In the area of the 289th and 294th kilometres, visibility dropped from around 80 metres to just 10 metres. A total of 86 vehicles were involved in the incidents, 12 people were killed and 50 were injured.
What happened has once again raised the question of how drivers should react when fog appears suddenly and the stopping distance increases sharply.
What to do in the first few seconds
Speed should be reduced gradually, without slamming on the brakes. Gradual deceleration and using a lower gear give vehicles behind the opportunity to see the brake lights and react in time.
When visibility drops sharply, hazard lights should be switched on. The rear fog light may also be used in dense fog, but it must be switched off when the fog clears or when the vehicle behind you approaches at a short distance.
High beams are not suitable in such conditions. Their reflection in the water droplets creates a bright wall in front of the vehicle and may further reduce visibility. Drivers should use dipped headlights and front fog lights, if the vehicle is equipped with them.
The distance must be significantly greater
At a speed of 90 km/h, a vehicle travels around 25 metres in one second. Therefore, in fog, the distance from the vehicle in front should be at least 4–5 seconds.
Drivers can use the solid white line on the right as a guide to the edge of the carriageway. They should not stop in the emergency lane, as in dense fog vehicles approaching from behind may mistake it for a traffic lane and crash into the stationary vehicle.
What to do when traffic has stopped or there is a crash
If the vehicle has stopped because of a collision or blocked traffic, passengers should not remain inside. After putting on a high-visibility vest, they should exit through the right-hand door and move behind the guardrail, towards the hard shoulder or the grassy area.
The vest should be kept inside the passenger compartment, rather than in the boot, so that it can be accessed without anyone having to leave the vehicle. After leaving the car, people must continue to pay attention to traffic in the same lane, because with limited visibility the risk of another collision remains high.
Sources: nova.bg, vesti.bg