A weather alert was issued by the National Weather Service on Friday at 4:22 a.m. for fog until 9 a.m. The alert is for Inland Kleberg, Inland Nueces, Inland San Patricio, Inland Refugio and Inland Calhoun as well as McMullen, Live Oak, Bee, Goliad, Victoria, Duval and Jim Wells counties.

“Areas of fog have developed across portions of South Texas this morning. Expect visibilities generally 1 mile or less with a few locations seeing visibilities 1/4 mile or less at times. Use caution if traveling as visibility may change rapidly in a short amount of time. Use low beam headlights and leave extra distance between your vehicle and others on the road,” according to the NWS.

Fog safety: Tips from the NWS for safe travels

If you need to drive through fog, remember these safety guidelines:

Reduce speed:

• Slow down and allocate extra travel time to reach your destination safely.

Visibility matters:

• Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights. If available, employ your fog lights.

Avoid high-beams:

• Refrain from using high-beam headlights, as they create glare that impairs your visibility on the road.

Keep your distance:

• Maintain a significant following distance to account for abrupt stops or shifts in traffic patterns.

Stay in your lane:

• To ensure you are staying in the correct lane, use the road’s lane markings as a guide.

Zero visibility strategy:

• In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.

Limited parking options:

• If there is no parking lot or driveway to pull into, pull your vehicle off to the side of the road as far as possible. Once you come to a stop, turn off all lights except your hazard flashing lights, set the emergency brake, and take your foot off of the brake pedal to be sure the tail lights are not illuminated so that other drivers don’t mistakenly run into you.

By adhering to these recommendations from the NWS, you can navigate foggy conditions more safely, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring your well-being.

Source: The National Weather Service