Urgent warning to drivers as heavy fog covers the UK – motorists are told to follow 2-second rule & wind down windows

DRIVERS have been issued an urgent warning as heavy fog blanketed the UK today with motorists told to follow five key pieces of guidance.

The Met Office made the announcement in a post on X, highlighting mist and fog across England, Wales, and south west Scotland this morning.

It provided its five key tips for driving in the difficult conditions including asking motorists to follow a two second rule and to wind down their windows.

The post read: “Be aware there is a lot of mist and fog this morning across England and Wales, as well as SW Scotland.

“Here are some tips for driving in fog, from our partners, to help keep everyone safe on the commute/school run.”

Be familiar with your fog lights

The weather agency’s first tip to drivers was to ensure you are familiar with how to operate your front and rear fog lights.

Fog lights are designed to aid visibility when bad weather conditions reduce your ability to see the road ahead.

Front fog lights can cut through mist, fog, rain or even dust as they are mounted lower down than headlights in the front of the car.

A button or switch can usually be found on your dashboard, on a steering wheel stalk, or next to the dial you use to control your regular lights.

The front fog light switch features a lamp pointing to the left, with lines pointing diagonally down through a vertical wavy line while rear fog lights have a lamp facing the opposite direction, with lines pointing horizontally straight through the wavy line.

Do not use full beam lights

The forecaster has also advised drivers to not use full beam lights as these can be counterproductive to helping increase your visibility.

While motorists may naturally reach for their brightest headlights when fog settles in, this can be hazardous as the fog reflects the light back.

When this happens, a driver’s visibility is reduced further rather than improved.

Follow the two-second rule

The Met Office has urged drivers to follow the two-second rule when driving in difficult conditions.

Keeping a two-second gap between yourself and the driver ahead allows you to maintain a safe distance for travel.

To use the rule, you should allow the vehicle in front to pass a fixed object such as a lamp post or road sign then count to two seconds.

If you reach two seconds before you pass the reference marker you need to drop back.

You may even want to increase the gap to four seconds to help leave sufficient space between you and the car in front.

Open vents and set your heater to demist

The agency’s fourth tip is to ensure your heater is set to windscreen demisting and that you open all your vents.

It’s essential your windscreen is demisted before you set off otherwise it can impede your vision, meaning you will be driving illegally.

First, start your heater off cold and then slowly increase the temperature as the air in the car dries out.

Make sure to blast the air at your windscreen and windows to help ensure water vapour clears and does not condense on the glass again.

If you car has a smart climate control systems your life will likely be easier as many have a setting for demisting your windscreen.

Wind down your windows at junctions and crossroads

The Met Office’s final piece of advice is to wind down your windows at junctions and crossroads if visibility is limited.

When fog impedes your view from inside the car, putting your windows down can help you safely traverse junctions and crossroads.

By winding them down, you can listen out for approaching traffic in order to help prevent any accidents.