The National Weather Service issued a weather alert at 5:50 a.m. on Thursday for dense fog until noon The alert is for South Fulton as well as Coweta, Fayette, Clayton, Spalding, Henry, Butts, Jasper, Putnam, Meriwether, Pike, Upson, Lamar, Monroe, Jones, Baldwin, Crawford and Bibb counties.

“Some patchy dense fog will restrict visibilities to less than one-half of a mile across parts of north and central Georgia. The fog should lift after 10 a.m. If driving this morning, slow down, use low-beam headlights and leave extra distance between you and the vehicle in front of you,” says the NWS.

Guidance from the NWS for navigating foggy conditions

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

Reduce speed:

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

Visibility priority:

• Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights. If you have fog lights, use them.

Avoid high-beams:

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

Keep a safe 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 protocol:

• 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 no parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far to the roadside as possible. Once stationary, turn off all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.

By adhering to these recommendations from the NWS, you can navigate foggy conditions with greater safety, mitigating the risk of accidents and prioritizing your well-being.

Source: The National Weather Service