With Delhi-NCR getting a daily dose of dense to very-dense fog in the early hours hampering the visibility on roads, the Delhi Traffic Police on Friday issued an advisory to the commuters to use their discretion to avoid crashes or fatalities.
Citing the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast of dense to very dense fog for the coming week at most of the places in the morning hours in the city, the police pointed out that a ‘Red Alert’ has already been issued as the range of the visibility could vary from 190 to 50 and even less than 50 meters in some places.
“This is a warning to ‘be aware’ on account of a forecast of dense to very dense fog,” the Delhi Police said. Road users are, therefore, advised to take necessary precautions to avoid any untoward incident and reach their destinations safe and secure.
The police have asked people to monitor the routes beforehand and plan their travel accordingly.
The police have asked people to:
Ø Keep the vehicle in good condition. Make sure everything is in working order, especially lights, brakes, tyres, windscreen wipers, radiator, battery and car heating system.
Ø Keep your windows and mirrors clean. Use your defroster and wipers to maximize your vision.
Ø If possible, keep a high visibility jacket and torch in the car so that you can see and be seen in case to get out of the car.
Ø Make your vehicle visible to others both ahead of you and behind you by using low-beam headlights as high beams get reflected back in the fog and impair visibility.
Ø If visibility is reduced, turn on fog lights, reduce speed and slow down, watch speedometer, don’t drive beyond headlights.
Ø Keep safe distance and avoid tail-gating to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.
Ø Use pavement markings for guidance! Use the right edge of the road or painted road markings/central divider as a guide and be patient.
Ø During fog and occasional rain, the road could be slippery. One should be careful while driving on slippery roads.
Ø Honk periodically to let other drivers know about your presence!
Ø Do not attempt to overtake other vehicles.
Ø One needs to keep an eye on the roads and attentive hearing to judge the traffic that cannot be seen.
Ø Reduce the distractions in your vehicle i.e., turn off music, don’t indulge in any activity like eating, drinking, smoking while driving.
Ø In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course is to first turn on hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business and stop.
Ø 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.
Ø Don’t speed up suddenly, even if the fog seems to be clearing. You could find yourself suddenly back in fog.
Meanwhile, the police has announced arrangements for New Year-eve celebrations across the city at places with high foot fall, advising people to strictly abide by the traffic rules, or prepare for strict action as per the law, especially in case of drink-driving and reckless and stunt driving.
Some places in the NCR region also reported road accidents that took place due to the poor visibility, while two women reportedly lost their lives in Bagpat while other people got injured in a road accident amid dense fog.