To counter reduced visibility on national highways due to the onset of the winter season, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has directed its field offices to undertake various ”mitigation” measures, an official press note said on Saturday.

With reduced visibility due to foggy conditions posing significant risk to the safety of the national highways users, these measures will help avoid potential accidents that endanger the safety of highway users.

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To enhance road safety during foggy conditions, mitigation measures have been classified under two heads of engineering measures and safety awareness measures. The ‘engineering measures’ include reinstalling missing/damaged road signs, rectifying faded or inadequate pavement markings, enhance visibility of safety devices by providing reflective markers, median markers, etc., providing transverse bar markings in habitations and accident-prone locations, ensuring functional blinkers at median openings at under construction zones and hazardous locations and replacement of damaged hazard markers signs at diverging & merging locations.

Similarly, ‘safety awareness’ measures underline incorporating steps to alert highway users of the reduced visibility conditions. These measures include use of Variable Message Signs (VMS) or electronic signages to display ‘Foggy Weather Alerts’ and speed limit messages, use of Public Address System warning commuters about driving speed limit of 30 km/hr in foggy areas, use of electronic billboards, radio, and social media for public service announcements on Toll Plazas, Wayside Amenities during foggy conditions and installation of reflective tapes on full width of vehicles on the highways.

The guidelines also encourage NHAI officials to create awareness among highway users to use blinkers and follow traffic rules. In addition, safety awareness pamphlets will also be distributed to commuters crossing toll plaza with a contact number to share information about foggy conditions and assist in case of accidents.

In addition, the NHAI field officers have been directed to undertake Nighttime Highway inspection on a weekly basis. Also, Highway Patrol vehicles will be stationed near dense foggy stretches. The highway operation and maintenance team will carry red/green blinking batons for guiding traffic in case of accident and establish seamless collaboration with local law enforcement, ambulance services, and municipal authorities.