Drivers have been warned of treacherous conditions on Irish roads today and tonight as Met Eireann has issued a Status Orange fog warning.
The freezing fog warning is now in place until midnight for multiple counties, including Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Carlow and all of Connacht. A weather warning for low temperatures and ice is in place nationwide until Friday.
As motorists head out into the fog, the Road Safety Authority has given advice on how to drive safely in the unusual conditions - and one piece of information is quite surprising.
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The RSA has advised to turn off your radio and let down your window slightly while driving through dense fog. This is so that the driver can hear other cars on the road while their visibility is impaired.
Here is the advice from the RSA on how to drive safely as heavy fog grips Dublin:
In patches of fog, switch on fog lights where visibility is reduced. As you enter fog, check your mirrors and slow down. Use your foot brake lightly so that your lights warn following drivers.
To prevent windscreen wipers from freezing and seizing up in freezing fog, add anti-freeze screen washer to the water tank. Check that the wipers for wear and tear and replace them if they are.
Do not drive on the tail-lights of the vehicle in front. This can give a false sense of security and you will be too close to be able to brake safely. In heavy fog, turn off your radio and let down your driver’s window a fraction, so as you can hear other traffic.
Remember to switch off your fog lights once the foggy conditions improve.
A spokesperson said: “Combined with temperatures which are expected to drop below -5C, leading to a widespread severe frost, with a risk of icy roads, this poses a safety risk for road users.
“As visibility is reduced in such conditions a collision involving one vehicle can quickly involve many others, especially if driving too fast and too close to one another. The greatest risk is of a multiple-vehicle pile-up on roads with higher speeds such as motorways and dual carriageways.
“Dense fog reduces visibility greatly and makes driving very dangerous. However freezing fog, when liquid fog droplets freeze to surfaces, can make it difficult to keep the windscreen surface clear.”
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