Driving in fog: 10 top tips for safely driving in misty conditions

Thick fog is creeping across parts of Scotland this morning with motorists experiencing treacherous driving conditions due to low visibility

The worst affected areas are eastern areas around Edinburgh, Central Scotland as well as parts of Fife.Here are RAC’s top tips for driving in thick fog:

- Before entering fog, you should check your mirrors, then slow down.

- Maintain a greater distance between you and the car in front, you could increase the gap to four seconds from the recommended two

- Make sure to use your wipers and to keep your windscreen demisted to aid visibility

- If the word ‘fog’ is shown on a signal, but the road is clear, be prepared for a sudden bank of fog or drifting, patchy fog

- Use your lights if visibility is reduced to 100 metres (328 feet) or roughly the length of a football pitch

- Make sure you know where your fog-light switch is before you set off

Misty conditions outside Edinburgh this morning. Picture: Traffic Scotland

- Do not use full beam, because the fog reflects the light back, reducing visibility even further

- Do not attempt to navigate using the tail lights of the car in front, as these can give a false sense of security

- If visibility is very limited, wind down your windows at junctions and crossroads to allow you to listen out for approaching traffic

- If you really cannot see, you should consider stopping until it is safe to continue.