Avoid Tail-Gating, Do Not Overtake, Use Hazard Lights: Advisory Issued As Dense Fog Engulfs Delhi-NCR

Amid dense fog and reduced visibility, the Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory on Friday, urging commuters to observe and take the following precautions to reach their destination safely.

New Delhi: The Delhi Traffic Police have issued an advisory for the commuters as the national capital is witnessing dense fog and reduced visibility amid extreme winter condition. This comes as the weather department has predicted very dense fog over North India during the next four days. The advisory has instructed drivers to use fog lights. Additionally, travellers have been asked to stay updated on the schedules of airlines, railways and state transport.

“Delhi experienced a severe winter in the last few days. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) with the forecast for the coming week has predicted dense to very dense fog at most places in the morning. Delhi has already been given a ‘Red Alert’ as the city can be wrapped in dense fog and the visibility range may vary from 199 m to 50 m or can even be less than 50 metres,” the advisory read.

“Due to dense fog in coming days, it becomes imperative on the part of all road users to follow certain precautions to avoid crashes and fatalities. All road users are advised to observe and take following precautions to reach their destination safely and prevent any untoward incident due to fog” it said.

The Delhi Police have also urged commuters to observe and take the following precautions to reach their destination safely and prevent untoward incidents due to the fog.

1. The advisory suggested commuters make sure everything is in working order, especially lights, brakes, tyres, windscreen wipers, radiator, battery and car heating system.
2. Keep your windows and mirrors clean. Use your defroster and wipers to maximise your vision.
3. 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.
4. Honk periodically to let other drivers know your presence. Do not attempt to overtake other vehicles.
5. If visibility is reduced, turn on fog lights, reduce speed and slow down, watch speedometer, don’t drive beyond headlights,” it said.
6. The traffic cops also advised commuters to not attempt to overtake other vehicles in foggy conditions.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. All motorists are advised to follow these precautions for their own safety as well as the safety of other road users. Keep a safe distance and avoid tailgating to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.

Meanwhile, due to dense fog, several trains and flights were delayed and cancelled at IGI airport and Anand Vihar Railway Station. Responding on the delay of trains, a passenger Prashant Kumar said, “The trains are later than usual this time. Nandankanan Express coming to Delhi from Bhubaneswar was supposed to reach at 3.30 pm but it reached Delhi at 12.30 am.”

Delhi witnessed a marginal improvement in air quality on Friday, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 356. The air quality, however, is expected to be in the “very poor” category for the next two days.