TAMPA BAY, Fla. — Be careful on the roads today, Tampa Bay. Dense fog is impacting the area, and advisories have been issued for multiple counties.
Things will clear up around 9 a.m. when a dense fog advisory in effect for Hillsborough, Hernando, Pinellas, Pasco, and Manatee Counties is lifted.
According to ABC Action News meteorologist Greg Dee, some places are seeing some very low visibility, while others are perfectly clear. The worst of it seems to be near the coast.
Drivers heading to work and school this morning should use extreme caution when they encounter areas of low visibility.
The National Weather Service recommends the following tips when driving in fog:
- Slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination.
- Make your vehicle visible to others both ahead of you and behind you by using your low-beam headlights since this means your taillights will also be on. Use fog lights if you have them.
- Never use your high-beam lights. Using high beam lights causes glare, making it more difficult for you to see what’s ahead of you on the road.
- Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.
- To ensure you are staying in the proper lane, follow the lines on the road with your eyes.
- 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.
- 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.
The widow of a Pinellas Park firefighter turned to Susan Solves It after she was cut off from the savings her husband left behind for her.
