Thick morning fog in Cape Coral, Fla., on Feb. 26 led to a T-bone collision between a school bus and a sports car, resulting in injuries to the sports car driver. Fortunately, just one of the 22 students in the bus suffered an injury and it was minor, a local news agency reported at the time. Eyewitnesses noted that the sports car’s headlights hadn’t been on, prompting local authorities to warn the public about a trend they’ve noticed recently. 

Because many cars today have headlamps programmed to automatically turn on at night, some drivers have come to assume their lights are on whenever needed. It’s a wrong assumption because these lights don’t turn on automatically in foggy conditions during daylight hours. 

Here are some other tips, provided by the California DMV, to help your fleet drivers stay safe in fog conditions:

• If possible, postpone your trip (if you're lucky enough to know about the fog beforehand).

• If you're not so lucky and must drive, then drive slowly and use your low-beam headlights. The light from high beams will reflect back and cause glare. Never drive with just your parking or fog lights.

• Increase your following distance and be prepared to stop within the space you can see ahead.

• Avoid crossing or passing lanes of traffic unless absolutely necessary.

• Listen for traffic you cannot see.

• Use your wipers and defroster as necessary. If the fog becomes so thick that you can barely see, pull completely off the road. Stop driving until visibility improves. Turn off your lights or someone may see your taillights and drive into you.