Have You Got Your Lights On?

By Joan Airey

New Year’s Eve we were discussing the importance of lights on anything going down the road for the safety of anyone traveling down the road. One of our guests said he had come upon a tractor load of bales at dusk on a stormy night with no lights on highway #259 that he couldn’t see until they were right in front of him. Luckily he was practicing defensive driving and was going at a speed that he could avoid an accident.

A fellow we know wasn’t that lucky when driving to Agribition to do volunteer work with his wife and tenyear-old grandson. The snow was blowing at dusk when all of a sudden he spotted a load of something ahead, he swerved to miss the load of bales and tractor but wasn’t able so his wife and grandson lost their lives.

Flashing lights to put on loads aren’t expensive and could save lives. Warning lights can be purchased from thirty dollars up and only take seconds to activate if your equipment doesn’t have any.

If you see flashing lights take the time to slow down and proceed with caution it could save a life.

These tips for driving in fog were given to me by a tow truck driver.

1. Slow down. If you cannot see where you are going, do not drive fast. You don’t know what could be ahead a stopped vehicle an emergency vehicle, a deer or moose! The fog could also cause the roads to be icy in places.

2. Turn your headlights and taillights on. Always use your low beams. Make sure your taillights are turned on as well so you can be seen!

3. Use the right-side pavement line as a guide. In thick fog, use the white line painted on the right side of the road as a guide. Do not use the centre pavement markings. Doing so may guide you to move closer to on coming vehicles.

4. Do Not Stop on the Road. When you cannot see where you are going, a natural reaction is slow down or even stop. In fog, never stop on the road. Find a safe place to pull over that is as far away from traffic as possible such as a parking lot or roadside turnout. Turn you signal or 4-way flasher on.

5. Use wipers and defrost. Fog can sometimes cause your wind shield to fog/ice up. Always have your defrost on and wipers set at a low setting to keep the windshield clear.

6. Be patient and stay alert! Do not attempt to pass. Leave plenty of room between you and the vehicle in front of you. Try to look as far ahead as possible.

Drive safe; don’t forget to have lights on farm vehicles.