Posts tagged: Car safety features

New Delhi. A tragic accident in Noida on the night of 17 January has drawn the attention of the entire country to road safety. An IT professional's car fell into an open construction pit on a foggy night and low visibility. The water kept filling rapidly and help could not reach in time. This incident not only raised questions on the poor infrastructure, but also drew attention to another thing, the need for fog lamps in vehicles.

After such accidents, a question arises again and again that if there had been better visibility, perhaps this incident could have been averted. It becomes difficult to judge the road in fog, rain and darkness. This is where fog lamps prove to be a small but very important safety feature which can sometimes prevent major accidents.

Why are fog lamps necessary?

Dense fog and heavy rains are common in areas like Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab during winter and monsoon in India. In such weather, the light of normal headlights gets scattered in the fog and the road ahead is not clearly visible. Fog lamps are installed close to the ground and their light spreads straight on the road. This allows the driver to see the surface and obstacles in front in time.

How do fog lamps work?

Yellow or amber tone light is used in fog lamps. The wavelength of this light is longer, due to which there is less collision with fog particles. The result is that the road remains clearly visible even in low visibility. This is the reason why fog lamps are more effective than ordinary headlights in heavy rain and fog.

Correct use of fog lamps

Fog lamps should be used only in fog, heavy rain or mist. It is considered correct to drive them with low beam headlights. High beam has the opposite effect in fog and dazzles the driver's eyes. Keeping fog lamps on in normal clear weather can become a problem for other vehicles.

Lesson to be learned from Noida accident

The Noida incident showed that having an SUV does not guarantee safety in every situation. Any vehicle can become helpless in front of deep water and open pit. If visibility had been better, the danger might have been seen earlier. Also, presence of tools like emergency hammer in the car can also help in saving lives.

Important advice for drivers

Every car owner should check whether fog lamps are present in his vehicle or not. Aftermarket fog lamps can be installed if required. Reduce speed in rain and fog and avoid construction zones or waterlogged roads. Small precautions and the right safety features often make the difference between life and death.