Travel Warning: Frozen Fog Poses Bridge Problems
By: Marci Manley, KARK 4 News
Updated: December 12, 2012
With a shiver, O'Roderick Gardner returns the gas handle to its lever, and wastes no time climbing in his car to escape the cold.
"I did peel ice of my windshield the other day, and I was a little concerned by that."
Having just moved to Arkansas from California, winter weather driving on icy roads is something he's not fully prepared for.
"My tactic is just to be very careful and drive slow," he said. "I'm going to try and be aware of everything around me.
But even experienced winter weather drivers may not notice danger right under their wheels, when there's no sleet or snow to be seen. A dense layer of fog in the overnight and morning hours when the air is freezing should be on driver's radars.
"You're telling me fog is freezing in mid air?" Gardner said. "I guess it makes sense, but I've never thought about it."
"It'll trick motorists," said David Nilles with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. "When the sun is out and the sky is blue, but when we have the fog over the river it settles onto the lanes in a frozen state."
As the sun sets and the temperatures drop below 32 degrees, bridges can become a slippery trap for travelers.
"It's hard to tell if that surface is frozen or not especially after dark or in the early morning hour," Nilles said.
Those areas, bridges and overpasses, are suspended and don't have the ground's additional warmth to rely on like roads.
"The air travels beneath the bridge and overpass -- so you're going to have cooler temperatures," Nilles said.
With the weather pattern holding steady for a freezing, foggy Thursday, those who have had a close call like Gardner are offering a tip or two to those who haven't.
"There was ice on the bridge, our car started to swerve, and it just changed our whole outlook on life," he said. "It was very scary. So, I would tell people to think with your head when you're driving out there -- and not your foot."
The key to staying safe, Gardner and Nilles agree, is taking it slow.
"You want to let off the speed and leave plenty of room in front you between you and another car," Nilles said. "If you do hit a patch of ice, let off the accelerator and try to correct your steering, but don't overcompensate."
When it comes to driving in the fog, visibility can pose another danger. You may be tempted to turn on your high beams, but you'd be better off turning on the windshield wipers, defroster, and low beams for the best visibility.
"I did peel ice of my windshield the other day, and I was a little concerned by that."
Having just moved to Arkansas from California, winter weather driving on icy roads is something he's not fully prepared for.
"My tactic is just to be very careful and drive slow," he said. "I'm going to try and be aware of everything around me.
But even experienced winter weather drivers may not notice danger right under their wheels, when there's no sleet or snow to be seen. A dense layer of fog in the overnight and morning hours when the air is freezing should be on driver's radars.
"You're telling me fog is freezing in mid air?" Gardner said. "I guess it makes sense, but I've never thought about it."
"It'll trick motorists," said David Nilles with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. "When the sun is out and the sky is blue, but when we have the fog over the river it settles onto the lanes in a frozen state."
As the sun sets and the temperatures drop below 32 degrees, bridges can become a slippery trap for travelers.
"It's hard to tell if that surface is frozen or not especially after dark or in the early morning hour," Nilles said.
Those areas, bridges and overpasses, are suspended and don't have the ground's additional warmth to rely on like roads.
"The air travels beneath the bridge and overpass -- so you're going to have cooler temperatures," Nilles said.
With the weather pattern holding steady for a freezing, foggy Thursday, those who have had a close call like Gardner are offering a tip or two to those who haven't.
"There was ice on the bridge, our car started to swerve, and it just changed our whole outlook on life," he said. "It was very scary. So, I would tell people to think with your head when you're driving out there -- and not your foot."
The key to staying safe, Gardner and Nilles agree, is taking it slow.
"You want to let off the speed and leave plenty of room in front you between you and another car," Nilles said. "If you do hit a patch of ice, let off the accelerator and try to correct your steering, but don't overcompensate."
When it comes to driving in the fog, visibility can pose another danger. You may be tempted to turn on your high beams, but you'd be better off turning on the windshield wipers, defroster, and low beams for the best visibility.
