Fog is a bitch. I’m sorry, maybe that deserved a heads-up or something, but I can’t put it any other way. It’s worse than snow, rain, sun or anything else. I guess at least it’s got black ice to keep it company down there at the bottom of things you’d like to come across while driving.
Why is fog so bad? Well, because it’s taunting you. It’s saying “come on, why are you driving like a granny, the road is clear, the asphalt is dry, what’s the matter with you?” And just when you’re about to say “but I can’t see ten meters in front of me, fog, stop harassing me,” you hit a car stopped in front because apparently 30 mph (48 km/h) on a highway was still too much. And fog is happy.
But the thought alone that they’re doing 30 mph when you could probably be going a lot faster is killing some of the drivers. And so they decide to screw it, go all in and see what’s the worst that can happen.
For all those who fall into this category, here’s a little video caught with a dashcam on a highway in Slovenia. The ex-Yugoslavian country has a speed limit of 130 km/h (80 mph) on roads such as the one in the clip, but it also has disciplined drivers who know when to take advantage of that, and when to regard it as a mere suggestion. Or so you’d think.
The driver in this video comes along a group of cars stopped right in the middle of the road. He’s helped by the fact that he was driving exactly as he should have: at a safe distance from the car in front, yet able to see it at all times. This way, he sees the Škoda brake, so he’s able to stop the car in complete safety. However, the worrying fact is that not all the stopped cars had their fog lamps on, so that must have made it more difficult for those coming from behind to see them in time.
The driver does the only intelligent thing possible and stops the car. Before he gets to a complete stop, the Škoda to his left already gets hit. By a BMW, obviously. The occupants of the cars rush to the side of the road where they’re somewhat safe, and all they can do is watch as their cars get repeatedly hit by drivers going way too fast for the weather conditions.
What makes the clip special is that you can’t really see what’s causing the commotion, but only hear it - much like the Blair Witch Project movie. Well, there is this moment where it gets pretty visually intense as well, but I’m not going to spoil it (it’s at around the one-minute mark). Hit “play,” try not to cringe and remember this next time you’re driving in fog.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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