A report from the National Weather Service was issued at 4:23 a.m. Wednesday for dense fog until 8 a.m. for Morris, Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Camden, Burlington, Ocean and Atlantic counties.

“Patchy fog this morning reduces visibility to less than half a mile at times. Be prepared for rapid changes in visibility at short distances! Turn on your low beam headlights and leave extra space between you and the vehicle in front of you as the fog is expected to clear by mid-morning,” the weather service says.

Sailing in fog: safety tips from the weather service

If you must drive through fog, remember these safety instructions:

Slow:

• Slow down and allow extra travel time to reach your destination safely.

Visibility matters:

• Make sure your vehicle is visible to others by using low beam headlights, which also activate your taillights. If available, use fog lights.

Avoid high beam:

• Refrain from using high beam lights as they create glare, making it more difficult to see what is ahead of you on the road.

Keep a safe distance:

• Keep a considerable following distance to account for sudden stops or changes in traffic patterns.

Stay in your lane:

• Use the lane markings on the road as a guide to stay in the correct lane.

Zero Visibility Protocol:

• In extremely dense fog where visibility is close to zero, the best course of action is to turn on your hazard lights first, then simply pull over to a safe location, such as a local business parking lot and stop.

Limited parking options:

• If no designated parking area is available, pull the vehicle as far off the road as possible. Once stationary, turn off all lights except the hazard lights, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure that the rear lights remain off, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.

By following these weather service recommendations, you can navigate in foggy conditions more safely, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring your well-being.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots that uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.