Who's Who in the Wild - Through the Fog...

Dense winter fog on Anarchist Mountain - it can be beautiful in its grey simplicity. However, it also limits our ability to see potential hazards while driving, especially wildlife, people and pets, and other vehicles.

Every year, tens of thousands of animals are killed by vehicles on our highways and roadways. The risk of hitting an animal increases substantively when visibility is reduced and road conditions deteriorate, which can happen quickly. Wildlife typically most active at dawn and dusk, use fog to their perceived advantage of cover and travel more during the daytime. This poses an additional hazard, because they have greater difficulty seeing you or vehicles.

Here are some tips to reduce the risk to you and your family when driving in foggy conditions this winter:

• Slow down: Drive at a safe and reasonable speed for the road conditions, even if it's slower than the speed limit. 

• Increase following distance: Leave at least 10 seconds between you and the vehicle in front. 

• Avoid high beams: The light from high beams reflects off the fog and makes it harder to see. 

• Use your hazard lights: In dense fog, the flashing lights will make it easier for other vehicles to see you.

• Flash oncoming vehicles: If you observe wildlife close to or on the road, flash oncoming traffic to warn them of the hazard, brake slowly and give other vehicles space to react.

• Avoid passing other cars: The road is obscured, so it's best to avoid passing other vehicles. 

• Never stop on the road: If you can't navigate safely, pull over in a rest area or well off the road and wait for the fog to clear.

If you hit a large animal like a deer or moose, pull over to the side of the road if it is safe to do so and turn on your hazard lights to warn other drivers. Contact the RCMP and AIM Roads (1-866-222-4204 if the animal is blocking traffic or a threat to other drivers. DO NOT approach the animal under any circumstances - doing so could put your safety at risk and make a bad situation worse. If the animal is still alive or appears injured and wanders off, please contact the BC Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277 to report the incident.