Combine early morning fog and the traffic of commuters traveling to work and you have a recipe for potential disaster.

Motorists should use extreme care on the roadways, especially during early morning commutes when visibility from fog is greatly reduced. Most fog-related crashes occur during the morning rush hour (6-9 a.m.) and involve motorists who are familiar with the road but still drive too fast for conditions.

Most importantly, people must slow down. Obviously motorists should plan to leave for work or other destinations earlier than usual in order to arrive on time.

AAA suggests motorists abide by the following safety measures:

1. Reduce your speed in order to have a safe stopping distance between vehicles.
2. Use low-beam headlights, not just parking or emergency lights when the vehicle is in motion.
3. Avoid using high-beams, as the fog’s moisture will reflect the light back into your eyes.
4. In dense fog, leave the highway as soon as it is safe to do so and wait for the fog to lift.
5. Stay in one lane. Don’t pass other vehicles or change lanes unnecessarily.
6. Use windshield wipers and the windshield defroster to clear moisture from the car windows.