Police: Motorists should manually turn on headlights during fog

By Brandi Makuski

Local law enforcement is asking motorists across the Portage Co. area to stay off the roads if possible but to ensure headlights are turned on if they must travel.

A heavy fog bank hit the area early Wednesday morning, and emergency responders have already tended to several collisions.

Assistant Police Chief Ryan Fox in Plover said he’s asking motorists to make sure their headlights are turned on before they drive.

“People rely on their auto headlights, but I think it’s still too light outside for those to come on,” Fox said Thursday afternoon. “So we’ve got people driving without headlights on.”

Fox said operating any vehicle in dense fog without active running lamps and brake lights is “extremely dangerous.”

“It’s one of those safety features in most vehicles that a lot of people don’t think about because when it gets dark they just automatically turn on,” he said. “The majority of the cars we’re seeing do have headlights on, but I can’t tell you how many times we’ll see a car without headlights, and it disappears within 100 yards of us. It’s even worse in the county.”

Fox is urging motorists to “stay home if you can, slow down, and manually turn your headlights on.”