While we call ourselves the Sunshine State, the reality is that foggy driving conditions are a part of the regular commute in Florida.
Professor Mohamed Abdel-Aty and his team at the University of Central Florida hope to make our drive safer when it comes to navigating through the Florida fog.
"We identified about 10 or 11 locations that are prone to crashes resulting from reduced visibility," Abdel-Aty said.
On that list: I-4 in Polk County.
In 2008 a 70-car pile-up on I-4 in Polk County resulted in four deaths. A combination of smoke from a nearby brush fire and fog created near zero visibility conditions.
Abdel-Aty's research could help alert drivers to fog conditions. The team also learned the way drivers navigate in fog is different based on what lane the driver is in.
"That change in the left lane is not similar to the right lane, which means that by monitoring the traffic we can identify what the drivers are experiencing without even seeing what's going on," he said.
Truck drivers received high marks in the study for safety. They tend to drive more slowly and in the right lane during fog conditions.
Abdel-Aty says through a combination of increased variable message signs on the roads and educations programs for drivers, safety can be improved dramatically during foggy conditions.