Drive Through Smoke

Smoke caused by wildfire or bushfire is a seasonal reality in many parts of the world. If you choose to evacuate or need to find your way back home during a fire and there is smoke everywhere, driving in smoke presents particular challenges that you need to be aware of and manage. This article explains some of the key things to be aware of in order to drive safely and avoid accidents, especially given the reduced visibility on the road caused by smoke. Importantly, do not underestimate the danger of driving in smoky conditions; this is high level hazardous driving and where possible, it is best to avoid driving in smoke.

Steps

Increasing Your Visibility

1. Turn On Headlights Smoke reduces visibility considerably and may even make it hard to see. It is important that you can see but also that you can be seen by others. Thick smoke reduces visibility and increases the chance of collision with other vehicles, livestock, trees or other objects when you cannot see ahead. Low beam headlights work best in smoky conditions; high beams can blind you if they reflect back off the smoke.
   • If you have fog lights, both the front and rear ones should be turned on.
   • Be aware that if your car has daytime running lights, you may need to turn the headlights on manually; this will also turn on the tail lights.
2. Keep your hazard lights (emergency flashers) on.. If you are parked or you are driving slowly, use the hazard lights (emergency flashers) to enable other drivers and fire fighting vehicles to be aware of your presence and/or speed.
   • If you are in a road train due to many people evacuating at the same time, hazard lights (emergency flashers) are helpful for seeing the vehicle in front of you. Collisions with large amounts of vehicles can be fatal and the chances of this happening increase in smoky conditions.

Driving Safely

1. Reduce your speed. Driving slowly is vital when it’s smoky, to enable you to cope with the low visibility conditions and to avoid colliding with vehicles, livestock, wildlife or objects. Driving more slowly gives you a better reaction time, potentially helping to avoid a collision.
   • Be cautious and aware of other road users around you. You will not be the only person seeking to escape from the fire zone.
   • Be aware that wildlife and loose livestock may well be on the roads. Animals may behave erratically due to fear and fleeing. They may run, jump, leap, etc., in front of your vehicle and may even double back.
   • Be aware that emergency services vehicles and individuals may be on the roads. Be actively conscious of anything bright or reflective; this may be a human being standing on the road for fire fighting or traffic direction purposes.
   • Avoid sudden stops. Since everyone on the road is struggling with visibility, a sudden stop can cause vehicles behind your vehicle to collide with you.
2. Stay in your lane. As much as possible, avoid passing, overtaking or making lane changes unless doing so is essential. Any movement out of your lane in a situation of low visibility increases the risk of hitting another vehicle or something else.
   • Follow all emergency services personnel directions for making lane changes. They will already have assessed the situation and will have closed off traffic coming the other way. If they inform you to make lane changes or follow different routes, heed their instructions.
   • It can sometimes be helpful to use road line markers or reflective cat’s eyes on road posts as direction aids if you cannot see the road or ahead. These can help to indicate curves, ascents and descents. However, if it is often safer to stop if visibility is this bad (see next step).
3. Pull over and stop. If the smoke is so dense and thick that you cannot see anything at all, not even the road, pull over and stop. Do so with care to avoid an accident or driving into anything, like a tree or ditch. Be aware that continuing to drive can increase the risk of a collision, which can result in injury or death and if your vehicle is damaged, this can weaken its use as your last form of shelter.
   • Keep your headlights and hazard lights (emergency flashers) on while parked. This will increase the chances of being seen by other drivers, many of whom may also wish to pull over and stop.
   • Even if the smoke is light enough to see through, stopping is a good idea to help you assess a safe way forward.
   • If stopping puts you at risk of being in the actual fire, implement your plan for staying safe in the car during a fire. Be aware that the smoke will gradually fill the car. To help increase your chances of survival, keep all windows rolled up and all doors shut. Shut all vents and turn off air-conditioning. If you have wool blankets, hang them over windows (use the coat handles on the car ceiling or drape over dashboard to front seats and front seats to back seats). Drop lower than the windows and to help you inhale as little smoke as possible, keep as close to the floor as you can. To help you breathe as this happens, breathe through a cloth that has been moistened with your drinking water.
4. Avoid the smoke. Where possible, try to drive away from smoke rather than through it. If you see smoke ahead and it is safe to turn around and take another route, do so.
   • It is always best to avoid driving at all when it is smoky. This requires having an evacuation plan in place that includes making a decision ahead of a fire to leave early and avoid the worst driving conditions.
   • Research has shown that the chance of collisions, multiple-car pile-ups and getting entrapped increase when you’re forced to drive through smoky conditions. This is why it is crucial to avoid driving in smoke where possible.

Keeping the Smoke Out

1. Keep your vehicle windows up and closed. Closed windows will keep out both smoke and flames. You can use wool blankets placed against the windows to help keep out smoke and flames (see the next Part for more details).
   • Stay well hydrated to help you cope with stuffiness inside a closed vehicle.
2. Turn the air circulation to internal. You can use the air conditioning but only with internal air circulation. Shut off all vents.
   • Allowing smoke to enter the car can lead to respiratory problems and may even be lethal.
3. Do not smoke in your car. Although anxiety may make it feel like you need a cigarette, you’ll need to wait until the vehicle has reached a safe destination. Take chewing gum, apples or something else to eat to distract yourself and give you something to chew as you drive or as a passenger. Do not fill your car with unnecessary smoke and even more airborne toxins!

Keeping Safe

1. Pack water. Take bottles or containers of water, 1 for each person and pet. If you can also take additional water, include extra water for refills and unexpected needs.
   • Stay hydrated; drink before you feel you need to.
2. Pack medication. Before you leave the house, remember to include your medication as you may not be able to get hold of new medication easily. In particular, any persons who have breathing conditions such as asthma must take their inhalers and other breathing aids. Be aware that smoke can impact some people more severely than others, in particular those susceptible to respiratory conditions.
   • If your medication needs to be kept cool, carry it in a cooler or even inside a car fridge if you have one. Wrapping medication in newspaper can help to keep it insulated, even within a cooler, if you're concerned about heat and long travel.
3. Take safety masks. A safety mask can help breathing in smoky conditions but only if they’re the right type of mask. Dust masks are inadequate. Suitable masks will be marked as P2 or N95.
   • For help in choosing and wearing your mask properly, check out: Wear an N95 Face Mask.
4. Pack a wool blanket. Have at least 1 wool blanket in the car, which can be used to put up against windows to protect you from smoke and flames if you have to stop and stay with the vehicle or drive through active fire zones. Wool has natural flame resistance and even if it does catch fire, it will smolder and not melt onto skin.
   • There are also fire blankets treated with fire retardant that can be purchased online or from stores stocking safety supplies, if you prefer.
   • Old wool blankets can be purchased from charity stores. Having dedicated emergency blankets not needed for your bedding means they can be left in your car or with your emergency kit for use at any time.
5. Wipe the windshield (windscreen) clean before leaving on your journey. This will help to avoid trying to see through grime as well as smoke.
   • It can be helpful to wipe down the windshield occasionally as you’re traveling (if safe to do so), to maintain the best visibility.
6. Use your fire information app to stay on top of the latest information. For example, in New South Wales, the Fires Near Me app keeps people informed about what is happening in local bushfires, enabling you to make informed decisions.
   • Listen to your emergency radio frequency for constant updates. This will vary from country to country, so be aware of what the frequency is well ahead of any disaster event. This may vary between dedicated emergency channels, national broadcasters, and local stations.
   • As well as using your local emergency services apps, Twitter can be a good up-to-date source from local people feeding in photos and current information. Use the hashtag #[yourcity/area]fires, this will usually provide a stream of advisories and help from online users. However, be conscious of the potential for inaccuracies in information and use the emergency services apps and sites for confirmation.
   • If you are aware of fires in the area, keep your phone(s) charging at all times, so they’re fully charged if you do need to evacuate. Take a car charger with you as well. Be aware that solar chargers may not work if smoke is clouding out the sun.

Tips

• Smoke and embers increase the closer you are to the fire front.
• Listen to and heed all instructions from emergency services personnel. They’re there to help keep you and your family safe, not make things harder.
• Take a battery operated or crank radio in case you have no phone coverage as you drive.
• Tips for driving through foggy conditions apply equally to driving through smoky conditions in terms of visibility. Obviously, the difference concerns breathing safety and the potential for fire.
• Collisions due to poor smoke visibility are more likely to occur on open rural roads. In the situation of evacuating ahead of a fire, be aware that you’re not the only vehicle on the roads, nor on alternative side roads.
• Take care to rejoin traffic safely if you have stopped and are seeking to continue your journey.
• Change the vehicle's air cabin filter after getting through a smoky drive. The existing filter will be damaged and no longer capable of properly filtering.
• Having a paper map of your driving region in your vehicle can be helpful in case of electronic devices/maps not working. Such a map should be in the vehicle always, not just for emergency events.

Warnings

• Driving in smoky conditions is inherently dangerous. Do your best to avoid having to drive in such conditions, especially if you’re not a member of emergency services and lack training for such conditions. Initiating your evacuation plan in advance of a real problem is always the sensible option.
• If stepping out of your parked car when smoky, be very careful about not stepping onto the road, to avoid being hit by vehicles.
• If stopping, don’t stop on the road; pull over to the side when it is safe to do so. Stopping on the road can cause a collision or multiple car pile-up.
• Although circulating internal air is current best practice, be aware that as soon as you can let in fresh air, do so. In particular, be aware that carbon dioxide levels can increase fairly fast in “newer cars” according to the AMQD if all windows and vents are closed while the internal circulation is kept on. Since this can cause occupants to become lethargic and sleepy, the sooner you can get fresh air, the better. Remember, you are driving in the worst conditions possible, so you need to balance the risks.
• Do not drive through areas that have been closed. They have been closed to ensure the safety of all persons.
• In many jurisdictions, fog lights are only to be used in conditions of poor visibility. As soon as you’re driving in clear conditions again, remember to turn them off.

Things You’ll Need

• Water
• Wool blanket(s)
• Cloths (for wetting and breathing through)
• Your phone(s)
• Radio with batteries/solar or crank
• Flashlight
• Masks can be helpful: P2 or N95 are suitable for smoke
• Map
• Car first aid kit

References

See also

• Stay Alert Driving at Night
• Not Run Over a Squirrel
• Deal With Being Tailgated
• Handle a Car Like a Professional Driver
• Find an Online Defensive Driving Course
• Get Rid of Your Blind Spot
• Be a Safe Elderly Driver
• Drive Safely Around Children
• Use Paddle Shifters
• Drive Fast

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