Police issue fog safety alert after Met's warning, 'motorists to be more cautious'
Telegraph | 26 December 2025
As temperatures are set to drop, the Met office has issued a fog warning for Calcutta and several surrounding districts. In response, Kolkata Police released a “Fog Safety Alert” on Thursday, urging motorists to be cautious while driving in dense fog during the early hours of the day.
Using the hashtag #Fog-Alert, Kolkata Traffic Police posted a six-point advisory on social media, reminding drivers to “drive safely and arrive safely” in foggy conditions. The advisory includes several important safety tips:
Senior traffic police officers in the city have highlighted that dense fog during early morning hours is a major cause of road accidents and fatalities during this season.
“We have noticed that reduced visibility caused by fog on key roads like EM Bypass, Diamond Harbour Road, Red Road, Kidderpore Road, Basanti Highway, and Prince Anwar Shah Road Connector creates challenges for drivers,” said a senior Kolkata Police officer overseeing traffic management.
“Inexperienced drivers often speed, believing the roads are empty, which can lead to accidents due to poor visibility,” the officer said.
An accident on December 11 underscores the danger. Assistant sub-inspector Shahbuddin Biswas of Kolkata Police died when a truck hit his two-wheeler near Bairampur at night. The truck driver said he couldn’t navigate through the thick fog that had settled on Basanti Highway.
According to police, areas like EM Bypass near the Salt Lake Stadium, PC Chandra Gardens, Chingrighata, and Dhalai Bridge in Garia are particularly hazardous during foggy conditions. “Even Red Road, Kidderpore Road and Hospital Road near the Maidan become accident-prone as visibility drops dramatically.
We have asked for the installation of white LED lights to replace the current sodium vapour lamps in these areas to improve visibility, but the request has not yet been fulfilled,” a senior officer said.
Experts suggest that it’s best to avoid driving in dense fog altogether. If travel is unavoidable, motorists are advised to use defrosters and wipers to clear windows, avoid high beams as the light reflects off fog, worsening visibility.