Fog Has Often Draped State’s Highways in Death

As Wednesday’s pileup on the Golden State Freeway graphically showed, visibility can drop without warning on California highways, with deadly results.

On Nov. 29, 1991, motorists on the same freeway encountered a sudden dust storm north of Coalinga. Seventeen people died and 151 were injured in the ensuing 104-vehicle pileup.

Most of these types of accidents occur in mountain passes or broad valleys, particularly the San Joaquin. The following are some of the worst accidents in recent California history:

* Jan. 15, 1994: In a series of eight rapid-fire accidents, more than 70 vehicles piled into each other on California 99 between Livingston and Selma, killing two and injuring more than 60.

* Dec. 23, 1993: A 25-vehicle pileup on Interstate 80 just west of Sacramento sent eight victims to hospitals.

* Oct. 18, 1992: A motorist slamming into a police cruiser that had stopped at an accident site touched off a 30-vehicle collision on Interstate 15 near Rancho Cucamonga, injuring 24 people.

* March 20, 1992: Three chain-reaction crashes involving nearly 100 vehicles, including a packed school bus, killed one and injured 46 on Interstate 15 in the San Bernardino Mountains’ Cajon Pass.

* Feb. 7, 1991: A dozen crashes involving nearly 100 vehicles on a 15-mile stretch of California 99 south of Fresno killed four people.

CHP officials say motorists who find themselves suddenly shrouded in fog or dust rarely follow a simple, common-sense rule. “No. 1, slow down,” said Wendy Moore, a spokeswoman for the California Highway Patrol’s Newhall office. “It’s very basic.”

In some situations, Moore said, motorists can try to exit to a location where it is safe to stop--rest areas, roadside cafes and the like. But then they should wait out the storm.

“The problem is, if they get off, they’re going to encounter the same problem,” Moore said. “Don’t just get off to drive somewhere else, on smaller roads.”

Drivers should use hazard lights only if they are forced to stop in the roadway, she said. “Hazards can cause more problems than it’s worth,” said Moore.

Using hazard lights while traveling or parked on the shoulder can be particularly confusing to oncoming drivers.

“With that kind of fog and visibility, they can’t tell where the road ends and will drive right into you,” Moore said.

When forced to stop for an accident, she said, motorists should turn on hazard lights and stay inside the vehicle.

“You’re safer inside. You’ve got metal around you and people can see your vehicle before they can see you.”

Many of the worst pileups in the San Joaquin Valley have been attributed to so-called tule fog--named for a Native American tribe of the region. It is caused by a variety of factors, including inversion layers, wind-swept dust and the depth of the valley floors.